The Texas Attorney General has launched an antitrust investigation into the state’s youth hockey industry, according to USA Today.
The NHL’s Dallas Stars are a focus of the probe, according to the report. The investigation is said to be in its early stages and the team said it has not been contacted by the AG.
USA Today previously published an investigative report — ‘They control everything’: How the Dallas Stars monopolized Texas youth hockey — in August.
We broke down the report in a previous Buying Sandlot send. That report included an interview with an attorney who said the Stars’ control of ice rinks in the Dallas area could break antitrust laws.
The Stars control 10 rinks in the region, according to the report — three by direct ownership and the others through long-term lease deals where cities build the facilities and the Stars pay back the investment over time while keeping profits.
The media outlet also reported in March on three former Stars employees accused of enriching themselves through stay-to-play policies for Stars-run tournaments (two of those ex-employees are reportedly the subject of USA Hockey ethics probes).
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