Two Chappaqua sports agencies have to pay $887,188 in commissions and fees for representing eight Finnish athletes in the National Hockey League.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Karas confirmed a Finnish arbitration award on June 7 against Puck Agency LLC and JMG Sports Agency, owned and operated by Jay Grossman.
The award goes to Professional Sport Service FI OY, a Finnish agency that began referring hockey players to the U.S. agencies around 2012.
Grossman’s agencies negotiated contracts and product endorsements and provided other financial services to the athletes. The Finnish agency, according to an arbitration decision, was entitled to 50% of the commissions and endorsement fees collected by the U.S. agencies.
The dispute arose around 2017 when Professional Sport Service claimed that Puck was not paying enough. The Finland Arbitration Institute agreed and awarded $171,920 in commissions to the Finnish agency.
Puck did not pay up, according to court records; the Finns petitioned federal court in White Plains to enforce the award; and in 2019 U.S. District Judge Cathy Seibel confirmed the arbitration decision. The judgment, including interest, totaled $323,328.
Puck still did not pay up, according to court records.
Meanwhile, Grossman had allegedly asked players to pay agent fees to JMG Sports Agency, instead of to Puck Agency.
The dispute evolved into another arbitration case in Helsinki, Finland, this time naming Puck and JMG and demanding additional commissions and fees for the five NHL seasons spanning 2018 to 2023.
Again, a Finnish arbitrator ruled in favor of Professional Sport Service, court records state. Puck and JMG did not pay up. The Finns petitioned federal court in White Plains to confirm the award.
The new $887,188 judgment includes interest that has accrued on both arbitration awards, as well as arbitration and legal fees.
The hockey players include Erik Haula (Vegas Golden Nights, Nashville Predators, Boston Bruins), Kasimer Kaskisuo (Toronto Maple Leafs), Juho Lammikko (Florida Panthers), Sami Niku (Winnipeg Jets), Sebastian Repo (Florida Panthers), Pekka Rinne (Nashville Predators), Vili Saarijarvi (Detroit Red Wings), and Juuso Valimaki (Calgary Flames).
Puck and JMG did not reply to a message asking for their side of the story.
