Parents who booked tournament hotels through Black Bear Sports Group’s Defender Hockey, Tier 1 Hockey Federation or National Girls Hockey League events may be covered by a proposed class action alleging Black Bear misrepresented its “Stay to Play” hotel rule and charged hidden booking fees. No class has been certified and there is nothing to file yet.
Allegations Only · No Settlement Yet
This article describes a class action complaint. The statements below are unproven allegations. Black Bear Sports Group has not been found liable, there is no certified class, and nothing to claim at this time. This page is informational. It is not legal advice.
What the Black Bear Lawsuit Is About
Four hockey parents from Delaware, New Jersey and New York filed a proposed class action on September 1, 2026 against Black Bear Sports Group, Inc., the company behind Defender Hockey Tournaments, the Tier 1 Hockey Federation and the National Girls Hockey League. The case, Oliver v. Black Bear Sports Group, Inc., No. 1:26-cv-01106, is pending in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware.The complaint targets the company’s “Stay to Play” policy, the rule that traveling families stay at partner hotels booked through a designated platform for their child’s team to take part. It alleges Black Bear told parents the rule had no exceptions when it did, profited from the hotel bookings, and added booking fees parents were not clearly told about.
Free settlement alerts
Get notified when new class actions open to claims
Join thousands of readers who get the latest class action settlements you may qualify for — delivered straight to your inbox.
What the Complaint Says About “No Exceptions”
According to the complaint, Black Bear’s event pages tell families that teams needing lodging must book through its program, that outside rates, discounts and hotel reward points are not allowed, and that there are “No exceptions.” The plaintiffs say that is not how the policy works.The complaint alleges Black Bear’s actual requirement is that 80% of the players on a team comply, not every family, and that a “buyout fee” lets families skip the partner hotels. It says neither fact is disclosed to parents, so families believe they have no choice about where to stay or how to book.
Higher Room Rates and Two Booking Fees
The plaintiffs claim the arrangement costs families more. The complaint gives examples from a fall 2026 tournament in which rooms at the same or comparable hotels were $10 to $25 a night cheaper when booked directly with the hotel. It also alleges Black Bear receives commissions or “rebates” from partner hotels.On top of the room rate, the complaint describes two fees added to each reservation: a “non-refundable fee” with no explanation of what it pays for, and a charge billed as a deposit for a “discount rate” that appears on credit card statements under Defender Hockey. The plaintiffs say both fees are lumped into a “Tax, Recovery Charges, and Service Fees” line on the booking confirmation. The fees the named plaintiffs say they paid ranged from $6 to $66 per reservation.
Which Tournaments Are Involved
Black Bear owns or operates 47 ice rinks in Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, according to the complaint. The lawsuit covers Stay to Play tournaments and events run under the Defender, Tier 1 Hockey Federation and National Girls Hockey League names in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois.The complaint also points to the Let Kids Play Act, a federal bill introduced May 13, 2026 that targets private equity practices in youth sports, including requiring families to stay at specific hotels. The bill has not become law.
The Proposed Classes and Legal Claims
The suit seeks to represent a nationwide class of people who booked a hotel room for one of these tournaments through Black Bear’s designated platform, going back three years before the September 1, 2026 filing. It also proposes subclasses for Delaware and New York residents over the same period and New Jersey residents over six years.It asserts four claims:
- Violation of the Delaware Consumer Fraud Act
- Violation of the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act
- Violation of New York General Business Law § 349
- Unjust enrichment
The plaintiffs ask for class certification, damages including statutory and treble damages where the law allows, restitution, a court order addressing the practices, and attorneys’ fees. The case was filed by deLeeuw Law LLC, with Almeida Law Group LLC and Kane Conway & Wise, LLP.
What Happens Next
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Gregory B. Williams. Court records show Black Bear was served on September 2, 2026; the parties then agreed to extend its deadline to respond to the complaint, and the court approved the extension in mid-September. Black Bear has not been found to have done anything wrong, and no court has ruled on the claims. There is no settlement and no claim form. If the case settles or the plaintiffs win, families who booked through the platform would generally be identified from booking records and notified. OpenClassActions.com will update this page as the case develops.Questions
What is a Stay to Play policy?
A Stay to Play policy requires families traveling to a youth sports tournament to stay at specific partner hotels, usually booked through a platform the organizer chooses, as a condition of their child’s team taking part. The Black Bear lawsuit challenges how one company ran and described that policy at its hockey tournaments.
Which hockey tournaments are part of the Black Bear lawsuit?
The complaint covers tournaments and events Black Bear Sports Group runs as Defender Hockey Tournaments, Tier 1 Hockey Federation and the National Girls Hockey League, including events in Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Illinois.
Who would be in the proposed class?
The complaint proposes a nationwide class of people who booked a hotel room through Black Bear’s designated platform for one of those tournaments in the three years before September 1, 2026 or later, with separate subclasses for Delaware, New Jersey and New York residents. A court has not certified any class.
Is there a Black Bear Sports Group settlement?
No. The case is at the complaint stage. There is no settlement, no fund and no claim form, and Black Bear Sports Group has not been found liable for anything.
What is the Let Kids Play Act?
The Let Kids Play Act is a federal bill introduced on May 13, 2026 that targets private equity practices in youth sports, including requiring families to stay at specific hotels for tournaments. The complaint cites it as background. It is a proposal, not a law.
Sources
- Oliver v. Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. — docket, U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware (CourtListener)
- Class Action Complaint, filed September 1, 2026 (CourtListener)
