The NHL players' union says the argument is simple: Alberta labour laws apply to the Edmonton Oilers and Calgary Flames.
The NHL Players' Association was in Edmonton on Friday to try to get the Alberta Labour Relations Board to declare the current lockout illegal.
NHLPA lawyer Bob Blair told the panel that the teams are Alberta businesses, so provincial labour laws have to be followed.
"No one gets to choose what labour laws apply to them in this province," Blair said.
He argued that players from the Oilers and Flames have never agreed to forgo their rights under the Alberta Labour Code.
"It applies to every employer and employee."
A lawyer for the NHL argued it's impossible for a league spanning two countries to operate under different laws for each franchise. Peter Gall pointed out that 23 of the 30 teams are in the U.S., where labour laws are federally regulated.
