INTERNATIONAL TRANSFER DISPUTES IN ICE HOCKEY – PART 1: THREE KEY CASES
written for and first published by LawInSport http://www.lawinsport.com/sports/ice-hockey/item/player-transfers-disputes-in-ice-hockey-part-1-a-guide-to-the-common-issues?category_id=160
Further to the author’s article entitled “the effect of the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement on European players and international ice-hockey,” in this 3 Part series, the author examines the issues arising during contested player transfers in ice hockey. Then the author considers potential methods for resolving such disputes.
Background to Contested Transfers
Traditionally, international hockey has not developed well-defined transfer procedures to govern player transfers between leagues. The issue of international transfers is further complicated in hockey since two of the most powerful leagues in the sport, the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL), operate beyond the scope of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) regulations. This fact differentiates ice hockey from other popular international sports, such as basketball and soccer. In basketball and soccer, the International Federation has been able to develop well-defined regulations to manage the interleague transfer of players. As a result of this unique structure of ice hockey, the sport has seen many contested player transfers between the NHL, KHL and the member leagues of the IIHF.