NHLPA

[SabreFaninNYC]

I have been reading with rapt attention at Mirtle's blog about all the intrigue about the NHLPA over the last few months. Adam Proteau had a good colum at the Globe and Mail which I will copy here. What are your thoughts on this situation?

ADAM PROTEAU

The Hockey News

Although he is attempting to keep a brave face, these are not the best of days for Ted Saskin.

To begin with, the NHLPA executive director has to deal with an ongoing investigation into the process that led to him succeeding Bob Goodenow as union chief. And today, he and another union executive face fresh accusations that players’ e-mail accounts were improperly tampered with.

It looks like the knives are coming out from all sides for Saskin. But while this latest information technically qualifies as “news”, the notion that something is rotten amid the players’ association is not.

After all, the NHLPA is the Courtney Love of the sports union fraternity – certainly capable of making good things happen, but equally likely to appear in public with mashed mascara and dilated pupils.

In a recent interview with Blues goalie Manny Legace, I got a first-hand description of how the union has historically done business with the players they represent. And it isn’t pretty.

“The (union) cut us off from everything,” Legace said, referring to the last days of negotiations to end the lockout. “That’s what I didn’t like. Guys had no idea what was going on. You call the PA and they’d say, ‘Don’t worry about it, don’t worry about it, there’s too many leaks.’ . . . You couldn’t get information, they weren’t posting anything for guys anymore, everyone was in the dark.”

Legace, one of the most outspoken of Goodenow’s hole-laden lockout strategies, quickly became persona non grata to the NHLPA leadership. He was ostracized not only for daring to play Devil's Advocate, but for insisting on transparency in the process.

“I called the (players) who called me out (for earlier comments regarding a salary cap),” Legace said. “I told them, ‘This is the way guys feel.’ They said, ‘You’re right, you’re right, but you don’t know what’s going on.’

“I said to the guy, ‘You’re right, I don’t know what’s going on. You guys cut me off from The Source (the union’s secure online forum) and no one from the PA will call me back, so what am I supposed to do?’

“For a guy who was supposed to be on the inside, I knew of nothing that was going on. And I was one of the player reps!”

That lack of transparency is the root cause of many, if not all of the union’s problems today. It has haunted them since the revolting reign of Alan Eagleson, yet it has taught them nothing.

The sooner Saskin & Co. learn that some secrets only lead to more secrets, the better off the players will be.

[Brilliant!]

Corruption involving union officials and bosses? Never!

Frankly, the league, and sports as a whole, would probably be better off without a union. Most of the time, they just cause more problems than they solve.

[SabreFaninNYC]

Corruption involving union officials and bosses? Never!

Frankly, the league, and sports as a whole, would probably be better off without a union. Most of the time, they just cause more problems than they solve.

Personally, I think unions serve a good purpose only when you are dealing with people working in dangerous conditions (factory workers, miners, etc.) however sports like hockey and football are high impact and high injury I think they do need someone looking out for their interests. That said, it seems that with the exception of baseball, in recent years the players have really just let their reps do what they want with seemingly little input. I think that's what happened in the NHL's case. The players let the union reps deal with the lockout and post lockout issues without questioning too much of what was going on and now they are asking questions and finding disturbing answers. I hope these probes finally clear up the mess.

[SabreFaninNYC]

Predicitions that Saskin is removed this weekend? I say he is gone by Sunday, Interim President and then Trevor Linden retires and takes over the post.

[Brilliant!]

Linden's got a good head on his shoulders. He'd be a good insert into that role. He's been one of the senior members for years now.

[otherwise]

I don't think Linden wants anything to do with the NHLPA or any of the politics/buisness side of the game after what he went through with the lockout. He resigned as the PA president last year and hopefully won't get tangled up in this mess or have to defend himself becasue of that stupid lawsuit.

[SabreFaninNYC]

I don't think Linden wants anything to do with the NHLPA or any of the politics/buisness side of the game after what he went through with the lockout. He resigned as the PA president last year and hopefully won't get tangled up in this mess or have to defend himself becasue of that stupid lawsuit.

Sasskin on paid leave. First step out the ol door.