Prof. Norman O’Reilly was interviewed for a Nov. 13 New York Times article about a settlement between the National Hockey League and hundreds of retired hockey players who accused the league of hiding the dangers of repeated head injury.
The deal must be approved by the 318 former players who joined the lawsuit, and there are doubts about whether the settlement offers enough compensation for retired players in need.
A leading scholar in the business of sports, O’Reilly told the New York Times that the NHL faces a fractured opponent with former players not just in Canada and the United States but also in Europe. He said current players have guaranteed contracts, so the resentment is lessened.
O’Reilly is assistant dean of executive programs and a professor in U of G’s College of Business and Economics. He studies sport finance, social marketing and management education.