Search Committee Narrows List Of NHLPA Exec Dir Candidates

By Liz Mullen, Staff Writer, SportsBusiness Journal

NHLPA Narrowing Down Candidate Search To Replace Saskin As Exec Dir

The committee searching for a replacement for NHLPA Exec Dir Ted Saskin has narrowed the number of candidates to about 20, according to two players on the search committee.  Both Kings C Michael Cammalleri and Oilers C Shawn Horcoff said the players association had received hundreds of applications for the job, which was vacated when Saskin was fired earlier this year. “We are down to a list close to 20,” Cammalleri said.  Both players declined to name any of the candidates, saying that they agreed to keep the names confidential. Names that have surfaced in hockey circles in recent weeks include agents Ritch Winter and Mike Liut, as well as former NBPA General Counsel Robert Lanza and former NBPA Exec Dir Charles Grantham. Sources also said that players are very interested in MLBPA General Counsel Michael Weiner, who is seen by many as the heir to Donald Fehr's job as Exec Dir of MLB's union, but that Weiner is not interested in the job.

REVIEWING THE BLOCK REPORT: Players were arriving yesterday in Toronto for three days of meetings in which they will discuss the search for a new NHLPA Exec Dir and will review a report issued by lawyer Sheila Block on the collapse of the union during the negotiations of the NHL CBA, the firing of former NHLPA Exec Dir Bob Goodenow and the hiring of Saskin.  A group of so-called dissident players led by Red Wings D Chris Chelios has contended that Saskin and the former player leadership of the union violated the NHLPA constitution in many of their actions.  Sources said that the Block report found that the constitution was violated. Stars G Marty Turco would not discuss the details of the report, but said, “Yes, of course [the constitution] was violated in every possible way that things got done.” He added that the dissident group led by Chelios was right in their claims. "Not only were they right, [but] we, the rest of us, were lucky to have Chris do what he did, to seemingly be stubborn, more than that, believe in the things that he knew. He was right on the whole time."