This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Kazakhstan-backed Eurasian Resources Group one of the world’s largest producers of cobalt and chrome is replacing long-time chief executive officer Benedikt Sobotka with Shukhrat Ibragimov The move is the latest step in a generational transition at the company as senior roles pass to a new generation of the families of the trio of oligarchs who founded the group and oversaw its London listing as Eurasian Natural Resources Corp who was also appointed chairman earlier this year Sobotka has steered the group through a long-running battle with the UK Serious Fraud Office over an investigation into suspected corruption which was eventually dropped without charges last year He’s also overseen the development of a major new project in the Democratic Republic of Congo and restructuring of the company’s debt with Russian banks ERG said Shukhrat Ibragimov brought “broad expertise from extensive top-level roles” to the CEO position He has been working at ERG for a decade “starting from shop floor,” it said and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Gruyere gold mine joint venture partners Gold Fields and Gold Road Resources reach agreement on a friendly deal to consolidate ownership. The initiative will be delivered through the regional joint venture established by Fleet Space Technologies and Tahreez. The US central bank is widely expected to hold rates steady in this meeting. Romania has major reserves of rare earths, gold and copper, which have attracted interest from Canadian and American firms. Limited (CATL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Benedikt Sobotka a leading diversified natural resources group said: "I am pleased that Mr Sobotka is joining our Advisory Board vision and role as an advocate of the green energy transition aligns with our values and makes him a great fit for this role CATL has worked closely with Benedikt in his capacity as both the CEO of Eurasian Resources Group (ERG) and Co-Chair of the Global Battery Alliance (GBA) including developing the world's first Battery Passport - a pioneering initiative using data from both CATL and ERG." commented: "CATL is a global leader in innovative energy technologies ranked first in the global electric vehicle battery market for many years I am delighted to join the company's Advisory Board to work with and contribute to the company as it continues to innovate and grow internationally." Copyright © 2020-2023 Contemporary Amperex Technology Co., Limited. All Rights Reserved.闽ICP备14008486号-3闽公网安备 35090202000349号 Please select what you would like included for printing: Copy the text below and then paste that into your favorite email application Add to Calendar Add to Calendar This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply Service map data © OpenStreetMap contributors My first concern was that Sobotka initiated a lawsuit for his firing over his self-admitted indecent exposure the lawsuit is baseless and has no place in our courtrooms Working for Olympia for years does not mean they owe him Next concern is that the judge concluded that a jury should hear the case "given the severity of the discipline." Too bad this judge was not presiding in the courtroom when I went to court for a ticket I received for urinating in public The judge hearing my case had no sympathy for me she verbally admonished me in front of everyone in the courtroom She reminded me and everyone in the courtroom that anyone witnessing a person urinating in public can suffer emotionally She also educated the room that if found guilty of urinating in public and could be subjected to filing on the sex-offender website Another concern is with Sobotka’s attorney Deborah Gordon’s remark “men urinate in front of each other all the time.” Clearly Gordon is making an assumption about something she knows nothing about Plenty of men visit the restroom to urinate and wait for a stall to open as opposed to using a urinal It’s human nature to be sad when leaving employment but turning that sadness into a lawsuit is wrong Righteous or outrageous? Tell us what you think about Zamboni driver's firing at freep.com/letters. Sobotka's firing is upsettingWhat a sorry state of affairs at Olympia Entertainment Have these people nothing better to do than persecute a long-time employee for taking a whiz near a drain that empties into the sewer Ilitch Holdings CEO Christopher Ilitch's excuse for not getting involved sounds like he’s copping a plea to me He would be better off living up to his promises to the city like limiting the parking spaces at his parking lots and replacing them with the landscaping that he and the other parking lot owners agreed to do when the arena was built I’m confident that she would do the honorable thing she might want to clean out management at Olympia Entertainment Management skills were sadly lacking in the firing of Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Solotka This is a chance for owner Chris Ilitch to step up and show some leadership by overruling the termination decision of an employee who gave his entire life to the organization by not even responding to the employee's request for reconsideration he proves correct the many who say he is a failure as an executive Little guy Al Sobotka may not win his lawsuit against big guy Chris Ilitch but the pee incident will forever be a stain on the Ilitch name for their lack of compassion and forgiveness Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters an audio and battlefield subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Harman International recently held a board meeting and announced the appointment of Christian Sobotka CEO Harman's replacement is the first in about five years since 2020 Sobotka has more than 25 years of experience in the global automobile industry who joined Harman in January 2021 and has led the battlefield division "It is an honor to serve as CEO of Harman," adding "We will drive continuous growth based on innovation and provide the best value to customers and partners." Samsung Electronics' battlefield business is centered on Harman the largest ever for a domestic company to merge with a foreign company Harman's operating profit in 2017 was only 60 billion won but it increased profitability by organizing non-core businesses other than audio and battlefield solutions and grew into a net subsidiary of 14.25 trillion won in sales and 1.3 trillion won in operating profit last year ※ This service is provided by machine translation tool who has stepped down after over a decade of dedicated service Benedikt has facilitated a seamless handover and will remain available to the Group Mr Ibragimov brings broad expertise from extensive top-level roles a leading diversified natural resources group headquartered in Luxembourg appoints Shukhrat Ibragimov as Chief Executive Officer The transition in leadership marks an exciting new chapter for ERG which is committed to advancing its operations and further enhancing its contribution to responsible resource development Shukhrat Ibragimov brings broad expertise from extensive top-level roles These include his tenure as Chairman of the Supervisory Board of ERG Kazakhstan management company Member of the Board of Directors of ERG S.à r.l ERG achieved remarkable growth and success such as the launch of the Metalkol RTR project in the Democratic Republic of the Congo one of the world’s largest sustainable cobalt producers and the development of the Pedra de Ferro – FIOL - Porto Sul integrated mining including the commissioning of the ERG Green chromium tailings reprocessing facility and the building of a wind power plant in cooperation with the World Economic Forum Mr Benedikt Sobotka commented: “I am grateful for the opportunity to have led ERG over the past decade and I would like to thank the Shareholders the Board of Directors and the whole team for their cooperation and for their trust Mr Shukhrat Ibragimov commented: “ERG has a strong identity and an incredible team of highly professional I am honoured to have been appointed as ERG’s CEO and I am inspired by what the future holds for the Group is not only my father but also one of the founding fathers of ERG A lawsuit has laid bare the reason Al Sobotka no longer drives a Zamboni for the Detroit Red Wings: He got caught peeing into a drain and was seen by another employee Sobotka's lawyers state in the case filed in Wayne County Circuit Court that Sobotka's rights were violated under Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act arguing that Sobotka was discriminated against on the basis of his age (68) and disability Sobotka has been diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy which causes a frequent and uncontrollable need to urinate For subscribers: Ex-Detroit Red Wings employee Al Sobotka 'devastated' after being fired, lawyer says Sobotka drove one of the Zamboni machines into its garage at Little Caesars Arena after cleaning the ice at the main rink experienced at uncontrollable urge to urinate Sobotka used one of the drains that lead into a sewer designed to handle the ice runoff from Zamboni machines and access limited to the all-male ice crew.  Sobotka was urinating between two Zambonis when he was seen by a male employee.   Sobotka was called into a meeting with his supervisor and a human resources representative.  Initially suspended for a week Sobotka's legal team is seeking compensatory damages [ Not a digital subscriber to the Free Press? Your contribution makes our work possible. Subscribe here for just $1 for six months. ] Sobotka was 17 when he got a job at Olympia Stadium in 1971 11 years before Bruce Norris sold the Wings to Mike and Marian Ilitch Sobotka attended Detroit Northwestern and graduated from Denby High neighborhood friends helped him get hired at Olympia Stadium He started on the midnight shift and moved to the day shift and worked his way up to building operations manager at Cobo Hall Sobotka eventually moved into an office in the bowels of Joe Louis Arena from where he oversaw a crew of about 70 people The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are about to be acquired by a company that owns dozens of other minor leagues baseball teams in the United States and Canada The Rumble Ponies have entered into an agreement to sell the team to Diamond Baseball Holdings the team will continue to play at Mirabito Stadium a city-owned facility in downtown Binghamton The sale comes less than two-and-a-half years after David Sobotka purchased the team from John Hughes Sobotka said owning the Rumble Ponies had been "a dream come true." He said keeping the team in Binghamton had been a priority Sobotka expressed confidence that Diamond Baseball Holdings "will ensure that the Minor League baseball experience will be preserved for future generations to enjoy." who has been the Rumble Ponies acting general manager since November will become the club's permanent general manager Binghamton Rumble Ponies games are broadcast live on News Radio WNBF 92.1 FM and 1290 AM LISTEN: Binghamton Rumble Ponies owner David Sobotka talked about the new baseball season on WNBF Radio's Binghamton Now program on March 27 The ownership change is expected to be completed soon will remain in those positions during the transition The Diamond Baseball Holdings website already features the Rumble Ponies as part of the company's portfolio Its other teams include four of Binghamton's Eastern League opponents - the Harrisburg Senators the New Hampshire Fisher Cats and the Portland Sea Dogs Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter Gallery Credit: Peter Richman The Binghamton Rumble Ponies are about to be acquired by a company that owns dozens of other minor leagues baseball teams in the United States and Canada.\nRead More Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter When 17-year-old American Claressa Shields defeated Russian Nadezhda Torlopova in the middleweight final at the 2012 London Games she became the youngest gold-medalist boxer since John Fields in 1924 Shields added a second gold in 2016 in Rio defending her title against the Netherlands' Nouchka Fontijn 2021 at the Seasons Hospice Care in Cummings the son of the late Carl and Eugenia Sobotka He had been a lifetime area resident and was a 1976 graduate of Salem High School and a member of St also a Life Auxiliary member of the Salem VFW Don worked as a salesman and also as an independent for Herron Foods for many years and a distributor for Snyder of Berlin he enjoyed his work and all the people he came in contact with 2020 after 45 years selling potato chips and was planning on spending the winters down in Georgia to be closer to family when he was not working he was golfing in many leagues friends and with his two beautiful grandsons Besides his parents he was preceded in death by two sisters Elizabeth (Betty) Conroy and brother-in-law Richard Conroy and Janet Gbur Kurt Nicholas (Lindsey) Sobotka of Atlanta and Kyle Andrew Sobotka (Megan) of Atlanta There will be no services or calling hours A Celebration of Life will be at a later date Copyright © 2025 Ogden News Publishing of Ohio Inc.: | https://www.salemnews.net | 161 North Lincoln Al Sobotka, who maintained the ice, drove the Zamboni, twirled octopi over his head and was a master of the barbeques for the Detroit Red Wings A source confirmed to the Free Press on Wednesday that Sobotka and the Wings have parted ways. A team spokesman declined to comment. Don McLean sent an email to the Free Press with a statement from Sobotka: "I loved my 51 years with the Detroit Red Wings and would have been happy to stay 51 more."  FROM 2017: Red Wings' Zamboni legend Al Sobotka ready for his new octopus office 11 years before Bruce Norris sold the team to Mike and Marian Ilitch THE FUTURE: Red Wings are choosy about which prospects to call up. Here's why Sobotka gained fame in the 1990s when he added a twist to picking up the octopi fans would hurl onto the ice during the playoffs: Sobotka would pick one up and twirl it overhead as fans cheered When the Wings debuted a purple octopus as their mascot in the ’95 playoffs a lucky fan would get to ride with Sobotka as he steered the Zamboni around the ice during intermissions One of those who rode along was former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick MORE FROM ST. JAMES: What the final month will tell us about the Wings' 2023 playoff hopes players came to rely on Sobotka for his barbecues he’d fire up a grill inside the Joe and grill ribs When smoke from the barbecue started wafting onto the ice Sobotka moved his grill into a nook outside ERG's chief speaks on managing operations in turbulent times ERG chief Benedikt Sobotka stood out as a self-proclaimed contrarian at last month's EIT RawMaterials summit where he went head-to-head with government officials on everything from regulation to the China.. Already have an account? Sign in here Mining Magazine provides comprehensive technical insight into mining operations It aims to inform and support mine management in decision-making regarding mining techniques each focused on a key discussion point for the mining sector brought to you by the Mining Magazine Intelligence team MMI Future Fleets Report 2025 looks at how companies are using alternative energy sources to cut greenhouse gas emmissions Exclusive research for Mining Magazine Intelligence Automation and Digitalisation Report 2024 shows mining companies are embracing cutting-edge tech The ESG Mining Company Index report provides an in-depth evaluation of ESG performance of 61 of the world's largest mining companies it assesses each company across 9 meticulously weighted indicators within 6 essential pillars A comprehensive review of exploration trends and technologies highlighting the best intercepts and discoveries and the latest initial resource estimates Aspermont Media is a company registered in England and Wales longtime Zamboni driver and favorite of Red Wings fans has been terminated by the organization sources confirmed with The Detroit News on Wednesday afternoon Sobotka was long known for twirling an octopus and igniting the crowds at Joe Louis Arena and Little Caesars Arena There was no immediate comment from the Red Wings It also wasn't immediately clear what caused the termination Sobotka said in an official statement: "I loved my 51 years with the Detroit Red Wings and would have been happy to stay 51 more." Sobotka was the popular building operations manager/Zamboni driver/barbecue chef for the team and generally one of the more popular Wings figures off the ice began his career at The Olympia on the midnight shift sweeping floors He's been part of the organization for 51 years As far as swinging of the Octopus come playoff time or whenever there’s one splatted on the ice but Sobotka raised the popularity of it in the early 1990s during a playoff series against Chicago when he picked up an octopus and gave it a little twirl over his head “People seemed to like it,” Sobotka said in a story on the closing of Joe Louis Arena in 2017 Sobotka added he was encouraged by late owner Mike Ilitch to have fun and keep doing it because fans enjoyed it. “I do it because the fans seem to like it." The matter became national during the 2008 playoffs when the NHL issued a warning and said the Red Wings would be fined if Sobotka twirled an octopus and Sobotka would do his twirling near the Zamboni gate and not on the ice Media Centre Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (3600x2401, jpg, 1429.46 kB) Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (3600x1415, jpg, 1095.57 kB) Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (3600x2400, jpg, 1641.76 kB) Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (3600x2401, jpg, 1722.89 kB) Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (2992x2000, jpg, 4067.33 kB) Stáhnout obrázek v tiskové kvalitě (2992x2000, jpg, 4204.97 kB) Prime minister holds talks in Brussels with EP chairman and Commission deputy chairman"> Prime minister meets with Czechs working in EU institutions"> Enter your phone number above to have directions sent via text During an interview Wednesday with Local 4′s Bernie Smilovitz Sobotka talked about the incident that led to his firing after 51 years with the organization ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW: Sobotka talks urinating incident, Red Wings firing, would he return? According to a wrongful termination lawsuit he filed against the Red Wings Sobotka is diagnosed with benign prostatic hypertrophy a condition that causes “a frequent and uncontrollable need to urinate.” Sobotka moved the Zamboni back into the garage after cleaning and maintaining the ice in the main rink There’s a pit in the garage where ice is unloaded and drained before it runs into the sewer “(Sobotka) suddenly experienced an uncontrollable urge to urinate due to his BPH condition,” the lawsuit reads (Sobotka) would have had to exit the garage and walk 60-70 feet to a public restroom standing behind two Zambonis and seeing no one around Sobotka said nobody should have been able to see him it was in front of the one on the left where nobody -- if it was in between The lawsuit said the only people with access to the area is the all-male ice crew One employee who works under Sobotka saw him urinating in the drain and reported it to management Two went on break and the one stayed back and he was peeking around the corner or something and saw me and turned me in.” Sobotka said the person who turned him in is the new Zamboni driver both in the lawsuit and during the interview She said the way Sobotka’s termination was handled left him feeling humiliated it does happen in corporate America that somebody decides that you’ve aged out but the way this was done -- if somebody thought Al Say goodbye to the team in a nice dignified way that Al could have felt like Copyright 2022 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved Derick is the Digital Executive Producer for ClickOnDetroit and has been with Local 4 News since April 2013 TV Listings Email Newsletters RSS Feeds Contests and Rules Contact Us Careers at WDIV Closed Captioning / Audio Description Public File Current EEO Report Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Info FCC Applications Copyright © 2025 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group You browser this site using Internet Explorer 8 or lower install the latest version of Internet Explorer or any other equivalent browser (Firefox Permanent Representationof Austria to theCouncil of Europe On the occasion of the opening of the summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka gave a keynote speech in which the conventional work of the Council of Europe was emphasised as an essential basis for peaceful coexistence and democratic coexistence in Europe Austrian National Council President Wolfgang Sobotka met with the former Austrian conductor of the Strasbourg Philharmonic Orchestra an Austrian nominee for the exhibition "75 Women in 75 Years of Council of Europe" Permanent Representation of Austria to the Council of Europe Strasbourg Avenue de la Paix - Simone Veil 67000 Strasbourg Phone: +33 (0)3 88 36 64 04 Follow us on: X (Austria at CoE) How to find us One day after he was fired for peeing in a drain at work former Detroit Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka texted the most powerful man at the company and begged for a second chance I'm sure you heard that I was terminated," Sobotka texted Christopher Ilitch president and CEO of the Detroit Red Wings and its massive parent company I would hope you had it in your heart for another chance." which was sent to Ilitch's personal cellphone on Feb "I would love to go (out) on my own and retire I have much respect for you and your family .. Nearly two years after the abrupt firing of Detroit's beloved Zamboni driver and octopus twirler new details have emerged about what went on behind closed doors before and after the Red Wings axed the celebrated 68-year-old Sobotka He sued over his firing — and consequently planted a bull's-eye on the inner workings of the city's billion-dollar entertainment empire Sobotka alleges he was let go because the higher-ups at Olympia Entertainment thought he was too old and used the peeing debacle as an excuse to get rid of him he alleges the company engaged in a cover-up by having an executive who knew nothing about him fire him just so they could wall off another executive who allegedly called him "old" just weeks before the peeing incident and then replaced him with a 37-year-old underling after he was fired Sobotka's younger replacement was hired in at the exact same salary that it took Sobotka five decades to attain: $81,000 which has spent nearly two years trying to get the lawsuit thrown out maintains in court records that Sobotka was fired for "egregious misconduct" that he admitted to and that his age had nothing to do with it citing company policy not to comment on pending litigation According to depositions obtained by the Free Press surveillance photos of the day in question and interviews with Sobotka himself here are the latest developments about the infamous peeing case Judge refuses to throw out lawsuit 'given the severity of the discipline'Eight months ago Olympia Entertainment lost what's known as a summary judgment motion which essentially means the judge refused to throw out Sobotka's lawsuit Wayne County Circuit Judge Susan Hubbard concluded that a jury should hear Sobotka's case "given the severity of the discipline." In other words asked not to do it again or written up over his conduct — all options his lawyer argues could have been taken instead of firing Sobotka was terminated for peeing in a snow pit in the Zamboni room because he couldn't hold it due to a prostate issue One employee witnessed the act through a doorway and complained to HR because "he thought it was wrong to urinate in the workplace outside a restroom" and found Sobotka's behavior "disturbing." arguing that Hubbard erred by "improperly second-guessing Olympia's business judgment," and that "Olympia has a right not to have its employees urinating in its building other than in a restroom." New details before Michigan Court of Appeals"The company is not required to provide any form of progressive discipline has the right to terminate a colleague for violation of any of its company policies even for a first offense," Olympia attorneys argue in a Nov The case is now before the Michigan Court of Appeals 'They all know I was done wrong'"They all know I was done wrong," 70-year-old Sobotka said in a recent interview with the Free Press struggling at times to discuss the incident that he says still keeps him up at night noting he's in therapy and has sleeping pills to get him through the bad nights unable to process how a company he worked at for more than half a century let him go over one incident that "caused no harm to anyone." four Olympia officials — two vice presidents the HR director and Sabotka's supervisor — all conceded that Sobotka urinating into an ice drain in the Zamboni room "caused no harm So Sobotka lies awake at night wondering why was he walked out of the building after admitting to the peeing incident the day it happened 'What I did is really not that bad'"What I did is really not that bad," Sobotka said I never had any issues with the (Ilitch) family Anything I was ever asked to do I did it — and more." A key issue in the Sobotka case is who made the call to fire him and who decided not to give him a second chance Sobotka alleges it was vice president Tim Padgett who days before the urinating incident was in a Zoom meeting with Sobotka about a doubleheader that was coming up and allegedly told him "You're getting old." Padgett has denied making the comment and says he has no recollection of anything he said during that Zoom meeting Olympia has maintained that the alleged "stray remark .. isolated and unrelated to the decision-making process." Olympia has maintained that Padgett had nothing to do with Sobotka's firing arguing "there is no evidence" that he "influenced" the firing decision and that Padgett "never discussed (Sobotka's) termination" with the executive who made the decision to several people," Padgett said in a 2022 deposition Padgett named five Olympia officials with whom he shared his opinion president of Olympia Development and District Detroit whom Olympia maintains was the sole decision maker in firing Sobotka Padgett discussed a private meeting he attended in Bradford's office during which the two talked about Sobotka's urinating incident "I felt that it was a terminable offense," Padgett said "Is that what you told Bradford?" Sobotka's lawyer I thought it was a terminable offense," Padgett responded Gordon went on to ask: "Can you give me a reason why nobody gave Al a second chance?" "Because I thought it was a terminable offense," Padgett responded 'It was a shame that he had done this'In the deposition Padgett said that when he first heard about the peeing incident Despite saying that he shared his opinion that Sobotka should be fired he maintained that he "had no direct input" into the decision "It was a shame that he had done this," Padgett would later say in his deposition Padgett and Sobotka's supervisor would go on to hire Sobotka's 37-year-old replacement "The evidence proves that Bradford was the individual selected to fall on his sword," Gordon argues in a Dec 22 filing with the Michigan Court of Appeals alleging the company pretended that "Keith Bradford was the sole decision maker as a strategy to cordon off Padgett Bradford testified that "Padgett was not involved in the decision to terminate Al" and that Padgett never gave him his opinion on the matter but added that he didn't remember discussing the termination specifically with Padgett Bradford stated in a sworn affidavit filed with the court: "During the HR investigation process I had substantive discussions with Tim Padgett Vice President of Venue Operation and Michele Bartos Bartos is the executive who emailed Sobotka official notice of his firing Sobotka's employment was mine to make," said Bradford who was hired at Olympia in 2018 following a 23-year career with Disney Sobotka was the only person he had fired since joining Olympia Entertainment in 2018 a guest relations supervisor had been fired for making a racist remark at a venue Bradford said it was elevated to him because of the "nature of the issue" — someone had "publicly urinated in an open space at work." arguing no one from the public witnessed the incident which occurred inside the Zamboni room "in the back corner near a drain with nobody seeing him" other than an employee who was peering through a doorway Gordon argued that's different than Sobotka pulling down his pants and peeing in front of customers "They are two different things," Bradford conceded arguing men "urinate in front of each other all the time" at hockey arenas "So why is this a terminable offense?" she asked those are designed restrooms for the purpose of urinating," Bradford answered later stressing: "Al admitted to urinating in the snow pit We had a sitution that needed to be dealt with." with potential for other people to see it is an offense that should be terminated Bradford said he never asked Sobotka about it Sobotka notified HR about his prostate problem four days after the peeing incident but HR was skeptical about his claim and investigated it by asking others at work whether Sobotka had ever reported to them having a prostate issue When managers said they had never heard of this before Bring us in a doctor's note and we'll see what we can figure out.' That was never said by you Bradford stated that when he first learned about the incident from HR his immediate reaction was that Sobotka's conduct was "unfortunately going to lead to a termination," though he said he put off making a decision until HR completed its investigation which concluded with HR recommending that Sobotka be fired Bradford said he then made the decision to fire Sobotka and sent an email to Ilitch and a company lawyer informing both about his decision Ilitch never told him about the text that Sobotka had sent him Thirteen days had passed since he was walked out of the arena He was home with his wife when the phone rang You're being terminated for improper conduct," Sobotka recalled noting she then asked for his email address your employment has been terminated effective today," the email reads "Attached for your review and consideration is a confidential separation and release agreement you are not to contact anyone in the organization except me." Sobotka sent Ilitch the desperate text message pleading for a second chance "Why did you not respond to Al Sobotka's text message?" Gordon would later asked Ilitch in a deposition my typical practice would be to forward any correspondence I may receive from that former employee," Ilitch answered later noting that such communications are forwarded to and handled by HR's legal staff "So Al Sobotka is telling you he's had 50 seasons of hard work Why was that not possible?" Gordon asked Ilitch A manager should know better than to do what Al did." "Why did you not talk to Al about it before you fired him and tell him Just don't do it again.' Why didn't you do that?" Gordon continued Ilitch reiterated that he leaves such matters to HR and business leaders Employer rights make Sobotka's challenge difficult"Do people make mistakes sometimes?" Gordon asked "His behavior was inappropriate," Ilitch answered "Have you made mistakes?" the lawyer continued "It's my understanding that our employees are at will ... and can be terminated right away for misconduct," Ilitch responded Employment attorneys note that given Michigan is an at-will state As longtime employment attorney Shereef Akeel noted an employer can terminate an employee for any reason or no reason at all in Michigan there is an exception: Employers cannot fire employees on discriminatory grounds as the law prohibits terminating or mistreating employees because of their race Akeel said: "If they fired him because of his age But if they fired him for a behavior issue who heads the labor and employment practice at Detroit's Dykema law firm said that based on what he knows of the case Olympia's actions appear lawful under employment discrimination laws "Even if the discipline was thought to be severe by the court that doesn't make it illegal," said Hermon who believes the judge's ruling has raised concerns by the Michigan Court of Appeals "The fact that the Court of Appeals said we’re going to look at this is a good sign for Olympia," Hermon said noting it's "very rare" for the appeals court to consider such matters until after a trial suggesting: "There are some concerns about how the trial court ruled on this." Olympia Entertainment has defended its decision to terminate Sobotka arguing there is no evidence that he was fired over his age or that he was treated less favorably than any younger counterpart under the same circumstances there is absolutely no record evidence of anyone else ever urinating in an open workspace inside LCA let alone being observed by a subordinate employee," Olympia attorney Margaret Carroll Alli wrote in a Nov 15 filing with the Michigan Court of Appeals Sobotka was disciplined twice during his 51 years with the Red Wings: In 1987 he was suspended for 60 days for helping two women sneak into a concert.In 2006 he was suspended for two weeks over a phone call he made to a Detroit Tigers colleague that the company felt was "inappropriate." The head of HR said neither of those incidents were involved in his firing Sobotka told HR and his supervisor that it was a "common practice" among ice crew to urinate in the Zamboni room snow pit though HR could not confirm any such incidents Sobotka has claimed that at least three employees reported this happening at the former Joe Louis Arena though Olympia says no one actually witnessed it "It's not OK to urinate in the workplace," argued Alli who described Sobotka's behavior as "egregious conduct" that "single-handedly resulted in his termination." "(Sobotka) made a conscious decision to urinate in an open workspace inside Little Caesars Arena instead of utilizing a nearby restroom," the Olympia lawyer argued stressing Sobotka "admitted that urinating in an open work area was a 'huge mistake.'" "He conceded that Olympia had the right not to have its employees urinate inside the building; that Olympia would rightfully be concerned that its employees could be exposed to another employee urinating in an open workspace; and that he expected to be fired," the company lawyer argued argues her client's "huge mistake" comment has been taken out of context she argues that Olympia is trying to make it appear as if Sobotka's admission to wrongdoing means he believes his firing was warranted stressing it will be up to a jury to decide whether his comment was an admission of culpability "or a remorseful statement from a (68-year-old) man who has spent more than three quarters of his life .. "'Huge mistake' came from a place of sorrow and a wish that his life's work had not been taken from him," Gordon argues in her filing to the appeals court "He was simply sorry that he had lost his job and life's work over something so minor." who immigrated to Detroit from Poland in 1965 began his hockey career with the Red Wings at 17 working maintenance at the old Olympia Stadium he would rise up the ranks to become building operations manager entertainment and operations — his last title before he was fired noting fallout from the firing was also brutal He said some ice rinks refused to hire him after he lost his job with the Red Wings though he now has a part-time job as the Zamboni driver at University Liggett School's arena in Grosse Pointe Woods He considered me like his family almost," said Sobotka who recalled the many personal favors he did for Mike Ilitch and his wife Moving furniture in and out of their condo Driving their Christmas presents to family members across the state There were also special moments at the rink like when the Red Wings won the Stanley Cup and Mike Ilitch brought "me and my kid out on the ice" to celebrate But the memories are now marred by disappointment Let it go.' But it just keeps coming back." Contact Tresa Baldas: tbaldas@freepress.com Northeast/North Central Nebraska’s most trusted Tuesday at Biglin’s Mortuary in O’Neill with a 7 p.m of Howells are pending at Minnick Funeral Home in West Point NORFOLK — A celebration of life for Robert J at First Baptist Church in Norfolk with the Rev Inurnment will be at the Prospect Hill Cemetery in Norfolk Stonacek Funeral Chapel is in charge of the arrangements of Norfolk are pending at Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison with the Rev Burial will be at Crown Hill Cemetery in Madison are pending at Stonacek Funeral Chapel in Norfolk at Sacred Heart Catholic Church-Olean with burial at Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Cemetery in Howells GRAND ISLAND — A celebration of life for Elaine L at Peace Lutheran Church in the life center in Grand Island with the Rev at the United Methodist Church in Meadow Grove Home for Funerals in Norfolk is in charge of arrangements WeatherThreat.com Closings Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account (WXYZ) — One of the most visible members of the Detroit Red Wings organization is no longer with the team Sources confirm to WXYZ that longtime Zamboni driver Al Sobotka is no longer with the organization No details have been released on why they parted ways Sobotka was well known in his role as a Zamboni driver which included dealing with the occasional octopus thrown on the ice at Joe Louis Arena and later Little Caesars Arena His official job title was building operations manager for Olympia Entertainment the parent organization of the Red Wings owned by the Ilitch family Sobotka became so connected with the octopus tradition — representing the 8 games once needed to win the Stanley Cup — that the Red Wings octopus mascot DETROIT -- A popular Zamboni driver for the Detroit Red Wings said he was dismissed for urinating in a drain Al Sobotka filed a discrimination lawsuit this week against Olympia Entertainment His lawyer said he has a health condition that causes him to frequently urinate couldn't get to a restroom so he urinated in a drain that carries ice runoff from the Zamboni machines at Little Caesars Arena Someone saw him and apparently reported it in February "He thought no one was in the building," attorney Deborah Gordon said the Zamboni-driving fan favorite at Red Wings games says he is "heartbroken" after being fired and has filed a discrimination lawsuit citing a medical condition as his reason for urinating in a drain. AP Photo/Carlos OsorioOlympia Entertainment said it wouldn't comment on a legal matter Besides steering the Zamboni at Red Wings games Sobotka was known for removing octopus thrown to the ice by fans Joe Louis Arena and now Little Caesars Arena Fans cheered as he twirled the sea creatures over his head Gordon said management was aware of Sobotka's prostate problem TORONTO -- Team Czech Republic forward Vladimir Sobotka and his agent remain in talks with Russia's Kontinental Hockey League and the St. Louis Blues in hopes of returning to the NHL this season After playing the past two seasons for Avangard Omsk Sobotka has been in talks for the past five months with no resolution The sides will try to spend some time during the World Cup of Hockey to come to an agreement has one year remaining on this KHL contract and said this process has been a difficult one "We're still talking and we'll see what's going to happen during the World Cup," said Sobotka who has 35 goals and 88 assists in 381 career NHL games It's been going on for five months and I've had enough of it It's my agent's job to to keep talking and we'll see." he said he has no regrets leaving the Blues after the 2013-14 season to play in the KHL I never regretted I left because of my personal issues," Sobotka said "I left to play different hockey and now we'll see what's going to happen." DETROIT – Longtime Detroit Red Wings Zamboni driver Al Sobotka has been fired was a fan favorite at Red Wings games for decades He was best known for twirling an octopus to help ignite crowds during playoff games at Joe Louis Arena He also worked for the team after the move to Little Caesars Arena he was with the Red Wings organization for 51 years “I loved my 51 years with the Detroit Red Wings and would have been happy to stay 51 more,” Sobotka said in a statement to Local 4 through his PR representative