The document summarizes Vicky Grygar's MA thesis project which examines the experiences of Canadian Hockey League (CHL) players through interviews and document analysis. It discusses how CHL contracts are often signed by young players without fully understanding the terms. Players primarily focus on making the NHL rather than future education. The mental health impacts of being treated strictly as business assets are also explored. Both former players and parents express regret over not pursuing the NCAA route and prioritizing education instead of major junior hockey.

1. Vicky Grygar
Brock University M.A. Candidate
Supervisor: Dr. Cathy van Ingen 1

2. Reclaiming the Rights of Youth
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3. CHL Promo Video
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4.  London Knights Hockey Club (OHL)
 Marketing Intern, April — August, 2011
“Think of the player like a can of coke. Now try to
market that can of coke with the objective of making
as much money as possible.”
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5.  16-20 years of age
 UN categorization of a child: anyone under the age of 18
years
 Exceptional player status grants players as young as
15 years old eligibility to play in the CHL.
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6. “I hate the business part of it.
They don’t treat you as a
person. It’s just not right.”
- Former OHL Player
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7. Cribb, R. (2012, November 12). Former Rivet, C. (2012, November 25). Ex-CHL
OHLer Milan Doczy denied educational players gets his due, playing university
scholarship funding. The Toronto Star. hockey. The Record.
Cribb, R. (2012, November 16). OHL relents,
will provide scholarship funding to former
player Milan Doczy. The Toronto Star.
Sager, N. (2012, November 16). Brock
Badgers’ Milan Doczy wins long fight for
OHL education package, offers lesson about
looking after European players. Yahoo
Sports.
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8. Former OHLer Milan Doczy denied 'CHLPA' FILES LEGAL ACTION AGAINST
educational scholarship funding QMJHL'S MOOSEHEADS
WHL suspends Portland Winterhawks
coach/GM Mike Johnston, fines team
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9.  To conduct a Foucauldian discourse analysis
into the experiences of CHL players.
 Examination of power relations within the
Canadian junior hockey system
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10. Reclaiming the rights of youth
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11.  Semi-structured interviews
 11 participants across all three CHL sister leagues
 Document analysis
 Investigative work, player contracts, CHL policy
reports, scouting reports
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12. Reclaiming the Rights of Youth
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13.  United Nations (UN) Convention on the Rights of the
Child
 Article 1
 For the purpose of the present Convention, a child means
every human being below the age of eighteen years unless
under the law applicable to the child, majority is obtained
earlier.
 Article 32
 1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to be
protected from economic exploitation
 2. (b) Provide for appropriate regulation of the hours and
conditions of employment;
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14.  “The fact that the livelihoods of many adults
depend on the child also indicate that elite sport
performed by children may be assimilated to child
labour. However, other than in other occupations
such as film and advertising, the financial gain of
adults from children competing in elite
sports is not regulated” (Weber, 2009, p. 64).
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15. Reclaiming the Rights of Youth
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16. “Explain the process of signing your CHL
contract.”
 P: We just signed it right there. I didn’t read it,
didn’t know anything about it, I just knew
that as soon as I signed it I would be playing
in the OHL. I didn’t care what it said really.
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17.  P: That’s all it really is…they say “sign here”
and then they just don’t care. As soon as you
sign you can play and that’s all we [players]
really care about because you’re 16 years old.
The thought of being an OHL hockey player is
a lot more than what are you going to do
after this…
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18. 18

19. 19

20. “What was your goal while you were playing in
the CHL?”
 P: Going to the NHL, just like every friggin
player that’s playing. Fucking going to play in
the NHL and make millions. I just realized
year after year that the pipe dream was just
getting smaller and smaller.
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21.  P: I think after being drafted and you start to
play…the next big thing…especially if you’re a 16
year old playing is when you’re 18 you can be
drafted to the NHL. That’s your next goal.
 I: So were you thinking about that a lot?
 P: That was…that’s…I think that’s sort of all you’re
thinking about, and I mean you want your team to
do well but you’re…I mean you’re trying to get
drafted to the NHL, so that was sort of the next big
step, was to do that.
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22.  P: You know it starts getting to you.
 I: Mentally too?
 P: Mentally, ya for sure. I remember I was 16, I
wasn’t sure if I was with the big boys or the
junior club, and then fucking I was 16 and I
started playing with the junior guys, I wasn’t
sure if I was welcome with the older guys,
then I felt all alone, it was fucked.
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23.  P: It’s purely business. I’m just a kid at that point,
I’m about to play a game and they’re like okay
you’re released. So fucking…I say bye to all the
boys on the bus, just like that, because I’m never
going to see them again. They all go on the bus,
I’m fucking outside calling my Mom crying like a
fucking baby again. Like…they’re still fucking
kids, you’re still a kid and they push these kids to
grow up way too fast, they treat it like a business
and this is their whole life.
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24.  I mean going home every night, I wasn’t
happy. I wanted to be happy, because I
wanted to play, you know? And I just couldn’t.
I just wasn’t happy. And people wonder why
players just hang up the skates, well there
you go, you know?
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25.  P1: If he was…*sighs* I honestly…*sighs* to
be honest…if he was a really good hockey
player and a good student, I think I would
send him to the NCAA.
 P2: I wouldn’t let them go play CHL if it was
up to me.
 P3: If he was offered a contract the way I was,
I would say no. [to the CHL]
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26.  P: Well if I would of done it all over again, I
would of done the school route. I’d make sure
my kid is on top of all his school, and I’d
probably push him the school route. Unless
he’s going to get the biggest package you can
get from the O, but most of the time you’re
going to get more from a D1 school.
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27. Cribb, R. (2012, November 12). Former OHLer Milan Doczy denied educational scholarship funding.
The Toronto Star. Retrieved from www.thestar.com/ sports/hockey/juniorhockey/article/
1285816--former-ohler-milan-doczy-denied-educational-scholarship-funding
Cribb, R. (2012, November 16). OHL relents, will provide scholarship funding to former player Milan
Doczy. The Toronto Star. Retrieved from www.thestar.com/sports/hockeyjuniorhockey/
article/1289043--ohl-relents-will-provide-scholarship-funding-to-former-player-milan-
doczy
Rivet, C. (2012, November 25). Ex CHL player gets his due, playing university hockey. The Record.
Retrieved from www.guelphmercury.com/ sports/article/842832--ex-chl-player-gets-his-
due-playing-university-hockey
Sager, N. (2012, November 16). Brock Badgers’ Milan Doczy wins long fight for education package,
offers lesson about looking after European players. Yahoo Sports. Retrieved from
www.ca.sports.yahoo.com/blogs/jrhockey-buzzing-the-net/brock-badgers-milan-doczy-
wins-long-fight-ohl-050803640.html
Weber, R. (2009). Protection of children in competitive sport. International
Review for the Sociology of Sport, 44, 55-69.
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