Players need a clue
Paul Kelly, one of players’ best friends, is cast aside

AUGUST 31, 2009 -- Paul Kelly, executive director of the NHLPA, was fired early Monday, the union stating that “(Considering the) overall operation of the NHLPA, it was decided that Paul Kelly should no longer continue to serve as executive director."

Sunday and Monday, meetings held over the course of many hours led to the dismissal of Kelly, who had run the union after taking over for Ted Saskin in 2007. An internal power struggle seems to have emerged and Kelly fell in the sights of former ombudsman Eric Lindros and his replacement, Buzz Hargrove.

Kelly waited three hours to learn his fate, before being called to the executive board meeting.

It is speculated that the union brass, or at least a vocal minority, was concerned about Kelly’s relationship with Gary Bettman, perceiving it to be too close. Also, a perception that Kelly had not done enough to get to know the players had emerged, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

That the players would fire Kelly is astounding.   The stunning decision did not require the vote of the entire NHLPA membership.

Kelly’s reputation as one of the best friends the players have had in the modern era is well-deserved. As a federal prosecutor, Kelly helped bring down former union boss Alan Eagleson, who had fleeced the players he represented for decades.

This move comes as a stunner considering the success of the resurgent league in the wake of the 2004-05 lockout. Revenues have increased from $2B to $2.7B over the past four seasons. The NHL’s TV ratings for the Cup final this Spring were the highest they’d been in 36 years.

It is suspected that aside from player relation issues that were evidently being put forth in Chicago, Kelly’s relationship with commissioner Gary Bettman came under fire as being perceived to be too close for comfort. This line of thought seems to be a cheap manipulation, considering the steady ship that Kelly achieved.  It was, after all, Kelly, who created the ombudsman position in the first place.

A foreshadowing of Monday’s events took place in June, when Ian Penny was installed as general counsel with little input from Kelly.

Considering Kelly’s heroic role in the prosecution and conviction of Alan Eagleson* (see web/wiki and audio links below), it’s amazing to think that Kelly, whose tenure since the 2007 removal of email snoop Ted Saskin had been strong and steady, would come under fire. Kelly’s history as an advocate for the NHL player is positive all around.

Kelly’s steerage of the union had not been as fiery and fractious as Bob Goodenow’s stewardship, and most people around the hockey world perceived this to be a welcome change.  However, it seems that there are some players who preferred the acrimonious style of Bob Goodenow.  In fairness, Goodenow deserves credit for delivering an astronomical salary market bulge to the players' favor during the 1990s that NHL players had never seen prior to his stewardship.

In the end, however, Goodenow’s having forced NHL ownership into a lockout by his ridiculous refusal to discuss a salary cap was a mistake. He may have fired up the troops with that one, but even Joe Six Pack sided with the owners, seeing common sense thrown out the window by the players.

Goodenow’s intensely acrimonious style in dealings with Bettman and the owners is thankfully confined to the dustbin of history, at least for now. While Goodenow’s concept of salary disclosure helped the players achieve huge gains, his style slowed the game’s growth.

Now, four years removed from the league’s death and rebirth, Kelly’s cordial but firm relationship with Bettman had the ship on an even keel. The CBA dictates that each club pay $40.8-56.8M in payroll per season; the average player is making $1.3M. The league and the players are working together on marketing the game, and things are smooth in general. 

So why the step back?

A few years ago, it was reported that Chris Chelios (a union guy from the get-go) purchased, for each of the player union reps around the league, a copy of “The Power of Two,” Susan Foster’s account of her life with Leaf great Carl Brewer. Foster and Brewer led a brave and desperate struggle to bring Eagleson to justice.** Kelly’s role in the prosecution is described within its pages. One wonders whether any of them bothered to read it.

Had they learned a bit more about who Paul Kelly is, and what he’d done, they never would have fired him in good conscience.

Good luck, players, you blew it.

*If you would like to hear more about the Alan Eagleson case, listen to Hockeytalk Audio’s interview with Susan Foster. We also invite you to listen to Hockeytalk’s 2008 interview with Paul Kelly. 

**Russ Conway's work was also crucial in this matter.  His book, "Game Misconduct," recounts the events surrounding this issue.

WIKI: