New NHLPA boss Walsh sides with Pride

As Marty Walsh takes the reins as executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, it’s clear the former U.S. secretary of labor and Boston mayor has his hands full.

From the salary cap and escrow system the players hate, to possible participation by Russia in the World Cup of Hockey, to the Hockey Canada scandal and future collective bargaining, there are myriad issues with which Donald Fehr’s successor must get up to speed.

But there’s one he’s already very clear on: inclusivity.

At a time when some players are pushing back on wearing rainbowcoloured warm-up jerseys in support of Pride Nights, Walsh returns to the central message: that hockey should be for everyone and the LGBTQ community is always welcome.

“I don’t think that the LGBTQ community should feel that the NHL hockey players are turning their back on their community,” said Walsh. “The majority of the players have worn the jersey — a super majority of the players have the worn jersey.”

Walsh spoke Thursday at his first news conference with reporters since being named to the job. He was careful to remind everyone that his role is to represent players regardless of their religious beliefs or political leanings.

“I’m personally a supporter of the LGBTQ community and always will be,” Walsh said.

As a legislator in Massachusetts, Walsh championed gay marriage. As Boston’s mayor, he was instrumental in gay participation in the city’s St. Patrick’s Day parade.

“If a player doesn’t want to wear a jersey in warm-up, they shouldn’t be forced to,” Walsh said. “That is something that is important. But again, I think a lot of it is conversation as well, and education.

The Pride jersey question speaks to societal politics, and part of the association’s job is to put players in the best possible light. There are other issues that Walsh will need to address.

Salary cap

It’s expected to go up by $1 million (U.S.) per team next year to $83.5 million. In 2024-25, it’s expected to skyrocket, since the players will have paid back what they owed for revenues lost during the pandemic. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has let it be known he’s open to next year’s cap rise rising by more than $1 million. Walsh said he’s willing to have that conversation with one huge proviso: no change to escrow, which players negotiated down to a six per cent ceiling. The players hate escrow — the means by which they park money until actuaries decide if league revenue targets were met. Typically they haven’t been, and the money goes to the owners. In short, if the players hold hard on escrow, the cap is unlikely to rise by more than $1 million next season.

World Cup

The hockey world hasn’t seen a best-on-best tournament since the World Cup in 2016 The NHL last participated in the Olympics in 2014. “Let’s establish the World Cup of Hockey,” Walsh said. “Let’s have a forward-looking schedule. Fans love it. Players love it. It’s important for us to do it. Right now, commenting on what’s going on in the world, things can change. It’s a little too early to talk about who’s involved in the tournament.”

Sexual misconduct

There have been investigations into allegations of sex assault by some members of Canada’s 2018 world junior team in London, Ont. Some of those players are now in the NHL and members of the union.

“We’ll have to wait till the findings come out and see what happens,” said Walsh. “That’s something that we will take very seriously.”

Collective bargaining

The current collective agreement expires after the 2025-26 season. Escrow, international hockey and life after the NHL are issues the players seem to care about, said Walsh. But it’s early.

‘‘ I don’t think that the LGBTQ community should feel that the NHL hockey players are turning their back on their community.

MARTY WALSH NEW NHLPA HEAD