The Red Wings' Scotty Bowman is attempting to put
together an NHL coaches association, according to Mike
Brophy of THE HOCKEY NEWS. Bowman said that NHL coaches
have "plenty to gain by banding together." Bowman: "I don't
see a day when coaches are unionized to the point where
there has to be a base salary or anything like that. ... But
there is a need for some standardization in other areas."
Bowman refers to medical and pension plans, as well as
marketing rights. THE HOCKEY NEWS' Brophy analyzes coaches
marketing rights, noting that Panthers coach Doug MacLean
was paid $2,000 to wear a Starter pin on his jacket during
the Stanley Cup Finals last year, and "since then, the NHL
has ruled such activity illegal." Brophy adds that
management "has resisted coaches' attempts to organize in
the past, presumably out of fear it would drive their
salaries up and because teams would be on the hook for
pension contributions." NHL coaches earn an average of
$386,000 per year, but Bowman said that coaches could "add
to their incomes by endorsing products under the umbrella of
the NHL Coaches' Association" (THE HOCKEY NEWS, 1/31 issue).
