Ex-NHL player Michael Peca on being defrauded: 'Never give anybody power of attorney'

Be careful who you trust.

Former NHL player Michael Peca - who spent 13 seasons in the league with numerous franchises, and made close to $25 million in the process - is in the middle of a serious legal battle that has left him and his wife, Kristen, without a nest egg.

Peca, 41, was one of many former NHL players, including Bryan Berard and Joe Juneau, who was defrauded by "life coach" and investor Phil Kenner.

"Never give anybody power of attorney," Peca told Nathaniel Vinton of New York Daily News.

The former forward - who was an instrumental part of the Edmonton Oilers' magical run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2005-06 - was swindled into investing large sums of money into a "bait-and-switch" deal involving land in Hawaii.

Kenner and partner Tommy Constantine had the players fill accounts with millions of dollars, which they proceeded to spend at will.

The pair of scam artists could face a decade or more in prison if convicted, with the government seeking forfeiture of at least $30 million.