What's The NHLPA Worth...? A Penny, For Now...

((HT: TSN))

Ian Penny ((pictured, thanks Bruce Bennett/Getty)) has been unanimously named as Interim Executive Director of the National Hockey League Players' Association.

He had previously held the role of General Counsel for the union.

Sources tell TSN Penny is not interested in the position on a fulltime basis and only took the title in order to give the NHLPA a point person during the coming days.

The move came after the 30 player representatives voted to fire Paul Kelly early on Monday morning at their meetings in Chicago.

NHLPA Ombudsman Buzz Hargrove told the TEAM 1040 radio station in Vancouver that the union didn't have faith that Kelly was the right man to lead them in their next contract negotiations with the NHL in 2011.

"They didn't want to wait until it was too late," Hargrove said. "If we waited until next year, you're almost on the doorstep of the opening of negotiations and they didn't want then to be caught with someone they didn't really think was able to unify and pull the group together and get them all working together. 'Trust and confidence' were the words they used and I think that's used appropriately."

Penny has worked as staff counsel with the NHLPA since 2000, and was promoted to his present position in 2007. The report states that Kelly had been at odds with Penny as well as with other key members of the NHLPA.

When asked if the NHLPA had any leads with regards to filling the Executive Director job, Hargrove said that there were no candidates.

"There's no names in the hopper at this point," Hargrove told the TEAM. "I talked to almost all the players before they left at noon today and no one had a suggestion. They really are saying that we need to do a search and we have to reach out outside of the organization, unless somebody surfaces that we haven't yet identified."

Kelly Out As NHLPA Head...???

((HT: TSN/Dreger))

NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly, who has been on the job less than two years, is facing intense scrutiny according to union sources and his status may be challenged when the Players' Association's 30-member executive committee convenes Sunday and Monday in Chicago at a regularly scheduled meeting.

Sources tell TSN that NHLPA interim ombudsman, Buzz Hargrove is expected to make a presentation to the committee identifying concerns within the association about Kelly's leadership. No details have emerged about the nature of the concerns.

Sources say it's possible the executive committee could vote to have Kelly removed and, in accordance with the NHLPA constitution, could do so without consent from the full membership of NHL players.

Sources say a divide in leadership intensified in June at the summer meetings in Las Vegas when Hargrove, advisory board head Ron Pink and the advisory board addressed the membership privately and emerged with the executive committee's consent on a 5 year contract extension for the general counsel of the NHLPA, Ian Penny, without Kelly's consultation. A union source said that exclusion violated the PA's constitution.

According to article 6, section 2, subsection 3 of the players associations constitution, Kelly was required to be consulted by the 30 member executive board when Penny's contract was extended.

The article reads:
"The executive director shall consult with the executive board regarding the appointment and terms and conditions of employment of the general counsel of the association."

Another source says Kelly was consulted in the Penny negotiation.

It's believed Pink, a Halifax labour lawyer applied for the executive director job before Kelly was hired and sources say he would have strong interest in the job if Kelly is ousted.

While this weekend could erupt into a showdown between Kelly's supporters and those challenging his leadership, there is also a chance Hargrove and those who support him will be shot down by the committee and Paul Kelly and those close to him will get through the weekend unscathed.

Requests to interview Hargrove and Kelly were declined by the NHLPA.

Kelly succeeded Ted Saskin as executive director in October, 2007 after Saskin was let go amid allegations he had been monitoring players confidential emails.