Canadian junior leagues, NHL face antitrust suit

A new class-action lawsuit alleges Canadian major junior hockey leagues "violate antitrust laws" in the U.S. by "colluding to restrict the negotiation powers of players." The suit, filed today in N.Y. by the North American division of the World Association of Ice Hockey Players Unions, 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 CBA. The Canadian Hockey League and its three major junior circuits -- the Western Hockey League, Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and Western Hockey League -- are "named as defendants" in the lawsuit. The NHL is also named as a "co-conspirator," as 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" (CP, 2/14).