Read on Twitter
#StarExclusive: A proposed $825 million class-action claim alleges a conspiracy among the top professional and amateur hockey leagues to exploit dream-chasing teenage players with one-sided contracts containing abusive restrictions on their young careers. https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
The claim, filed by the former junior player Kobe Mohr seeking to represent potentially thousands of others over the past 10 years, takes aim at hockey’s power establishment:
@NHL
@TheAHL
@ECHL
+ all leagues under @CHLHockey:
@OHLHockey
@QMJHL
@TheWHL
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
@NHL
@TheAHL
@ECHL
+ all leagues under @CHLHockey:
@OHLHockey
@QMJHL
@TheWHL
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
The proposed claim, which has not yet been certified, alleges: “the overwhelming majority of players will never reach the well-paid top professional leagues, but rather spending numerous years playing for nominal sums of money, all to the financial advantage of the defendants."
“For far too long, athletes’ rights in the CHL have been silent. The culture needs to change. This is the first step," said Kobe Mohr, who says he earned $185 every two weeks for most of his junior career.
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
In addition to the stipends, players receive room and board, travel expenses and an “education package” in the form of scholarship money for future education should they choose to attend, which is rescinded when a player signs a professional contract.
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
There have been long-standing complaints about players’ ability to access the education funds, as @thecribby reported in previous Star investigations: https://www.thestar.com/sports/hockey/2012/11/10/former_ohler_milan_doczy_denied_educational_scholarship_funding.html
Gilles Lupien, a former NHLer who has been a hockey agent for four decades, says the development system is failing young players with long-term consequences.
“If they’re on busses for 15 hours, coming home at 2 in the morning, how can they go to school? They’re like zombies."
“If they’re on busses for 15 hours, coming home at 2 in the morning, how can they go to school? They’re like zombies."
In 2014, @thecribby reported on 3 class action suits — filed against the 3 CHL leagues — alleging the league and its teams are “unjustly enriched” with “hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues annually” from young players paid well below minimum wage. https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/10/20/class_action_lawsuit_filed_against_canadian_hockey_league_over_wages.html
Further details on the proposed $825 million class-action claim and alleged "conspiracy" can be read in @thecribby's latest #StarExclusive story: https://www.thestar.com/news/investigations/2020/09/14/nhl-junior-hockey-leagues-part-of-conspiracy-to-exploit-teenage-players-825m-lawsuit-alleges.html?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=SocialMedia&utm_campaign=SportsHockey&utm_content=hockeylawsuit
