NHLPA Taps Former Boston Mayor as Executive Director

The NHLPA on Thursday appointed former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh as the next Executive Director. Walsh held office in Boston from 2014-2021 before stepping down to serve as Secretary of Labor for sitting U.S. President Joe Biden.

Walsh replaces Don Fehr, who held the position since 2010. Fehr has presided over two different collective bargaining agreements; first in 2013 when the NHL and the NHLPA signed a 10-year deal. Then in 2020, where the two sides announced an extension through the 2025-26 season.

Per the release by the Players' Association, Walsh will assume the post of Executive Director in March. He will step down from his current seat as Secretary of Labor at the end of February.

Walsh's appointment symbolizes a new era for the NHLPA. After his 13-year tenure, the general analysis of Fehr's time as Executive Director suggests that the players capitulated too many rights and too much power to the league and its owners.

In January, the NHLPA voted to ratify the collective bargaining agreement. Previous negotiations have been shrewd and acrimonious, to quote player agent Allan Walsh. The owners have never been shy to flex their power onto the players, which has led to three lockouts since '94-95 and more than one close-call.

Some NHL players haven't been shy about vocalizing their dissatisfaction with the CBA, most notably this tweet by Brad Marchand:

Under Walsh, the NHLPA expects to be much more effective when it comes time for negotiations when the current agreement expires in '25-26. It is evident that players aren't satisfied with the current state of affairs and with to enact change in the next round of proceedings.

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