Mike Gartner Resigns Post Amid Displeasure With NHLPA State

Gartner Resigns From NHLPA Post

NHLPA Dir of Hockey Affairs Mike Gartner announced his resignation at the start of a conference call yesterday with the union’s interim Exec Board (NHLPA). Red Wings D and Exec Board member Mathieu Schneider said that Gartner indicated he was “unhappy with how the union has operated in recent months.” Schneider said that Gartner “told players that he had misgivings” about Exec Dir Ted Saskin “dating back to a controversial secret ballot vote commissioned by the union in the fall of 2005” (TORONTO STAR, 3/20).

MORE COUNSEL RETAINED: The NHLPA’s Exec Board voted to retain Toronto-based outside counsel Chris Paliare to address the employment issues around Saskin and NHLPA Senior Dir of Business Ken Kim, who were both put on a paid leave of absence pending the outcome of an investigation into accusations they improperly accessed players’ e-mails (THE DAILY). In Toronto, Allan Maki notes Saskin “originally recommended that Paliare head the independent internal review of the NHLPA that is being led by another Toronto lawyer, Sheila Block. The players wanted Block.” The NHLPA “may decide to try to terminate Saskin’s job for cause,” claiming that his five-year, $10M contract was obtained improperly. Players could also “seek compensation from Saskin, alleging NHLPA money was spent without the consent of the board” (Toronto GLOBE & MAIL, 3/20).

OUTSIDE OPINION: MLBPA Exec Dir Donald Fehr said he hopes the NHLPA does not go through a "long period of reconstruction ... in which they lose the opportunity of taking care of current players problems. You can't run a union, and I underline can't, unless the overwhelming majority of the players understand and support the people who are running it" (TORONTO SUN, 3/18).