Kuklas Korner: Where’s the union?

Kuklas Korner:

Despite a number of injuries in the past few years as a result of illegal or malicious play by fellow union members, the union’s only action — in marked contrast to similar bodies in soccer and football — has been to represent the assailants at disciplinary hearings.

“The N.H.L.P.A. will be reviewing and checking hits to the head with our membership at our annual player meetings this summer,” the union’s director of hockey affairs, Mike Gartner, said Friday in an e-mail message.

Well, I hope someone else in the union remembers to take this up, now that Gartner’s gone.

But given the players are all talking about the need for players to respect each other, wouldn’t it have been nice for them to do something, rather than decide to get together over a few beers and argue about it? Like, say, kicking Chris simon out of the union for two years? That’d cost him a chunk of money in licensing and etc — and send a real message that the players won’t take midnless abuse any more. Btu then they’d have to kick out half a dozen other players this year, too… but it’d be a start.

Of course, the union is too busy fighting the league’s wish to get everyone to wear visors, because it’s more important for the union to protect a palyer’s right to decide than it is to protect that player’s body….

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