Canadian Player Seeks Comp Benefits in Michigan for Out-Of-State Injury

A Canadian hockey player hurt while playing for a minor league team in Rhode Island is suing for workers’ compensation benefits in Michigan.

The state Supreme Court heard oral arguments Dec. 9 on 39-year-old Andy Bezeau’s appeal of a Michigan board’s ruling denying him coverage. A decision comes later.

The St. John, New Brunswick, native was living in Michigan in 1998 when he signed a three-year contract with the now-defunct Detroit Vipers, owned by Palace Sports & Entertainment Inc.

The Vipers sent him to the Providence Bruins, where he was injured Oct. 6, 2000.

His request for compensation from the Vipers was under review when the Michigan Supreme Court ruled in 2007 a person must be a Michigan resident when hurt to collect.