Published 2:08 pm Tuesday, August 25, 2026 New developments in litigation will allow former junior hockey players who competed in the Western Hockey League or Ontario Hockey League a new avenue to seek compensation for alleged bullying, harassment or abuse experienced during their tenure in the Canadian Hockey League. Skaters who have played in those leagues at any time since May 8, 1975 and say they’ve experienced abuse are eligible to join a court created opt-in process. Those wishing to join the process have until April 6, 2027 and will be represented by Toronto-based law firm Koskie Minsky LLP. “If you choose to take part in this opt-in process for legal claims, your claim will be determined as part of a ‘joinder action’ alongside the claims of other people who played for the same team. This means that Koskie Minsky LLP would start an action on your behalf, and on behalf of others who played for the same team as you,” the firm said in a notice issued on Aug. 24. “If successful, you will receive money to compensate you for the harms that you suffered because of that abuse.” According to the notice, the legal action, which will be determined in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, will be against the Canadian Hockey League (CHL), the team the plaintiff played for and the regional league such as the OHL or WHL. Litigation first began in 2020, when Daniel Carcillo, Garrett Taylor and Stephen Quirk proposed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of players. “The claim alleged widespread and ritualized hazing, racism, homophobia, sexual and physical abuse in Canadian major junior hockey,” the notice said. However, in 2023 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice did not certify the litigation as a class action, and later in 2025, the Court of Appeal for Ontario dismissed an appeal from the plaintiffs, upholding the previous decision. The Superior Court instead ordered an alternative procedure, leading to the opt-in process. The process differs from a class action by requiring people to join to participate. As part of a class action, “you are part of the lawsuit unless you opt-out by choosing not to participate” the firm said. Notices of the process were posted across social media accounts of the CHL and its teams and leagues on Monday, Aug. 24. In an email to Black Press, the WHL’s director of PR and brand communications, Taylor Rocca, explained the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered the notice be posted on league and club sites “so that eligible players are informed of the process and their options.” “It is a required step in the court-approved notice plan, not a voluntary communication,” said Rocc. Koskie Minsky LLP added former players who don’t want to be represented by them can still bring a lawsuit also related to alleged abuse experienced in the CHL through retaining a different lawyer or self-representation. The firm said those who choose to do this will not be a part of the opt-in process for legal claims.
Former WHL, OHL players can join legal action regarding abuse claims
