Clarkson believes he did right thing as Devils' NHLPA representative; Shanahan questions union's haste

Devils right wing David Clarkson would not say how he voted early Monday morning when the NHLPA removed Paul Kelly from his position as executive director of the players' union after only a year and a half on the job. Clarkson, the Devils' player representative, said he called all of his teammates to get their opinions before attending the meeting in Chicago.

"As the rep here, I think I did the right thing," he said. "I phoned every player on my team and I got everybody's opinion going in. Was it the right thing or not? Time will tell. But I think as a union and as a team we've got to look for the new person to make sure we make the right decision and just look forward. It's like a hockey team. We can't look back at what happened last year to us as a team here. It's the same as a union. We've got to look forward and just get ready for the future and what it holds."

The move to dump Kelly was surprising and sudden to some.

"This is all new to me, being (the team's player rep)," he said. "It's something I like to do and I think I've learned a lot, but was it sudden? I don't know. They did a vote and the votes were, the majority that's the way it went. That's the way it is. All we can do is look forward and not really talk about it and tell you if it was right or wrong. It happened. All we can do is look for the right person for the job."

Why was the vote necessary?

"That's what we needed to do as a union," Clarkson said. "That's just the way things went."

Clarkson would not discuss the reasoning for the way the Devils' voted.

"I'm not going to answer which way I voted or which way the team decided to vote," he said. "That's what happened. I've had a lot of phone calls I haven't returned. I thought I'd speak to you guys first about it. That's just the way it went. I'm not looking back if it was right or wrong. It doesn't matter what decision we made. Did I like Paul Kelly? Yeah. Was he a nice guy? Yeah, he was. But, at the end of the day, the decision has been made. So, there's no looking back and saying why did it happen. We just have to find our guy and we have to go in the right direction so that we're (making) some progress and we're going in the right direction instead of taking steps backwards."

Devils left wing Brendan Shanahan was one of those who questioned the timing of the vote because it happened late at night after a long day of meetings and less than two weeks before training camp began.

"I still haven't heard much about it," Shanahan said. "In this new era of transparency, I still haven't heard a whole lot. I think our player reps are good people and have the best of intentions. I've never met (NHLPA interim ombudsman Buzz) Hargrove or (NHLPA advisory board head Ron) Pink. I don't know them at all. I don't know Paul Kelly that well. But it just makes me nervous that the timing of this and the fact that these players were kept in a meeting overnight and had to make a decision at 4 o' clock in the morning.

"It followed the constitution, but I think the timing makes me nervous and the timing makes a little suspicious when we're only 10 days away from having access to all 700 players. Why did this have to be done in such a hurried fashion? We made that mistake a few years ago, hurrying it through with (Bob) Goodenow and (Ted) Saskin and I thought we learned from that mistake. In the end, it might be the right decision, but I still don't like the way it was done and I'm still waiting for some answers.

"I'm more concerned about how it was done and I'm still waiting for details of why. A meeting happened in Chicago that no one knew was happening. At 3:30, 4 in the morning, this guy who has been on the job for a year and a half was canned that we spent a lot of money finding this guy. So, I guess it's wait and see. That being said, guys like David Clarkson, they're good people. They're good young men and they want to do what's best, but I don't know why somebody wasn't there with a little more experience to say, 'let's take a step back and wait until we can talk to players in training camp,' or at the very least, 'This is a very big decision guys. Let's go home. Let's call it a night and make a decision in the morning."

Clarkson said Shanahan was one of the first players he called before the vote.

"You're going to have guys have different opinions," Clarkson said. "I'm not going to say what my opinion was on the whole deal. But I liked Paul Kelly. Did it happen quickly? Yeah, it happened quick. But, sometimes things happen and things need to be done and the majority of the league voted that way, so there's not much you can do or say. But Shanny is an older guy and it's nice to hear their opinions. Shanny is one of the first guys I called to go over it with and me and him were on the same page with a lot of things. But, as a rep, you take 30, 20 guys opinions and you have write everything they say down and say, 'what do you think?'" 

Shanahan didn't think other represtantives were as diligent as Clarkson.

"I know that David tried to call some players, but I'd say overall most players woke up and read the news and didn't even know that there was an issue," Shanahan said.

***

Clarkson said his youger brother, Doug, who attended the Devils' rookie camp in July as an undrafted agent, was invited back by the team for the regular training camp to try out to make the team in Lowell or Trenton, but decided to go to college at Acadia University in Nova Scotia instead.

"He wanted to get his degree," David Clarkson said. "This way, he'll have more time. Some guys develop later than others."

Comments

[murph]

just letting you all know that yahoo is now accepting leagues for fantasy hockey

[jerseytom]

I still think it's funny that Clarkson is the team's player rep. Not a knock against him at all, but I was just surprised that such a young, gritty kind of player would be in that position.

How exactly is the team's rep picked?

[SonicDude]

ditti

did you say my name?...oh, the burger place. but imagine if we got marleau for real. i would grill burgers for him every day.

jj

i agree with your 3 predictions.

here's another...corrente will be in our top 4 by season's end.

[Robbie]

Well boys TG is reporting news. Hockey is back!

[JJ]

This whole Kelly firing is a joke. I really hope we aren't looking at another contentious person in charge of the NHLPA.

[Zorin]

Represent us well, Clarky.

[James P]

murph...I am looking for a league to join. Email me at ntlrock2@gmail.com

[Zorin]

Another phat deal.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia (AP)—The Vancouver Canucks and goalie Roberto Luongo(notes) agreed to a 12-year contract extension on Wednesday.

The three-time All-Star was entering the final season of a four-year, $27 million contract. The new deal will run through the 2021-22 season and is reportedly worth $64 million.

The 30-year-old is expected to finish his career in Vancouver. He also plans to play for Canada at the 2010 Olympics.

[HBK27]

So, is Clarkson looking back at all?

Seems like you got a whole lotta nothing out of him TG, but thanks for typing up anyway.

Some really good quotes from Shanny - the whole timing of this really reeks...a middle of the night vote on something this important while surely a good chunk of players were away on vacation or back over in Europe. I really don't like the direction the NHLPA is heading towards, which is another work stoppage.

I hope the players don't think that fans will come back so easily again if there's another work stoppage. I understood the league's need to implement a salary cap last time and us much as it sucked to watch them lose a season arguing how to split billions of dollars I still came back right away. So help me god if they pull this crap again in another couple of seasons I will lose all respect for the players for not learning their lesson last time & I don't see any way I could continue to support the Devils or NHL anywhere near I do now. Not when these guys still make an incredible amount of money doing something we'd all love to do while the economy collapses around them. Makes me sick just thinking about what road this is heading down...

[Jack]

murph and jamesp, i am really looking for a good fantasy league
email me at hockeystar4418@aim.com

[Pearl Jammed]

Robbie has some spaces open in the second Fire and Ice Fantasy Hockey League..... so he might be a good guy to contact Jack.

as for SonicDude.... where ya been bro? i did not mention you directly, but whats up anyway brother!

[murph]

yeah james and jack im supposed to be in robbies league i was just throwing out there that its open now ill send him your emails

[murph]

ok i sent robbie the 2 emails if there is room he should send you an email within a day or tow

[Falcone]

You guys put money on the fantasy leagues? I find it hard to have a fantasy league and cheer the Devils, when one of my players might be playing against the Devils.

In regards to this firing, no one gets fired at 4am. So something had to have gone down. However as long as we don't have another stoppage, I don't care who the NHLPA has in place. Just get the deals done.

[RestlessKnight]

It reads like: I voted to can him, even though Shanny was almost able to change my ming.