Berger Montague Files Antitrust Class Action in the US Against the NCAA And Several Schools on Behalf of US and Canadian Players in the Canadian Hockey League

PHILADELPHIA, PA (United States) and TORONTO (Canada) – Berger Montague and Freedman Normand Friedland filed an antitrust class action against the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and ten of its member institutions. The suit alleges that the NCAA has illegally agreed to prohibit current and former Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players from playing NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey.

“This case was filed on behalf of Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players against the NCAA and several universities whom, we allege, have colluded to bar CHL players from playing hockey in U.S. colleges,” said Eric L. Cramer, Chairperson of Berger Montague. “As a result of the alleged NCAA cartel, the CHL is impaired in its ability to compete with the NCAA and thus pays CHL players less as a result,” added Mr. Cramer.

In the complaint, the plaintiff—a former CHL player—alleges that the defendants’ agreement violates federal antitrust laws and has caused current and former CHL players to suffer substantial harm, including from (i) losing out on valuable athletic scholarships from NCAA Division I schools, and (ii) receiving artificially low compensation from CHL teams.

The plaintiff seeks an order prohibiting the NCAA and its member institutions from continuing to prevent current and former CHL players from playing NCAA Division I men’s ice hockey. In addition, the plaintiff seeks damages for himself, and for other current and former CHL players, to compensate them for all harm caused by the defendants’ conduct, including the alleged substantial harm.

The named defendants are the National Collegiate Athletic Association, Canisius University, Niagara University, Rochester Institute of Technology, Boston College, Boston University, University of Denver, Quinnipiac University, University of Notre Dame du Lac, Stonehill College, and University of St. Thomas.

For more information on the litigation, including information about how you can get involved, go to NCAAHockeyBoycott.com or visit https://bergermontague.ca/cases/national-collegiate-athletics-association-ncaa/

Berger Montague is one of the nation’s preeminent law firms focusing on complex civil litigation, class actions, and mass torts in federal and state courts throughout the United States. The firm is active in the fields of antitrust, commercial litigation, consumer protection, defective products, environmental law, employment law, securities, and whistleblower cases, among many other practice areas. For more than 50 years, Berger Montague has played lead roles in precedent-setting cases and has recovered over $60 billion for its clients and the classes they have represented. Berger Montague is headquartered in Philadelphia and has offices in Chicago, Minneapolis, San Diego, San Francisco, Toronto, Washington, D.C., and Wilmington.

Freedman Normand Friedland is a litigation boutique comprised of attorneys from the top law firms throughout the country. The firm and its attorneys have extensive experience in complex commercial litigation, including in path-breaking antitrust, securities, and market manipulation matters.