HB blogger Shawn Gates (whose site HockeyDen.com specializes in hockey memorabilia) has put together an interesting compilation of background articles on the Paul Kelly firing.
He lays out a strong case that Kelly was ousted by the people who wanted the job in the first place, Ron Pink, aided and abetted by Buzz Hargrove and Eric Lindros.
An excerpt:
Not only were Kelly and his colleague, former NHL goalie, Glen Healy educating the membership on the pros and cons of their current contract, they were giving them a chance to speak out on the issues both in person and via secret ballot. Seems pretty open to me. Never mind that the players had, and still have for the immediate future anyhow, the ability to have Kelly’s ear via Glen Healy, who has never been one to shy away from speaking about the concerns of the players and as a result I doubt would hold anything back from Kelly, and I’d have to argue that he was actively seeking out opinions from the players and making sure they had a conduit for reaching him.
Gates supports his view with archived articles by respected hockey writers Pierre Lebrun and Ken Campbell, as well as a timeline of events leading up to Kelly's abrupt dismissal.
Lebrun's article, included by Gates in his extensive piece, cites the positive response by several players' agents when Kelly had originally been appointed:
"I think he strikes a proper balance between the past two regimes of the NHLPA," said agent Matt Keator, whose clients include Zdeno Chara and Chris Higgins. "He's very communicative, he's very bright, he's engaging on every single topic. I think he's the right guy at the right time to lead us forward. I think he's going to do a great job."
(Pat) Brisson, whose long list of clients is topped by Penguins star Sidney Crosby, was impressed by Kelly's composure.
"He comes in here the first day and it feels like he's been there for years," said Brisson. "He's very humble about his position and he's very experienced. He listens, he's done his homework the last couple of months. He's asked the right questions. It's a breath of fresh air, for sure."
Interesting reading.
http://www.hockeybuzz.com/blog/Shawn-Gates/Power-in-the-NHLPA-Part-1-What-Reportedly-Led-To-Paul-Kellys-Firing/67/22741
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