Deceased NHL Player Suffered From CTE; Family to Sue NHL

On Tuesday, May 12, the Canadian Sports Concussion Project released a report confirming that deceased NHL player, Steve Montador, suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), prompting his family to continue with a lawsuit directed at the National Hockey League.

Steve Montador died in February at the age of 35 and had agreed to submit his brain for testing before his early death. Like many other professional athletes who’ve died young and been diagnosed post-mortem with CTE, Montador suffered from depression, erratic behavior, and memory loss …

April 30, 2015 Litigation / NHL

NJ Devils Sued for Restricting Resale of Season Tickets

Two NJ Devils fans filed a class action lawsuit against the team, alleging that the team restricts the resale of tickets by season ticket holders. According to the court document, the Devils only allows season ticket holders to resell their individual tickets exclusively through Ticketmaster, the team’s designated reseller. If a ticket holder chooses to sell the ticket by other means, including websites like StubHub.com, the team cancels season tickets or charges extra fees.

The two plaintiffs Rey Olsen and Alex Olsen argue that the …

March 29, 2015 Concussions / NHL

NHL Fails to Secure Quick Exit From Concussion Litigation

On Wednesday, March 25, Federal Judge Susan Nelson denied the NHL’s motion to dismiss the class action concussion injury lawsuit brought against it by former NHL players.

Several different complaints against the NHL were consolidated last October in which six former players, seeking to represent all players living and deceased, argue that the NHL failed to inform them of the health risks caused by concussions and head-related trauma though the league had knowledge, research, and resources of such information. The allegations mostly follow the lead …

March 6, 2015 Defamation / NHL / TV

TSN Broadcasts Inappropriate Trade Deadline Tweet Sparking Legal Controversy

On Monday March 2, TSN mistakenly rebroadcast a distasteful tweet about Toronto Maple Leafs players Joffrey Lupul, Dion Phaneuf, and Pheneuf’s wife – actress Elisha Cutherbert. Now, the rebroadcast could cost TSN and the tweet’s author a “significant amount.”

TSN is a Canadian sports television network, widely known for its coverage of hockey and the NHL. On Monday, the network was broadcasting live coverage of the NHL’s trade deadline on a segment called TradeCentre. It encouraged viewers to live tweet their thoughts and comments using …

February 15, 2015 Concussions / NHL

NHL Hit Again With a Concussion Lawsuit

On Monday, February 9, yet another concussion related lawsuit was aimed at the NHL by former players seeking damages for the NHL’s alleged failure to protect and warn players about the long-term effects of head trauma.

The lawsuit, filed in Minnesota District Court, joins several other previously filed lawsuits alleging similar claims against the NHL. The 29 plaintiffs in the new complaint, including Manny Legace and Butch Goring, is set to become part of the multidistrict litigation before Judge Sue Nelson that consolidated the previous …

January 26, 2015 Litigation / NHL

Bankruptcy Judge Recommends NHL Not Recoup Fees From Coyotes Purchase

On Wednesday, January 21, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge recommended that the NHL not be allowed to collect the majority of the $145.9 million it claims from ex-Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes.

The lawsuit stems from the NHL’s 2009 purchase of its member team, then named the Phoenix Coyotes. The Coyotes were first purchased in 2006 by Jerry Moyes who realized after two years of operating at a $50 million loss that he could not afford the team. Moyes filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy …

December 14, 2014 Litigation / NHL

Bookie Pleads Guilty to Extorting Thomas Vanek

The second bookie involved in a Rochester, NY gambling ring pled guilty to illegal gambling, extortion, and money laundering conspiracies on December 5, 2014. In his plea, Joseph Ruff, admitted to extorting Thomas Vanek for partial payment of Vanek’s gambling debts. The plea comes months after Joseph’s brother Mark pled guilty in October.

The gambling ring was based out of a Rochester restaurant called Marina Restaurant & Bar but operated through the internet. However, after the April 2014 indictment of three men, including Ruff and …

December 12, 2014 Contract / MLB / NBA / NFL / NHL

The Problem of Earning Too Much Too Fast

It is not uncommon to hear about sports stars and entertainers going broke. Often, with the influx of large sums of money, they are clueless how to handle and preserve it wisely. This is especially true with younger athletes.

Many athletes land multimillion dollar contracts at a young age, sometimes right out of high school. At such a young age, these athletes have little to no financial experience. Yet, suddenly they find themselves thrust into a situation requiring a significant amount of knowhow. They have …

December 5, 2014 Legislation / MLB / NBA / NFL / NHL

Bill Ending Antitrust Exemptions for Pro Sports Leagues Introduced

A bill to end the current permanent antitrust exemptions of the four major professional sports leagues was introduced by Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. on December 2.

Titled the Sustained Promotion of Responsibility in Team Sports Act (SPORTS), the bill would remove permanent antitrust exemptions for NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA one year from the bill’s enactment and replace it with a reauthorization process every five years. According to the SPORTS Act, ninety-five days before ending the exemption, Congress would have an up-down vote on a …

September 21, 2014 NHL

Detroit Red Wings to Build New Arena With $450 Million in Bonds

On Wednesday, September 17, the Michigan Strategic Fund board gave final approval for the sale of $450 million in 30 revenue bonds to help finance a new Detroit Red Wings Arena.

The financing plan includes $250 million in tax-exempt bonds and another $200 million in variable-rate taxable bonds backed by arena concessions fee payments. Under the plan, Olympia Development, part of Ilitch Holdings (owners of the Detroit Red Wings), will pay 44% of the cost and the Detroit Downtown Development Authority (who would …