Lawyers say players in the Canadian Hockey League are paid less than minimum wage for working 35-40 hours a week for their teams.

Now a class action lawsuit has been filed against the CHL, the umbrella organization that includes the OHL, WHL and QMJHL. But one former Ontario Hockey League general manager thinks the deals laid out by the league are fair.

Chatham native Dave Torrie was once the GM of the Sault St. Marie Greyhounds, and says benefits for the players exceed their average weekly allowance of $50. “Beyond that the CHL teams and organizations have done a pretty good job of increasing education [packages].” Torrie adds that often, CHL players can have their entire post-secondary education paid for.

Torrie goes on to say players and families are educated on what they’re signing up for. “If you don’t like what’s presented to you, you can make the choice to not play in the CHL.” A total of 60 teams are active across the CHL.