Canadian junior hockey faces a muliti-million dollar lawsuit from former players

Hockey season is here. And so is a $180 million lawsuit that was launched last Friday against the Canadian Hockey League stating players in the league should be compensated for not being paid minimum wage. We speak with Sam Berg from The Niagara Ice Dogs who started the lawsuit and Canadian Women's Hockey League Commissioner who says she hopes her players will one day be paid for their skills.

Junior hockey players often have their eye on the prize: a coveted place in the NHL with all its glories ... and its wages. Most other hockey professionals better love the game, because the salaries are just not there.

A new class action lawsuit contends players in the Canadian Hockey League often earn well below the minimum wage. The fundamental question in the 180 million dollar lawsuit: are junior hockey players employees of their teams or independent contractors and exempt from minimum wage laws.

Sam Berg is the 18-year-old who started the lawsuit. He is a former player with the Ontario Hockey League and a claimant in a multi-million dollar class action lawsuit against the Canadian Hockey League. He was in Hamilton Ontario.

Canadian Women's Hockey League Commissioner Brenda Andress says CHL players are in a better situation compared to women hockey players in this country because they at least have the potential of being paid one day. (Paul Chiasson/CP)

The idea of equal pay for equal work may seem unusual on a soccer pitch or hockey rink. But it's an idea that resonates and we wanted to introduce the women's perspective into this conversation.

Brenda Andress helped to create the Canadian Women's Hockey League and is now the league's commissioner. She was in Toronto.

What do you think about the class-action suit against the Canadian Hockey League? And what about a regular paycheck for our women hockey players?

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This segment was produced by The Current's Ines Colabrese and Kristin Nelson.