Report: OHL to increase player benefit packages

By Michael Caples –

Yahoo Canada reported yesterday that there will be big changes coming to how the Ontario Hockey League compensates their players.

According to Yahoo’s Sunaya Sapurji, the OHL is upgrading their education packages for players, and creating a new monthly reimbursement plan.

Within the report, OHL commissioner David Branch said his league is “constantly, regularly, always changing how we can improve things for our players on and off the ice.”

OHL players will now have extra time to use their education package for college; instead of having 18 months from their last game played, they will now have 18 months from the end of their ‘overage’ (20 years old) age regardless of whether they stay in the OHL that long or not.

Players can still keep their education package if they sign an AHL contract, as well. Only an NHL contract will now void the education package.

The new reimbursement plan will give players $470 a month to help with things like gas, entertainment, cell phone plans, etc. Teams will also give players a maximum allowance of $1,000 for summer on and off-ice training.

Branch said that the new education and reimbursement packages are not a result of a group that tried to get CHL players to unionize during the summer of 2012.