Amid the ongoing turmoil in NHLPA headquarters, Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference will be replaced by fellow defenseman Mark Stuart as Boston's player representative and member of the PA's executive board. Another boston blueliner, Dennis Wideman, is expected to be named the Bruins alternate rep, filling the spot formerly held by Stuart.
According to a source with direct knowledge of the changeover, Ference withdrew his name for consideration to be re-elected to the position, making way for Stuart to assume it unopposed. The 30-year-old Ference irked a number of players in the Boston room, in the days and weeks following the August 31 firing of PA executive director Paul Kelly, in part because he was not forthcoming with information pertaining to Kelly's firing.
The Toronto Star earlier today reported that veteran winger Mark Recchi had replaced Ference as the Boston rep. Recchi was on course to take the job, but once Ference withdrew from contention, Stuart agreed to run for the slot, and is expected to be voted in today, along with Wideman.
Ference and 21 other player reps voted in favor of canning Kelly, the former Boston-based Federal prosecutor who years ago led the charge against Alan Eagleson, the disgraced former PA director. The vote, which was opposed by five player reps, was taken in the wee hours of August 31, without allowing the player reps sufficient time to inform the rank-and-file of their alleged grievances with Kelly.
Meanwhile, with players around the league increasingly displeased with the methods that led to Kelly being discharged, player representatives met in a marathon teleconference Sunday night, leading to the possibility that union ombudsman Buzz Hargrove and advisor Ron Pink also we be forced to resign.
It also has been rumored that Ian Penny, the interim executive director and longtime PA general counsel, could have his recent five-year extension as general counsel rescinded. It was that extension of Penny's deal, which some players contend came in violation of union bylaws, that in part set off the maelstrom that led to Kelly's firing.
Not enough player representatives joined Sunday's conference call to constitute a quorom. It is expected they will meet again later this month, and if a quorom can be reached, decisions would be made on the futures of Hargrove, Pink and possibly Penny.
There are no NHL games scheduled on Sun., Oct. 18, which would be the ideal date for the executive board to meet next.