Class-action suit alleges major junior hockey leagues violate U.S. antitrust law

A new class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian major junior hockey leagues violate antitrust laws in the United States by colluding to restrict the negotiation powers of players.

A new class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian major junior hockey leagues violate antitrust laws in the United States by colluding to restrict the negotiation powers of players.

The suit was filed Wednesday in New York by the North American division of the World Association of Ice Hockey Players Unions.

It alleges players are subject to systemic abuses, including the artificial reduction of compensation and conducting involuntary drafts, where a team can obtain an athlete’s exclusive major junior rights without the presence of a collective bargaining agreement.

The plaintiffs allege the system is “a cartel (that) artificially suppresses and standardizes compensation by denying players their freedom of choice, freedom of movement and freedom to play for the club of their choice.”

The Canadian Hockey League and its major junior circuits — the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League, Ontario Hockey League and Western Hockey League — are named as defendants in the lawsuit.

The NHL is also named as a “co-conspirator.” The lawsuit alleges the NHL colludes with major junior leagues to prevent its players from finding employment in minor professional leagues like the American Hockey League or the ECHL, while those circuits actively recruit under-20 players from Europe.

The lawsuit seeks an injunction to enforce the geographical draft restrictions, contracts and agreements in place, along with damages for players for compensation and from league profits. Plaintiffs are asking for a jury trial.

The allegations have not been tested in court.