League Officials and Class-Action Lawsuits

class-action lawsuits: Six leading employment and tax lawyers interviewed by the "Star" say the 60-team CHL faces an uphill battle trying to defend against class-action lawsuits alleging its players are employees deserving of minimum wage and benefits. , according to Hamilton Spectator. The allegations have not been proven in court and league officials have said they will defend themselves against the claim in court. Junior hockey player employment records, league contracts, U.S. immigration documents and two new class-action lawsuits in Quebec and Alberta imply or explicitly state that Canadian Hockey League clubs treat some of their players as employees, despite contrary public statements by league officials, an ongoing "Toronto Star" investigation has found. "Looking at all of the factors ... it hard for me to imagine that these players are not employees," says Toronto employment lawyer Stuart Rudner. "The clubs tell these players everything, including when to eat, when to show up, when to have a pre-game nap, all of which are hallmarks of an employee who is not independent." (www.immigrantscanada.com). As reported in the news.