Do NHL Players Care Enough About Instability Within Union?

Not enough NHL player reps were on Sunday night's NHLPA conference call to pass a vote on the formation of a new player committee, and even after their union "fired their boss in the middle of the night and became the subject of ridicule around the sporting world, players still can't get it right," according to Scott Burnside of ESPN.com. The NHLPA scheduled Sunday's call on a night when there were "no NHL games scheduled," so the lack of player reps on the call is "inexcusable." It "suggests there are still too many guys who can't see beyond the end of their respective noses" (ESPN.com, 10/19). THE HOCKEY NEWS' Ken Campbell wrote the lack of player participation "does absolutely nothing to dispel the notion that NHL players have almost no interest in the business side of their affairs as long as ... the million dollar checks are rolling in." That roughly one in 10 players "dialed into the call that was open to every player in the league indicates a mind-boggling level of apathy." Campbell contended the NHL should "lock the players out again" after the '11-12 season, and "do so with a list of demands that meets every one of [its] needs from entry-level deals to second contracts to no-trade clauses to guaranteed contracts and length of deals." Campbell: "It might take a season the way it did last time, but the players will cave every time" (THEHOCKEYNEWS.com, 10/19).

TEAM-BUILDING ACTIVITIES: CBC Sports' Friedman & Wharnsby noted "most players and agents felt that the Chris Chelios-led conference on Sunday evening was an extremely important step in rebuilding the tattered union," so observers were "confused as to why there wasn't 100[%] participation on the conference call." Some players who reportedly "don't agree with Chelios felt he will keep pushing anyway with his agenda and eventually get his way." Chelios spent the "last couple of weeks contacting high-profile veterans and recent retirees, pitching his plan for cleaning house at the upper levels of the NHLPA." Former NHLers Joe Sakic and Mats Sundin "declined" to join the proposed player committee, while Mike Richter "remains a possibility" (CBC.ca, 10/19). Chelios remains the Red Wings' player rep, even though the team did not re-sign him this season, and Red Wings RW Dan Cleary said, "We're supposed to have a vote for a new rep pretty soon, but we haven't gotten around to it. Until we have a vote, he's our rep." CANWEST NEWS SERVICES' Bob Duff noted while Red Wings players "recognize the volatility within their organization at the present time, they aren't concerned about having a player rep who is no longer an NHL player." Cleary: "It's an important job, because we've got some important stuff to discuss. Cheli's got the Red Wings best interests. We're behind him 100[%]" (CANWEST NEWS SERVICE, 10/19).