In summer 2023, model Lauren Mochen was excitedly preparing for a romantic getaway to the Bahamas with NHL player Arthur Kaliyev. However, the relationship soon revealed unsettling challenges. Just weeks before their trip, Kaliyev, a forward for the Los Angeles Kings, informed Mochen that his mother had given him a check he intended to use to repay her for money he had allegedly taken from her PayPal account to pay employees at his family’s shipping business.
Kaliyev claimed he had “accidentally” accessed Mochen’s funds and showed her a picture of his mother’s $400 check, which she then deposited into her account. Unexpectedly, he revealed that his bank account was frozen and requested that Mochen send him the money back. Trusting him, she complied, sending a total of $7,500 over time in a flurry of transactions, believing she was helping him out of a tough financial spot.
However, once they landed in the Bahamas, Mochen discovered her account was overdrawn by $7,000 because the checks she had deposited had bounced. The bank informed her that she needed to cover the negative balance and that her account would be closed. Mochen’s horrifying realization that she had unknowingly been scammed marked the beginning of a protracted chapter of turmoil, where she alleges Kaliyev exploited her financially to feed a gambling addiction that reportedly spiraled out of control.
The couple had begun dating the summer after Kaliyev’s first full season in the NHL, having met through mutual friends in Michigan. As their relationship progressed, Mochen alleges that Kaliyev employed alarming tactics to manipulate her. For instance, he pointed to his family’s alleged abusive behavior and their tight control over his income, which he used as leverage to gain access to her finances.
While Mochen recounted numerous red flags, she initially continued the relationship as there were positive moments, including time spent with her family. Nonetheless, the financial strain grew. She asserted that she funded many aspects of his life and witnessed behaviors that suggested an escalating gambling problem—such as his obsessive engagement with sports games and relentless checks of betting apps.
After the checks controversy, Mochen lodged a police report in early September 2023, initiating a formal process to dispute the fraudulent charges against her. She also began sharing her experiences online, documenting her story on platforms like TikTok to shed light on what she describes as a three-year saga of deceit.
Support for Mochen came from various avenues, including discussions with Kaliyev’s agent, who acknowledged that concerns surrounding Kaliyev’s gambling habits were raised by trainers at the Kings during his early career. Despite these warnings, no substantial action seemed to have been taken to address the issues.
As of now, there has been no legal action against Kaliyev, as the allegations remain unproven in court. Nonetheless, Mochen’s difficult experiences brought broader attention to a critical issue — the potential for addiction to affect professional athletes and those around them, a call for better support mechanisms within the NHL and beyond.
Mochen remains determined to press charges against Kaliyev, hoping to hold him accountable for the financial and emotional distress he caused. Her resolve reflects the importance of transparency and the need for support in the world of professional sports, highlighting that these problems can extend far beyond the field of play.