Eric Lindros joins forces with Buzz Hargrove in power play against Paul Kelly
The NHL Players Association has sacked its executive director, Paul Kelly, adding to the sense of chaos and intrigue surrounding the once-mighty union. The not-so-invisible hands behind the move are a pair of unlikely bedfellows, according to reports: former star player Eric Lindros; and Buzz Hargrove, the sometime head of the Canadian Autoworkers who’d been hired as an “interim ombudsman” by the NHLPA to review Kelly’s 22-month performance on the job. The ombudsman post had previously been held by Lindros, who left last February after deciding he couldn’t work with Kelly. Kelly, meanwhile, had been brought in to replace former head Ted Saskin, who’d been accused of monitoring players’ email accounts. The Boston lawyer was seen as someone who could restore players’ faith in the union. Yet he too was found wanting, evidently. Some reports suggested he was seen as too cozy with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and others at league headquarters. Question is: seen by whom? The current players of the NHL? Or Eric Lindros?