Marty Walsh Set to Become New Executive Director of the NHLPA
The current secretary of labor, Marty Walsh, is set to leave post to become the executive director of the NHL’s player association.
Photo by Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters
Marty Walsh is an American politician and a former union official. He currently serves as the secretary of labor in the cabinet of President Biden and has held the position since March 23, 2021. Before serving as secretary of labor, Walsh served as the mayor of Boston for seven years and is an avid Boston Bruins fan.
Walsh served as president of the Laborers’ Union Local 233, and can bring knowledge and experience to his new position as director of the NHL’s player association. Walsh would be the sixth executive director of the NHLPA, taking over for Don Fehr who held the position for 13 years. Walsh has not officially announced his departure from secretary of labor nor his acceptance of the position as director of the NHLPA, but sources close to him have reported to multiple news outlets that Walsh plans to step down as secretary labor soon.
Current Executive Director of the NHLPA, Don Fehr | Photo by Chris Young
As executive director of the NHLPA, Walsh would work with the 32 club representatives (one player from each NHL team) to maximize the commercial value of the players’ rights with corporate branding and sponsorship and enhancing their brand and presence in the global sports market. Furthermore, executive director of the NHLPA addresses player grievances, improves working conditions through player safety initiatives, furthers the NHL’s grassroots projects, and ensures fair salaries for the players.
Sources:
Alms, Natalie. “Labor Secretary Set to Leave Post for NHL Players Union, Reports Say.” FCW, FCW, 8 Feb. 2023, https://www.fcw.com/people/2023/02/labor-secretary-set-leave-post-nhl-players-union-reports-say/382691/.
“Marty Walsh.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 8 Feb. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marty_Walsh.
Miller, Zeke, et al. “AP Sources: Walsh to Leave Biden Cabinet for NHL Union.” AP NEWS, Associated Press, 8 Feb. 2023, https://apnews.com/article/biden-mlb-nhl-politics-sports-28f0e13bd8707591986424ebc51838bc.
“What We Do.” The PA | NHLPA.com, https://www.nhlpa.com/the-pa/what-we-do.
