The NHL Players’ Association is zeroing in on a number one candidate to exchange Donald Fehr as its govt director.
As reported Wednesday by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, the PA will probably be assembly this week in Florida throughout the 2023 NHL All-Star weekend to debate the potential appointment of U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to the place.
Walsh, 55, was Mayor of Boston from 2014 by way of 2021 and comes from a union background. He left his submit in March 2021 to serve within the cupboard of U.S. President Joe Biden. Under Biden, Walsh has been tasked with overseeing laws to guard the rights of greater than 150 million staff throughout the nation. He was beforehand president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America and was head of the Building Construction and Trades Council in Boston.
Most notably in a sports activities context: Walsh played a key role as a mediator in serving to Major League Baseball come to a lockout decision in 2022. As for the way he suits into the professional hockey world: from a union-to-owners relations perspective, he additionally has a key connection to Boston Bruins proprietor Jeremy Jacobs, an especially influential voice as chairman of the NHL’s Board of Governors. In 2017 the Jacobs household donated $13,000 to Walsh’s political committee.
Fehr, 74, will probably be stepping down after 12 years in his place. Pressure mounted for him to depart his submit late final season as a result of his perceived lack of day-to-day value as somebody who can generate common income for the PA throughout the peaceable durations between heavy collective bargaining. As ESPN reported, the PA needs to have a brand new govt director in place by the top of this common season.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, it’s unlikely the NHLPA govt board confirms Walsh and extra doubtless the board requires a full membership vote. Walsh would want 18 of 32 votes to be permitted for the place.
Per Seravalli, the NHLPA issued this assertion Thursday in regards to the course of.
