Wake Up Boys

Nothing's been done that couldn't be un-done.

Well, not quite. Glenn Healy, once Paul Kelly's right hand man with the NHL Players Association, has returned to the world of broadcasting in the wake of Kelly's bizarre dismissal two weeks ago. That ship has sailed.

Otherwise, if the NHLPA wanted to reinstate Kelly — more specifically, if the player membership wanted it done — it's still possible.

It's a bit pie in the sky at the moment. But the coup artists and plotters that managed to oust Kelly after a year of planning that began in Chicago in August, 2008, continued in Vegas last June and came to a head in the Windy City last month, have so far failed to consolidate their new-found power after the decapitation of the entire union leadership.

Ian Penny, who managed to wrest a new five-year contract out of the union last June as general counsel and then completed his remarkable year by suddenly succeeding Kelly on an interim basis, remains a cloak-and-dagger figure, an individual of little or no standing in the hockey world and one as of yet unable to explain publicly how and why his predecessor was canned or how he plans to lead the organization. Boston defenceman Andrew Ference has emerged as a ringleader in the ouster of Kelly, but the best defence he's been able to offer up so far is that the players fired Kelly through a secret ballot.

Well, nobody ever said that wasn't the case.

Otherwise, it would seem more and more players are questioning the details of Kelly's suspicious 4 a.m. firing, and their agents are voicing those concerns publicly. Pat Brisson and J.P. Barry, two of the biggest names in the game, are urging players to ask questions and find out what happened. Barry's involvement is particularly important since he used to work for the union.

One of Brisson's most famous clients, Sidney Crosby, chimed in today by saying all the players deserve a "good explanation" of what transpired in Chicago.

Chris Chelios, who was in the meeting that ended Kelly's tenure, is now saying that the entire process was at the very least "questionable." Former NHLPA executive Vincent Damphousse has spoken publicly about the "paranoia" in the union. Players familiar with the entire episode now understand that Kelly was under internal siege for a year or more, that his fractious relationship with former ombudsman Eric Lindros may have been his undoing and that the "office review" that skewered him was a rather clumsy attempt to assassinate his professional reputation. That said, it worked.

Despite his denials, Lindros is still very much a part of this picture. He certainly knew the details of the evidence that was used against Kelly in last month's meetings in Chicago even though he hadn't been working for the union for six months. Asked by text message if he intended to return to a position with the union in the near future, he responded, "I have no intentions."

If there was a groundswell of support for Kelly, could he come back? It's theoretically possible, but unlikely. The fact he was axed under the flimsiest of accusations that the plotters have tried to turn into Watergate doesn't change the fact that he was fired, and it's not easy to go back. Moreover, the dreadful bureaucratic structure of the union will make it impossible for any future executive director to lead the NHLPA without worrying about his job and authority every day.

But at the very least there should be yet another internal investigation of union activities and practices, something similar to that carried out by respected Toronto lawyer Sheila Bloch after the Saskin mess. Players will roll their eyes at that suggestion, but if they're smart, they're starting to understand that a very small cabal of players, retired players and suits — the names of some of whom they wouldn't even know — managed to have their leader canned without asking the wider membership what it thought.

All the player reps had to do was wait a few weeks for the players to assemble for training camp and it would have been easy to canvas opinion and develop a real consensus.

But the plotters didn't want that to happen. That should tell you something. They saw an opportunity and seized it.

Players in general couldn't give a fig about their union. But they'll get their backs up if they think they've been hoodwinked, and that feeling is starting to spread.

Comments

[Matt B]

Maybe Damien can address this: why hasn't any media outlet really dug into the details of the Chicago meeting? Are players that tight lipped? You'd think of the 5 dissenting votes, one of them would have sat down with someone like Damien or Bob McKenzie or Dreger and detailed the BS that went on. While I've heard about Kelly reading a memo and not being tough enough, is that all there really is to this?

[JoeKnowsIt]

Players union talk? Yee-awn.

[doug]

what agents question it and we are suppose to somehow give it credence?....why are the agents questioning it??...they are always just in anything for their own good, and what now their the voice of reason?, come on Damien this aticle is just to funny and ironic at the same time....

[Sandy T.]

The NHLPA has been short changed by an inner circle of its own members and a couple of suits with an agenda. Many(most) of the players don't know what's going on, and some reps, who *think* they know, are busily trying to spin and re-market the events of hockey's version of the Ides of March while blowing sunshine up the pantlegs of their own general membership and the public at large.

I caught Matt Stajan's semi-coherent interview on the tube last night, and it's clear he has no idea what's going on, even if he was in fact at The Meeting. He can't really be as convinced as he appeared that the sacking of Paul Kelly was right thing to do and things will be now be better as the NHLPA "moves forward". If he does really buy into that nonsense, the Leafs' players might be better served by taking a long look at what constitutes a good player rep. Matt, from all appearances is a nice boy, but dumber than a sack full of shovels.

[G L Goodwin, Amherst Nova Scotia]

Dear Mr Cox:-
Clearly Mr Kelly should have had in his Contract, clauses setting out the terms and conditions, by which he could be dismissed for cause!
If he didn't, he should have!
If he didn't, then the NHLPA are probably better off with out him.
The business of reading the minutes is just a cloud cover. As the director he would have access to the minutes at any rate.The players better take heed; negiotations are one year hence. The NHL have people like Betman/Daley who are too clever by far.What ever happens going forward, keep Lindros out of the mix. Trouble with a CAPITAL T.

[www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=806673997]

Keep the heat on, Damien. Good stuff.

[Scott]

I don't think many ordinary hockey fans actually care about this topic.

[robguy]

Commentors like Joe knows and Scott should just read the articles that discuss Leafs 9th round signings and who is on the 4th line for the Marlies. More naive than the players themselves? The news about the NHLPA IS significant as a player contract is coming up - especially if a Buzz or Goodenow leader emerges which would probably lead to a strike.
Keep the irons to the fire Damien -helps to wake up some players I hope...

[Tabber]

Yup, keep those heads in the sand, Joe, Scott, etc. Just don't post a single comment about the lockout to come, don't utter a single word about how you miss hockey, how everyone is greedy, or anything, when the game is shut down. Maybe not more naive than the players, but way too self-centered to matter.

[MP]

Doug: You make the point that agents are self-interested in their dealings with hockey-related matters. That's very true and is precisely the reason why Paul Kelly's firing needs to be looked into. Instead of reacting suspiciously to Damien's inquiry, stop and think about which Agents might benefit from a change in NHLPA leadership. If you have trouble discerning a clear answer, you now know why the inquiry is worthwhile for NHLPA members.

[edncda]

"I don't think many ordinary hockey fans actually care about this topic."
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I bet they will when they look back and realize this purge was setting the stage for Buzz Hargrove (Mr. Confrontation) to justify not extending the CBA and calling a strike that could possibly finish the NHL (if Baum and Balsillie don't change the face of pro sports with a successful anti-trust suit in the meantime.)
It's incredibly ironic that Hargrove has always "fought" on behalf of hourly union members against "oppresive" management - yet now he's fighting for union members multi-millionaire union members, versus owners who are in many cases losing millions every year for the right to own franchises whose values like the real estate market, may be hugely overstated.