Sunday call will attempt to iron out NHL union troubles
Wings rep Chelios apparently bringing list of proposals
Last Updated: Sunday, October 18, 2009 | 11:51 AM ET
CBC Sports
Chris Chelios will apparently be bringing forward significant proposals designed to help reorganize the NHL players' association. (Associated Press)NHL player representatives were scheduled to hold a conference call at 5 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon in hopes of breaking an impasse over the future of their union.
The call was to include a mixed bag of previous team reps and new ones as voting on each club's representation continues in dressing rooms around the National Hockey League up to an Oct. 31 deadline.
Apparently leading the charge for change once again was to be Detroit's outgoing player rep Chris Chelios, said Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada.
"What he is going to do is propose they vote out Ron Pink and Buzz Hargrove and vote to renew Ian Penny's contract," Friedman said.
Pink is the current head of the National Hockey League Players' Association advisory board and someone who reportedly wanted to head the union at the time now former boss Paul Kelly was hired in 2007.
Hargrove, the former leader of the Canadian Auto Workers union, has been working as the NHLPA's ombudsman.
Penny was charged with looking after the association on an interim basis after Kelly was fired in a controversial move at the end of August.
Friedman told the Hot Stove segment on Saturday night his contacts believe there is a second proposal coming from Chelios — forming a committee of players to "kind of hold everything in place until they can hire a new executive director."
Among those apparently asked to be part of it are former players Joe Sakic, who Friedman reported has already said no, ex-Leafs' captain Mats Sundin, former goaltender Mike Richter, Brendan Shanahan, who might still want to try a comeback on the ice, and Trevor Linden.
"Remember, Chelios and Linden had an enormous fight after the [2004-2005] lockout," Friedman said.
Hockey Night in Canada 's Pierre LeBrun also reported the players want to set up two other committees, one to find an executive director and the other to change the NHLPA constitution.
The players' association has been in disarray since Kelly was fired. That dismissal took place, according to Hargrove, because the members no longer had confidence or trust that he could bring everyone together as a unified group.
