Thecontroversial reign of Ted Saskin as executive director of the NHL Players’Association ended last week, almost two years after it began, when NHLPA playerrepresentatives voted to fire him after reviewing a report from an outsideattorney about allegations that he read players’ personal e-mails.
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| Ted Saskin |
All22 player representatives on the call last Thursday voted to fire Saskin,according to one source who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Playersdeferred the question of whether Saskin would get a severance package untilafter union-hired investigator Sheila Block issues a report on the hiring ofSaskin and the firing of his predecessor, Bob Goodenow, among other things.Block’s report is expected sometime this summer.
Saskin,who could not immediately be reached for comment, makes about $2 million ayear. NHLPA player representatives voted unanimously to put Saskin and seniorbusiness director Ken Kim on paid leave in March after union lawyers told theplayers that Saskin and Kim had acknowledged reading players’ personal e-mails.
TheNHLPA, in a press release, said that Saskin was terminated and that theexecutive board of the union, made up of the player reps, “is considering itsoptions with respect to Ken Kim.”
Someearly media reports said Kim had been fired as well. But sources said thatplayer reps were told Kim had cooperated in the union’s investigation, and thatplayer reps would wait to see whether Kim cooperates further before making adetermination on him.
Saskin’shiring has been questioned by a group of players since the NHLPA sent out anews release on July 28, 2005, stating that Goodenow had resigned and Saskinhad been appointed in his place. The players, led by retired player Trent Klattand the Detroit Red Wings’ Chris Chelios, contended that Saskin’s hiringviolated the union’s constitution.
Thedissidents also alleged that Goodenow’s firing and the negotiation of the NHLcollective-bargaining agreement that ended the NHL lockout also violated theNHLPA constitution. After the group lobbied for an investigation into the unionfor 18 months, player reps agreed in January to hire Block.
InMarch, news broke that Toronto police were investigating whether Saskin andother NHLPA employees accessed e-mails sent over players’ NHLPA.com accounts.The e-mails that were allegedly accessed, according to sources and newsaccounts, were those sent out by players who were questioning Saskin’s hiringand calling for an investigation into his activities.
Asource said last week that the lawyer hired by the NHLPA to advise player reps on whether to fire Saskin hadtold players that as many as 40 people’s e-mail accounts were accessed,including correspondence between players and agents and one player’s personal,non-NHLPA.com account.
Sourcessaid that player was Klatt, former member of the NHLPA executive committee andthe first to question Saskin’s hiring.
