Hours after ousting Executive Director Paul Kelly, the NHLPA named Ian Penny as their interim head.
From Canadian news outlet TSN:
Ian Penny has been unanimously named as Interim Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players’ Association.
He had previously held the role of General Counsel for the union.
Sources tell TSN Penny is not interested in the position on a fulltime basis and only took the title in order to give the NHLPA a point person during the coming days.
With the hiring of Penny, the NHLPA hopes to regain stability as they search for a new permanent director to lead the group in the upcoming 2011 contract negotiations with the NHL. NHLPA Ombudsan Buzz Hargrove believes the job to be up for grabs.
I talked to almost all the players before they left at noon today and no one had a suggestion. They really are saying that we need to do a search and we have to reach out outside of the organization, unless somebody surfaces that we haven’t yet identified.
The surprise firing of Kelly was yet another setback for the players association as they try to regain credibility with the fans and could be just the beginning of more hard times to follow. As From the Rink reported,
The NHLPA’s chances of finding a better candidate to lead them into 2011’s labour war in the near future are realistically slim to none. And you better believe the owners are licking their lips right now at that thought.
NHLPA Settles with Kelly
NHLPA Executive Board Tries To Fire Ombudsman And Others
NHLPA Set to Meet Again to Discuss the State of the Union
NHLPA Holds Conference Call to Discuss Kelly Firing
The NHLPA is Starting To Come Under Fire Again
According to Kevin Paul Dumont of the Boston Globe:
Read Article >Former NHL PA Boss Refutes Spying Allegations
Former NHLPA Director Paul Kelly publicly denied the allegations that he was involved in spying on the members of the players association. Initially, Kelly siad he would not speak publicly regarding his firing until the dust had settled but TSN.ca has posted some details.
Kelly had this to say...
“I cannot stand by and allow this false and misleading attack on my character and reputation,” Kelly said in a statement released Thursday. “I spent almost 10 years as a federal prosecutor, prosecuting numerous cases pertaining to fraud and dishonesty, including one involving a former NHLPA executive director. My personal ethics and reputation are beyond reproach.This story is not over an bears watching over the next couple of days and weeks. As more people come forward the details become a little more clear.
Read Article >
