The NHL Players Association is focusing on a leading candidate to replace Donald Fehr as chief executive.
As reported on Wednesday by Emily Kaplan of ESPN, PA will meet this week in Florida during the 2023 NHL All-Star weekend to discuss the possibility of appointing US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh to the position.
Walsh, 55, was Mayor of Boston from 2014 to 2021 and comes from the union. He left office in March 2021 to serve in the cabinet of US President Joe Biden. Under Biden, Walsh was tasked with overseeing regulations to protect the rights of more than 150 million workers across the country. He was previously the president of the International Federation of North American Labor and the head of the Board of Trade and Building Construction in Boston.
Most notable in the sports scene: Walsh play an important mediator role in helping Major League Baseball reach a closed-off resolution in 2022. As to how he fits into the world of professional hockey: from a union-ownership relationship perspective, he also has primary connection to the owner of the Boston Bruins, Jeremy Jacobs, an extremely influential person speaks out as chairman of the NHL’s Board of Directors. 2017 the Jacobs . family donated $13,000 to Walsh’s political committee.
Fehr, 74, will step down after 12 years in office. The pressure put him on leave at the end of last season due to find a lack of value on a daily basis as a regular revenue generator for the PA during times of peace amid heavy collective bargaining. As ESPN reported, PA wants a new CEO by the end of this regular season.
According to Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli, it’s unlikely the NHLPA executive board endorsed Walsh, and it’s more likely that the board calls for a full membership vote. Walsh will need 18 out of 32 votes to be approved for the position.
According to Seravalli, the NHLPA released this statement on Thursday about the process.
