Antitrust lawsuit filed to try and end player draft from happening

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Brett Thomas Wills
October 3, 2024 (8:28 PM)

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Weeks after an antitrust lawsuit has been filed against the CHL another one has been filed on behalf of Isaiah DiLaura and Tanner Gould, former WHL players.

TSN Investigative journalist Rick Westhead reports is reporting another class action lawsuit has been filed in court, this time to attempt to end the entry draft system in major junior hockey. The lawsuit which was filed in U.S. District Court in New York back in February is seeking to improve the rights and compensation for players in the Canadian Hockey League.

Isaiah DiLaura and Tanner Gould, the plaintiffs, in this case, have asked in their motions for U.S. District Court Judge Margaret Garnett to be approved and a preliminary injunction be instated that would eliminate annual player drafts in the WHL, Ontario Hockey League and the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League. This Injunction itself was filed on September 21, 2024.

The argument that players should be able to decide where they want to make sense, but it's not nearly as cut and dry as one would make you believe. Understanding that most of these individuals are minors, the false sense of being able to control your life is a nice thing to think about but this isn't always the case or even possible in many instances. It's also quite concerning that the players' overall health was not considered and the parties felt their concerns and well-being were swept aside.

«My coach made me come to the rink for practice, but I was having trouble even walking,» he wrote. «I was assessed by our team trainer before practice, and she said it looked to be muscular. My coach heard that and said I could skate. I was told to go out on the ice for 15 minutes to �see how it feels,' but was visibly in agony.»

Time and time again it has been shared that many of these players are treated similarly to cattle where they are allowed to play, but unless they work their tails off they are cast aside. When it comes to compensation, the players themselves don't receive anything close to fair.

«If you think of hockey like a job, no employer would treat employees the way these kids are treated,» she wrote. «As young, elite athletes, their health and welfare should be a number one concern, but I saw nothing to confirm this.

These players are originally offered the world, but in hindsight many of them get their world taken away from them because of an unfair system that focuses more on wins & losses along with making money but at the expense of many minor children.

«Just like Tanner, these kids show up and after being recruited and made to feel like superstars (signing autographs, giving interviews, social media posts, etc.) and then they are treated like a commodity or a piece of meat, and they are so scared to talk to anyone for fear that it might impact their chance at an opportunity. If Tanner had gone into the WHL and been given a fair shake, including proper medical treatment when he was injured, but still had not made it, I would have been fine with that. But nothing about how he was treated felt fair.»

This is just one case of impending lawsuits as in the summer it was disclosed that the NCAA is fighting an antitrust lawsuit by Rylan Masterson a Canadian Junior Hockey Player against the NCAA and 10 universities, alleging they are violating antitrust laws by preventing anyone who has played a game for a major-junior team from playing NCAA hockey.

That lawsuit alleges that it's unfair that Masterson is ineligible to participate in the NCAA as he played two exhibition games for the Windsor Spitfires. This in turn erased his eligibility.

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Do you believe players who playing in the Canadian Hockey League should have a say as to where they play?
Yes. It's only fair	11	29.7 %
No. Rules are rules	26	70.3 %
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