NYT: The N.H.L. Players Union Dismisses Its Director

By JEFF Z. KLEIN
Published: August 31, 2009

The N.H.L. Players’ Association dismissed its executive director, Paul Kelly, on Monday, a move that forces the union to seek its fourth leader in four years.

The union’s general counsel, Ian Penny, was named the interim executive director. According to Basil E. Hargrove, the union’s ombudsman, Penny will hold the post until no later than Dec. 31. The N.H.L.’s collective bargaining agreement expires after the 2010-11 season.

Kelly’s unexpected dismissal took place during a meeting of the union’s executive board, which began Sunday night in Chicago. Kelly went before the board about 3 a.m. Monday and was informed of his ouster, a union official said. Kelly had no public comment Monday.

The union released a statement from the executive board, which consists of player representatives from each of the league’s 30 teams, saying, “After a full review of the overall health of the office and the association, it became clear Paul Kelly was not the right individual for the executive director’s role going forward.”

No specific reason was given, but Hargrove said a “whole host of issues” that had been “festering” for more than six months led to the dismissal.

One reason might have involved Kelly’s perceived mishandling of a vote on the salary cap. Players rejected a measure that would have raised the cap but would have taken more out of their paychecks; the salary cap remained basically unchanged (rising $100,000), which has resulted in a large number of unsigned free agents.

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