WHL players in Alberta exempt from employment guidelines
Posted December 12, 2019 8:58 am.
Last Updated December 12, 2019 9:05 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
EDMONTON (660 NEWS) – Changes to Alberta’s labour code means Western Hockey League (WHL) players could be getting paid less than minimum wage.
The amendments, made to Bill 21, classify WHL players in the province as amateur athletes and not employees, meaning teams aren’t obligated to pay them minimum wage.
In a statement to CityNews, a spokesperson for the United Conservative Party government said: “The Western Hockey League provides its players with benefits including room and board, travel expenses and scholarships in the form of a year’s tuition for post-secondary education for each year a player is in the league.”
The WHL applauds the move as it’s on par with other provinces. The league also reaffirmed its commitment to academics.
“Last year, 405 WHL graduates accessed the WHL,” said spokesperson Taylor Rocca. “This resulted in an investment of over $2.6 million by WHL club ownership in the academic future of WHL graduates.”
However, social media isn’t taking too kind to the news with many Twitter users saying WHL players should be properly compensated.
– With files from Darcy Ropchan
