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Government officials in Washington state, home to four Western Hockey League teams, have been investigating the working conditions of the teams mostly-teenaged players over the past year, TSN has learned. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . Matthew Erlich, a spokesman for Washingtons Department of Labor and Industry, told TSN that officials recently referred the case to the state attorney generals office and added that the labor department is waiting for a legal opinion from the attorney general before pursuing its investigation further. "This is a matter that focuses on child labor issues and potential wage-payment claims, both are important at labor and industries, where our top important goal is to ensure workplaces are safe," Erlich said. "Employees should also be paid for the work they do." Over the past few months, the debate over whether major junior hockey players should receive more money for playing has become a polarizing one. On one side, team owners say players receive modest reimbursements for their expenses, as well as a lucrative scholarship package that can be exercised so long as they dont go on to a career as a pro hockey player. Moreover, many teams in small markets are struggling to get by, the owners say. "Our teams in Washington and Michigan have been in contact with government officials and have explained that our players are student athletes and are participating in and contribute to their sport the same way as other amateur athletes," Canadian Hockey League commissioner David Branch told TSN. But officials with Unifor, Canadas largest private-sector union, paint a different picture. They say major junior hockey teams have become cash machines and that any problems that small market teams might have can easily be solved with revenue sharing. Unifor is pressing the Ontario provincial government to form task forces to scrutinize the working conditions in the Canadian Hockey League. Unifor president Jerry Dias hopes other governments follow suit. To that end, Dias met Tuesday with B.C. Premier Christy Clark, making his case for government action. "She was shocked," Dias said. "We explained that in the Western Hockey League, players are still making $50 a week, same as they did in the 1980s. Its just not right. These clubs are being run as for-profit businesses, and so little of the money finds its way to the players. Its basically slave labour." The stakes are high for CHL team owners. Dias said an average 40-hour work week adds up to about 2,000 hours a year. If players in Ontario were paid the minimum wage of $11 per hour for half the year, it would work out to about $11,000 per player, or at least $220,000 a year for each team. Its unclear how much teams now pay for players, but in recent years, the OHL paid players $55 a week. The league recently introduced new guidelines where teams reimburse players for expenses instead of paying them a set weekly amount. Eight of the CHLs 60 teams are based in the U.S. The four teams in Washington are the Everett Silvertips, the Seattle Thunderbirds, the Spokane Chiefs and the Tri-City Americans. In the OHL, the Plymouth Whalers and Saginaw Spirit are in Michigan. If players on U.S.-based teams were declared by the government to be employees, instead of student athletes, as the CHL says they are, they might also have more rights under worker compensation laws. One CHL team owner said that he has been in touch with his local member of provincial parliament to caution that if the governments do change their policies on major junior hockey, it might have a ripple effect on sports across the country. "If we have to pay minimum wage, then other junior leagues, Junior B and Junior C leagues, will have to do the same thing," said the owner, who asked for anonymity because he said CHL team owners have agreed that Branch will speak publicly for the group about the issue. "Maybe it will apply to Canadian universities that charge admission for sports games. It could have a huge effect." But that might not be completely true. Theres a difference between a Junior B hockey player or Canadian university player and a player in major junior - teams in major junior hold a draft and control for years the rights of a player. The players dont choose where to play. "It should not come as a surprise that team owners are active in their communities and some may be in contact with elected officials at all levels to express their views on range of issues," Branch said. "Any change to the status of CHL hockey players would undoubtedly impact all other amateur athletes in our country, regardless of what sport they participate in," he said. "For all of these sports there are multiple complicated questions regarding expenses and the status of student athletes and other amateur athletes, all of which have the potential to impact on numerous sports programs in Ontario and throughout Canada." Stitched Hurricanes Jerseys . Trailing 2-1 from the first leg, Fiorentina levelled on aggregate in the 14th minute when Joaquin Sanchez Rodriguez headed back a long ball from David Pizarro and Pasqual smashed home an angled volley. Carolina Hurricanes Gear . Last years runner-up, Sara Errani, also reached the last eight in straight sets. Flipkens converted all four of her break points against Meusburger, and the third-seeded Errani broke Karin Knapps serve five times to win their all-Italian match 6-4, 6-3. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/ . Algeria led 3-0 at halftime, but withstood a stronger South Korean second half performance to claim its first World Cup win since 1982 and move into second place in Group H with one match left to play. Defeat for South Korea means it must now beat already-qualified Belgium to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.Its been more than a year and a half since Canadas mens soccer team tasted victory. Too long for Benito Floro. So while Canadas pair of friendlies against Bulgaria and Moldova in Austria are a continuation of the coachs plan to bring young players into the Canadian team fold, theyre also very much about winning. "We need to win because it is very important for us to improve our psychology and mentality," Floro said Thursday from Laa an der Thaya, Austria, where the team has been based. "For us, they are two games that are very important." Canada — 110th in the FIFA rankings — faces No. 73 Bulgaria on Friday in Ritzing then meets 99th-ranked Moldova in Mauer on Tuesday. The Canadians went a woeful 0-13 last year, and scored just one goal — by Marcus Haber — in a 2-1 loss to Japan. Their last victory came in October 2012, a 3-0 win in World Cup qualifying against a Cuban side that dressed just 11 players (several Cubans left the team before the game kicked off in Toronto). "Were longing for a win," Atiba Hutchinson said. "Its been a while so I think were motivated enough to get that. We just have to go out and work as we always do and hopefully well be a bit more fortunate with getting that result, but well have that working spirit." Floro summoned a mix of veterans such as Hutchinson and Julian de Guzman and promising young players including Caleb Clarke, Samuel Piette, Daniel Stanese and Cyle Larin for these friendlies. Eight of the Canadians have yet to make their national senior debut, as Floro focuses on developing younger players one year out from the next CONCACAF Gold Cup and the resumption of World Cup qualifying. "The objective is the samee for every camp: to prepare players on our system of play because we need to improve our level in attack and defence. Fake Hurricanes Jerseys. At the same time, we want to take the young players because the experienced players are good at teaching them how to work as an individual and in a collective," Floro said. "For the young players, this is a very good experience because our experienced players are very good people and they are always focused on teaching the young players how to do things in a good way." Floro is counting on players such as the 31-year-old Hutchinson, who plays professionally in Turkey, to help bring the younger ones along. "Were developing well and mixing some younger players is going to help us," Hutchinson said. "Its going to take some time to jell a little bit more but I think were trying to go in the right direction." On a team that sorely needs goal scoring, eyes will be on the six-foot-two Larin in these two friendlies. The 19-year-old from Brampton, Ont., earned conference rookie of the years honours after scoring a team-high 14 goals for the University of Connecticut. "We brought Larin into the Florida camp (in January) because we had a very good reference and we want to test him because hes a striker and we need a lot of players in this position," Floro said. "In that camp, we realized he is a young player but with good experience playing as a striker. He has a good desire to learn a lot about that and for us he is a good player for the present and the future." Canadas roster is comprised mostly of European-based players. Among the other veterans on the squad are Andre Hainault, David Edgar, Tosaint Ricketts and Simeon Jackson. ' ' '