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In the early days of a new year, sports fans on both sides of the border shift their attention from the professional to the amateur. The world junior championships, played this week in Vancouver and Victoria, dominate the hockey world, and south of the border attention is dominated by the college football championship.

But that the shift is from professional athletes to amateur ones does not mean a shift away from commerce. Major junior hockey is a significant business in Canada, though not as massive a business enterprise as American college football. All of which raises key questions about how athletes develop and whether they are exploited.

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The exploitation question gets more attention, and certainly did so in 2018. But what is best for the development of young athletes is also important, given that the vast majority do not go on to play professional sports.

Major junior hockey is a significant business in Canada

A $180-million class-action lawsuit has been filed against the Canadian Hockey League — parent of the Ontario, Western and Quebec major junior leagues — seeking lost wages. The claim is that the 16- to 20-year-olds who play major junior are involved in a business and should be paid at least minimum wage. How that will proceed in the courts remains to be seen, but in November, the Ontario Hockey League commissioner asked the Ontario government for an exemption from the relevant labour laws, including minimum wages. Apparently such exemptions already exist in seven other provinces.