GRAND FORKS, N.D. — A class action lawsuit filed Monday has potential to upend college hockey’s ecosystem.

The lawsuit accuses the NCAA of violating antitrust laws by rendering athletes who compete in Canadian major junior hockey ineligible for college hockey.

The suit was filed by Rylan Masterson, who says he played two preseason games with the Windsor Spitfires of the Ontario Hockey League, making him ineligible for college hockey.

The lawsuit was filed in the Western District of New York.

If successful, the result could open the door for hundreds of players in the Western Hockey League, OHL and Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to play in the NCAA.

The development is not unexpected.

At the annual coaches meetings in Naples, Fla., this spring, the potential opening of the CHL was discussed.

Although about two-thirds of college hockey’s coaches were against it, they were aware a lawsuit could potentially change it anyway and formed a working group to study the issue.

The group features the six league commissioners, one coach from each conference and American Hockey Coaches Association executive director Forrest Karr, the athletic director at Minnesota Duluth.

The coaches on the committee are Colorado College head coach Kris Mayotte, Notre Dame assistant coach Andy Slaggert, Holy Cross head coach Bill Riga, Maine head coach Ben Barr and Cornell assistant coach Sean Flanagan.

Northern Michigan head coach Grant Potulny was on the committee but recently left for a pro job.

“No matter how you feel about it, there’s a likelihood of it changing anyway if it’s challenged by someone,” Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf told the Herald in May. “We should be prepared for the Plan B scenario. If things were trending that way, either by being dictated by the courts or something where there’s going to be a change … I hate to use the term ‘guard rails,’ but what guard rails might we want to put in place to help us manage that?”

Northern Michigan head coach Grant Potulny was on the committee but recently left for a pro job.

“No matter how you feel about it, there’s a likelihood of it changing anyway if it’s challenged by someone,” Hockey East commissioner Steve Metcalf told the Herald in May. “We should be prepared for the Plan B scenario. If things were trending that way, either by being dictated by the courts or something where there’s going to be a change … I hate to use the term ‘guard rails,’ but what guard rails might we want to put in place to help us manage that?”

The suit notes Boston University defenseman Tom Willander played games in Sweden’s top pro league, but remained eligible. It also points out that specific athletes, most notably swimmer Katie Ledecky, kept eligibility while receiving payments for their athletic performance.

The NCAA opened the door for players to receive payments after the Alston ruling by the Supreme Court in 2021.

College hockey’s traditional powerhouses have largely been against opening the CHL.

The Central Collegiate Hockey Association, on the other hand, has been pushing it. CCHA teams have been losing players in the transfer portal to traditional powers and want another avenue to replace players.

If the CHL opens, NCAA teams would immediately begin recruiting top players who have not signed NHL deals.

College hockey would, in turn, have more Canadians and fewer Americans on rosters.

Fourteen of the 32 players picked in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft were from Canadian major junior leagues. All of those players would become eligible for college if the lawsuit is successful.

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