OHL seeks Ontario’s help to defend against lawsuit
The Ontario Hockey League is looking for a big assist from Queen’s Park. Commissioner David Branch has written an open letter to premier Doug Ford and Michael Tibollo, the minister of tourism, culture and sport, to ask the provincial government to confirm its players as amateur athletes. That definition is seen as a key factor in helping defend itself against the $180-million class-action lawsuit launched four years ago against the Canadian Hockey League — which includes the OHL, Western and Quebec leagues — seeking back wages, overtime and vacation pay. The suit was certified in Ontario in April 2017.
Branch and the OHL’s board of governors wrote that the league’s players — along with their parents and the support of player agents — enter and continue to play in the league with a clear understanding they are participating in amateur athletics. They claim that “virtually all other jurisdictions in which CHL teams play have reviewed this issue and have already passed exemptions/clarifications, citing Quebec, New Brunswick, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Washington, Nova Scotia, Michigan and Prince Edward Island” and are asking Ontario to join those nine jurisdictions with a similar clarification “as soon as possible.” Branch said this definition is a critical issue facing “not just major junior hockey, but all amateur and collegiate sport leagues” and that the CHL has been working with governments on both sides of the border to confirm players are not considered employees regulated by employment standards legislation.
The OHL claims its scholarship program provides its graduating players with a minimum of one year’s tuition, books and compulsory fees at a recognized university, college, trade school or careerenhancing program for each year played in the league. It also pays for post-secondary tuition, books and fees for players currently in the league.
The OHL said there were 321 grads who used the program in the 2017-18 academic year, costing the league’s 20 teams a combined $3.125 million.
The league also has spent $475,000 on current players.