Why is the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League being sued? QMJHL facing $15 million class-action lawsuit

The Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (aka QMJHL) is being sued in a class-action lawsuit.

A document was filed Wednesday morning at the Quebec City courthouse for a class action lawsuit against the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, the 18 teams in its league, and the Canadian Hockey League.

According to early reports, the $15 million class-action lawsuit covers "all hockey players who suffered abuse while they were minors" playing in the QMJHL from July 1, 1969, to today.

History of abuse in QMJHL

This class action lawsuit has been in the works for quite some time as hazing and abuse of minors in the CHL have been a topic of discussion for several years now.

Back in February, Quebec launched an investigation into the matter after Daniel Carcillo and Garrett Taylor went public about the hazing in hockey culture (especially in the CHL - which the QMJHL is a part of).

Following several players coming forward, the QMJHL said they want to change the way hockey culture is and make it inclusive for everyone.

"If [players] witness those kind of events they have to speak up with us, with the police because those are criminal acts," said Maxime Blouin, director of communications and head of diversity and inclusion at the QMJHL.

"You don't have to be that kind of a man to be part of a hockey team. That's not what we want for sports in 2023. Because I was with some parents yesterday saying: 'I don't want my kid, my son or my daughter to play hockey anymore when I read that' and that's the image we want to change. We don't want those kinds of players in our league."

Although the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League said players needed to come forward sooner, several former players said coaches and people in the organization knew about the hazing and never stopped it.

"This happened in the showers, on the bus, or elsewhere. The coaches and team staff saw and knew," an anonymous former player said, adding that after he was traded, he experienced the same type of hazing.

"My time in major junior hockey has left me mentally scarred. I've lived with it my whole life […], but I cannot keep it secret anymore. I live with anxiety every day. I used to have nightmares, which I rarely have anymore, but my anxiety is always there. ...

"My story has been extremely difficult but am telling it because I do not want any other child to go through what I did."

As of right now, it's uncertain if the league will look to settle outside of court or if this case will go in front of a judge.