NHLPA boss Paul Kelly Fired

[Mike Hunt]

How has this not been discussed yet?

The NHLPA went from a poorly organized association to a complete joke. They also fired the first NHLPA head that fans and media didn't hate. Why did they fire him? No one's sure yet.

To me, the most annoying thing about this is that the union had a hardass who pushed the players to extremes in order to get what they wanted in Bob Goodenow and forced him out when those extremes were too much for them (even though they were warned about them). Then they came out of the lockout saying things like "We're not a union, we're an association" and "We aren't opposed to the league, we want to have a partnership with them" (suggesting the previous guy was too confrontational). Then, they hired a guy who's agenda was to protect them while taking those things into account (Paul Kelly) after getting rid of Ted Saskin who was given the position in a unconstitutional (NHLPA Constitution) way. Now, they fire the guy for apparently being too friendly with the league (a partnership that was part of his mandate), and not getting to know players well enough (even though he hired Glenn Healy for that exact reason and the players seem to be very satisfied with what Healy's been doing). And at who's suggestion has this firing process come from? Buzz Hargrove (UNION expert who's essentially Goodenow v. 2.0).

[timd1218]

I don't follow this stuff too much but with the current CBA about to expire, I hope the NHLPA gets someone who knows what they are doing. The NHL doesn't need a new lockout and I think the NHL will want some things changed that the players may not like.