CFLPA leader was in running for NHLPA’s top job

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This article was published 17/02/2023 (1294 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The National Hockey League Players’ Association may have found its new leader this week in former U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, but for months it had been courting a former player and current top union executive of the CFLPA.

According to multiple sources, the Free Press has learned that before Walsh came onto the scene late in the process, the NHLPA, specifically the 10-player search committee, had been strongly considering CFLPA executive director Brian Ramsay. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman first reported Ramsay as a serious candidate earlier this month, as both sides worked to keep the interview process under wraps.

Ramsay, 42, has led the CFLPA since late 2015 and still holds the position. The Victoria, B.C., native played 10 years as an offensive lineman in the CFL before taking a role with the CFLPA.

Over his time as executive director, he’s negotiated three collective bargaining agreements, including ahead of the 2022 season. The most recent CBA has been viewed as a victory for the players, notably for an increase in the league’s minimum salary, the chance to earn guaranteed money and a seat at the table when it comes revenue sharing.

Ramsay did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“Brian has done a fantastic job with the CFLPA and that was one of the reasons we wanted to talk to him. He had a ton of great ideas,” Jets forward Sam Gagner, a member of the selection committee, told the Free Press. “We really enjoyed getting to know him, getting to know what he’s about. We’ll certainly try to implement some of the things that we discussed with him.”

Along with Gagner, the remaining members of the 10-player committee included Ian Cole (Tampa Bay Lightning), Mattias Ekholm (Nashville Predators), Justin Faulk (St. Louis Blues), Zach Hyman (Edmonton Oilers), Kyle Okposo (Buffalo Sabres), Nate Schmidt (Winnipeg Jets), Kevin Shattenkirk (Anaheim Ducks), Jacob Trouba (New York Rangers) and James van Riemsdyk (Philadelphia Flyers). The committee was aided by outside counsel, retaining the executive search firm of Russell Reynolds Associates.

Another thing Gagner credited Ramsay for was improving the level of participation within the CFLPA, something he felt could be enhanced when it comes to the NHL’s union.

“Getting everyone on the same page, getting everyone involved,” added Gagner. “Some of the things that we talked about — I won’t get into details — but it’s really excited us as players to try and implement some of those ideas we discussed with him.”

Sources said Ramsay was first approached in the early stages of the search. He did multiple Zoom and phone interviews before being invited to Chicago for a formal sitdown meeting.

The process intensified from there, as over the ensuing months, until late December, Ramsay met with nearly every member of the players’ committee individually. Those meetings seemed to be an encouraging sign until early February, when Ramsay was called and told they were heading in a new direction.

The call came shortly before the NHL All-Star game. Tentative plans had been made to have Ramsay attend the weekend-long event, only for them to fall through last minute.

A few days after the all-star game, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli broke the news that Walsh had been chosen as the new NHLPA executive director and that a formal announcement would come sometime after U.S. President Biden’s annual joint-session speech in Congress Feb. 7. Walsh, who was once the mayor of Boston and has a long love affair for the game of hockey, takes over for former NHLPA boss Donald Fehr.

“Regardless of who we settled on — and we’re very excited about that and we think he’s a very strong leader and he’s going to lead us to a new level — everyone that went through that process added something that is going to help our union be stronger,” Gagner said. “It was an exhaustive process, but there was a lot of learning. We’re really excited about where we’re at and looking forward to the future.”

Jeff.Hamilton@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @jeffkhamilton