Potential Class Action Lawsuit Could Change College Hockey

Grand Forks — A class action lawsuit filed Monday might significantly impact the college hockey landscape. The lawsuit accuses the NCAA of violating antitrust laws by making athletes who have played in Canadian major junior hockey leagues ineligible for college competition. The lawsuit was initiated by Rylan Masterson, who maintains that his participation in two preseason games with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) rendered him ineligible for college hockey. The filing took place in the Western District of New York.

If the lawsuit is successful, it could open opportunities for hundreds of athletes from the Western Hockey League (WHL), OHL, and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) to join NCAA programs. Discussions about this potential change took place recently during the annual coaches meetings in Naples, Florida. While about two-thirds of college hockey coaches were against the idea of loosening the eligibility rules for Canadian players, they recognized that a legal challenge might lead to significant changes. A working group was formed to investigate this issue, consisting of league commissioners and selected coaches from various conferences.

The current NCAA rules have, for many years, barred athletes from these Canadian leagues from participating in college hockey. According to NCAA Bylaw 12.2.3.2.4, teams classified as major junior by the Canadian Hockey Association are deemed professional, thus ineligible for NCAA competition. This ruling has been justified by the fact that some players in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) are under NHL contracts and often receive payments, which also contributes to their ineligibility.

However, the lawsuit emphasizes inconsistencies, citing NCAA student-athletes like Boston University defenseman Tom Willander, who played in Sweden’s professional league yet maintained his eligibility. The lawsuit seeks to challenge the notion that participation in Canadian major junior hockey should automatically disqualify a player from NCAA competition.

If the ruling leans in favor of the lawsuit, NCAA teams might start actively recruiting top talent from the Canadian leagues who have yet to sign NHL contracts. This potential shift could lead to a more diverse roster makeup in college hockey, favoring Canadian players over American ones. As it stands, fourteen of the thirty-two players selected in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft came from these Canadian major junior leagues. If the lawsuit proceeds successfully, these players could become eligible for college hockey, which may reshape the dynamics within collegiate programs for years to come.