After a lengthy executive board meeting, the NHLPA released a statement on Monday. NHLPA executive director Don Fehr recommended an independent investigation regarding how the NHLPA handled “the Kyle Beach matter.”
Notably, the statement did not address the “matter” of Fehr’s future with the NHLPA.
ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reports that about 80 NHL players were involved in the NHLPA’s conference call regarding how Kyle Beach’s allegations were handled. Crucially, Kaplan and others report that the NHLPA did not discuss removing Fehr as executive director.
Do note that this doesn’t guarantee that Fehr will remain as NHLPA executive director. But it’s meaningful that a change wasn’t discussed during a lengthy conference call.
As Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli notes, time will tell if Dr. Brian Shaw faces consequences.
Clearly, there should be some form of punishment for Dr. Brian Shaw, the NHLPA's therapist, for failure to report.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 2, 2021
But Fehr has told players, staff and the #Blackhawks investigation he has no recollection.
Is he supposed to suddenly remember now?
That NHLPA conference call happened on Monday, the same day Gary Bettman and Bill Daly defended the NHL’s handling of the situation. Last week, the Blackhawks’ internal investigation was released, with Stan Bowman resigning as GM. To much derision, Joel Quenneville coached a Panthers game last Wednesday, then resigned as their head coach. Kevin Cheveldayoff, however, remains in his post as Winnipeg Jets GM.
Between Fehr and the NHLPA and Bettman and the NHL, both entities drew serious criticism on Monday.
Here is how I see today’s media call with Bettman and Fehr’s call with PA player reps: Powerful men protecting their power.
— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) November 2, 2021
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.