Quebec Superior Court judge authorizes QMJHL hazing class-action lawsuit

MONTREAL — Quebec Superior Court has authorized a class-action lawsuit against the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League and its teams over alleged hazing abuse.

Justice Jacques G. Bouchard gave the suit the green light in a decision published today, after hearing arguments last month in Quebec City.

The lawsuit of more than $15 million was filed last April by Carl Latulippe, a former Quebec minor hockey star who went public with alleged abuse suffered while playing for two teams in the mid-1990s.

It targets the league, its member franchises and its umbrella organization — the Canadian Hockey League — and seeks $650,000 for the plaintiff in damages, including pain, suffering and humiliation, as well as lost productivity and therapy costs.