Toronto Star: Junior hockey players deserve to be paid decently: Editorial

This subject has been coming to a head in the Canada. I have been following the story a little and frankly this same argument has come up from time-to-time in college sports.

The NCAA has talked about giving their athletes stipends as well. Obviously, that's not a weekly check, but some college are going to hand out a lot more money than $35.00-120.00 a week.

Toronto Star Editorial -- Still, CHL President David Branch argues the players “are amateur student athletes” who are paid an allowance and are eligible for university and college scholarships for their participation in a hockey program.

Really? A hockey “program”?

This isn’t cub camp. The reality is that these are young people (typically 16 to 20 years old) being taken advantage of by an organization that is the main funnel of talent for the enormously wealthy National Hockey League. (The average NHL team was worth $413 million in 2013, according to Forbes.)

Asking the players to work for $35 to $120 per week is like asking managers to work for free until they make the corner office. Their hard work on the way up earns the NHL its profits down the road — never mind the revenues the CHL earns immediately.

Even the promised scholarships are a point of dispute. The claim suggests the conditions to receive one are so onerous that the CHL pays out scholarships for only four players a year, totalling $30,000. The CHL disputes that. It says the Ontario Hockey League alone paid out $2 million in scholarship funding last year.

Loose Pucks an CHL blog is taking issue with the Toronto Star article.

Fact check cont'd: Between Ryerson & York there are almost 16 players on CHL scholarships. Then there is the rest of CIS.
— Loosepucks.com (@loosepucks) October 26, 2014

OHL reduces penalty against the Windsor Spitfires

Back in August the OHL announced that they have fined the Windsor Spitfires for $400,000.00 fines for violating the League's Player Benefit and Recruitment Rules and Policies.

Fast forward to last Friday – now we find out that the OHL has lowered that orginal fine from $400,000.00 to $250,000.00 and now the Spitfires also won’t lose as many first round draft choices as well.

Toronto, ON - Ontario Hockey League Commissioner David Branch met with representatives of the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Club to review the sanctions taken by the League against the Windsor Spitfires for violations of the League’s Player Recruitment Policy which resulted in the team having to make a payment of $400,000.00, losing three (3) first round draft selections, and two (2) second round draft selections.

During the meeting with the Commissioner the Windsor Spitfires accepted that there were certain violations of the League’s Recruitment Policy.

In recognition of the acknowledgement and the cooperation of the Windsor Spitfires, Commissioner Branch modified his earlier decision and the team will pay to the League a payment of $250,000.00 and will lose a first round draft pick in 2013, a second round draft pick in 2015 a first round draft pick in 2016 and a second round draft pick in 2017.

As a result the Windsor Spitfires will not appeal the decision.

Neither the League nor the Windsor Spitfires will be making any further comment in relation to this matter.

So now instead of losing three first round draft choices in 2013, 2014 and 2015, as well as a 2nd round pick in 2015 and 2017 – the Spitfires are only going to lose two first round draft choices in 2013 and 2016 also they will lose a second round draft pick in 2015 and in 2017. Sounds like a capitulation by the OHL front office.

OHL to limit fighting?

Just confirmed a new fighting rule coming to the OHL. The much-rumoured 10 fight maximum is part of it but there is more as well.
— Jeff Marek (@JeffMarek) September 19, 2012

I saw this tweet tonight and I think it's a horrible rule after 10 fighting majors a player would receive an unspecified suspension plus additional discipline. I think this is a horrible rule if it does in fact get enacted. I will post something as soon as more details emerge.

Does the OHL commissioner lack transparency?

Last week we found out that the OHL had put the hammer down on the Windsor Spitfires of the OHL – going forward fans were interesting in knowing who were the players that were involved in the Spitfires recruiting and benefits scandal. This is does not seem to be an unreasonable request.

Ontario Hockey League commissioner Dave Branch has said that he isn't going to release the names of the players that were invovled in the scandal.

Apparently, there are a lot of unhappy people to include people in the media – it seems as if Ontario Hockey League commissioner lack of transparency isn’t sitting well with the Media and OHL fans bases.

Bob Duff, The Windsor Star --- This is the plan that Ontario Hockey League commissioner Dave Branch has opted to follow since he revealed Friday that the Windsor Spitfires would be fined $400,000 and docked five draft picks for violating the league's recruitment and benefits policy.

For good or bad, this could prove to be Branch's defining moment in a long and storied career as the man in charge of the OHL.

"To hand out that kind of punishment, you would hope that he must have some pretty rock-solid evidence," suggested one OHL executive, who wisely didn't want to be named.

If Branch doesn't, then all those pro-Spitfires conspiracy theorists who insist Branch is just out to get their favourite team might actually have a point.

This is exactly why he needs to spell everything out in intimate detail.

Apparently the OHL Commissioner Dave Branch doesn't plan on giving out any further details on the matter – which will only add fuel to the fire and cause further speculation.

"I'm not going to give any details," Branch said. "It's not about players. It's about the Windsor Spitfires hockey club."

It’s going to be interesting to see if the shoe drops on any other CHL teams or if the Spitfires are the only team that is going to feel the wrath. I also understand why fans would be upset with Branch for not releasing the details of his investigation because lack transparency it does play into the conspiracy theorists hands.

OHL throws book at the Windsor Spitfires

I guess where there is smoke there is fire eh?

[Official Press Release]

The Ontario Hockey League, (OHL), has levied fines totaling $400,000.00 against the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Club and taken away three 1st round draft selections and two 2nd round draft selections from the Spitfires.

“In 2009 the Board of Governors of the Ontario Hockey League developed the OHL ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM which is designed to address and attempt to eliminate violations of the RULES and impose appropriate penalties if violations occur. The enforcement process is an integral part of the process to ensure integrity and fair play among the MEMBER TEAMS. One of the fundamental principles of the enforcement process is to ensure that those MEMBER TEAMS that are abiding by the rules are not disadvantaged by their commitment to compliance”, stated OHL Commissioner David Branch.

“The League conducted two separate investigations led by our Director of Security and Enforcement, and in considering all the facts, I was persuaded that the Windsor Spitfires Hockey Club violated the League’s Player Benefit and Recruitment Rules and Policies. While the penalties may appear to be severe, the League and its Member Teams recognize for any such violations of our Recruitment / Benefit Rules and Policies, we must send a strong message to preserve the integrity of our League”, concluded Branch.

In addition to the fine, the Windsor Spitfires shall forfeit 1st round selections in the annual OHL Priority Selection in the years 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2nd round selections in the OHL Priority Selection Process for the years 2015 and 2017.

Update: I don't think this story is going away and here are some of the tweets of interest relating to this story. Also, Chris Peters of the United States of Hockey has a really good story on this as well.