Martin Walsh, The National Hockey League Players’ Association newly appointed Executive Director, holds a press conference in Toronto on Thursday, March 30, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
TORONTO – Marty Walsh is a big-time sports fan.
He’s now in a big-time job with the NHL Players’ Association.
The former U.S. secretary of labor in President Joe Biden’s cabinet met the media for the first time today to outline some of his early aims in the new role.
Walsh joins the union at a time of growing revenues in hockey, and with talks on a new collective bargaining agreement looming with the current deal set to expire in 2026.
The former mayor of Boston told reporters at a downtown Toronto hotel his initial goal after being announced as Donald Fehr’s successor last month is to talk to the players across the league to gauge their priorities.
Among the other issues on Walsh’s plate will be trying to negotiate a World Cup of Hockey in 2025. NHL players haven’t participated in a true best-on-best tournament since the 2014 Olympics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 30, 2023.
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