Glenn Healy Pens Scathing Letter Amid Resignation From NHLPA

Healy Says His Reputation, Credibility Have Been Irreparably Harmed And Compromised

NHLPA Dir of Player Affairs Glenn Healy Thursday resigned, as the union's "ugly infighting and backstabbing claimed another," according to Paul Hunter of the TORONTO STAR. Healy, who assumed his role just 14 months ago, detailed his resignation in a letter to the NHLPA Exec Board, stating his "reputation and credibility with the players had been irreparably harmed and compromised." Healy was "angered that his credibility had been impugned in an outside assessment of the NHLPA commissioned by the PA and presented to the executive board during" this past weekend's meeting in Chicago that ultimately led to the union's removal of Exec Dir Paul Kelly. That presentation, delivered by an outside consultancy, claimed that Healy "misled players and did not present the 'full truth,' particularly when it came to [Wayne] Gretzky's contributions to the union." Healy in his letter wrote, "I would never and have not misled or told any untruths to any player. I can not sit back and continue to perform my duties when my Players' Association co-workers unjustifiably impugn my credibility in front of the players" (TORONTO STAR, 9/4). NHLPA interim Exec Dir Ian Penny Thursday issued a statement in response to Healy's letter, saying, "Based on the timing it appears that this was part of a strategy to deflect attention from today's media reports concerning Paul Kelly's conduct" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/4). The GLOBE & MAIL's Eric Duhatschek writes Healy's departure "leaves the NHLPA with one more significant hole and the question now becomes, who is next?" What "credible candidate can the NHLPA possibly recruit to come in and work in an office with the toxicity level of a night-time soap opera?" (GLOBE & MAIL, 9/4).

Kelly Says Reports Are A Misleading Attack

KELLY ON THE DEFENSE: Kelly Thursday night issued a statement in response to allegations that he accessed sealed NHLPA documents, stating, "I cannot standby and allow this false and misleading attack on my character and reputation. ... All of these stories, whether anonymous or by those seeking to protect their individual interests, intend to defame my reputation and good name. They not only harm me, but do harm to the reputation of the over 700 hockey players who make our sport the best in the world" (THE DAILY). ESPN.com's Scott Burnside cited sources as saying that while the outside consultancy composed the aforementioned report on Kelly, "members of Kelly's staff who were loyal to him were in some cases not interviewed, or their interviews lasted only a number of minutes." Sources also said that "some of the NHLPA's 50 staffers complained to Kelly that they were coached on how to respond in the interview process, to either put Kelly in a negative light or tarnish members of his staff that were loyal to him." One source said, "The report was a total joke, pure BS. It was a deliberate attack on all that Paul had accomplished." Burnside noted the next NHLPA Exec Dir "will be faced with having to make peace with an advisory board loyal" to Penny and former Ombudsman Eric Lindros, who "continued to play a significant role in office politics after he resigned" in February (ESPN.com, 9/3).

PARTING SHOT: Hockey HOFer Ted Lindsay, who attended the meeting in Chicago, said, "I was so disgusted and so discouraged, and I still feel that way. A good man was crucified by a bunch of innocent, young hockey players but by knowledgeable union people at the head" (ESPN.com, 9/3). Lindsay Thursday in an interview with Toronto's CFMJ-AM added, "This was orchestrated, to me, with a particular thought of unionism and intimidation" (TORONTO STAR, 9/4).