CHL being sued

It’s unprecedented, and it threatens to undermine the economic foundations of Canadian Junior Hockey. It is a class action lawsuit that alleges the Canadian Hockey League and its teams conspired to force young players into signing contracts that breach minimum wage laws. A statement of claim filed in a Toronto court on Friday seeks $180 million in outstanding wages, vacation, holiday and overtime pay, etc, for thousands of young players who are ‘paid’ an average of $50 a week. The allegations have not been proved in court. And David Branch, the President of the CHL, which controls 60 teams across the country, told the Toronto Star on Sunday, that the league will vigorously defend the way the teams operate.

Sam Berg, from Beamsville, the 18-year old son of former NHL’er Bill Berg, who is now a student at McMaster is the representative plaintiff named in the claim: “This is a class action lawsuit, so the money is not coming directly to me. It’s going to be spread out for all the players to enjoy. This lawsuit is not about me. This lawsuit is about what it can do for the hockey world. Under the Employment Standards Act in Canada, any employee, under the relationship with the employer, has to be paid at least a minimum wage. And it’s already been confirmed by the tax court that what the OHL and CHL have is an employer/employee relationship.”

David Branch, CHL President: “All their expenses are paid for while playing in our league. All their equipment is provided for them free of charge. The best of coaching, training, nutrition, you name it, it’s there. It’s something we’ve worked on particularly hard on over the past 10 years to ensure that we are providing a better environment and a better support system for our players.”