Spying on the Enemy

Just how nasty was Ted Saskin, the former executive director of the NHLPA who was fired several weeks ago? An article in this week’s Sports Business Journal recounts a report that details allegations of an electronic spying program at the NHLPA that targeted 45 players and was nicknamed “Big Brother.” The spying program also extended to Saskin monitoring e-mails to see which individual players voted in the secret ballot to ratify the NHL labor deal. According to anonymous sources close to the report who were interviewed for the story, Saskin read personal e-mails of staff members for more than a year, stopped briefly when the Hewlett-Packard corporate surveillance scandal broke, then resumed when he learned that several players, led by former Blackhawk Chris Chelios, wanted to authorize an investigation into his hiring.

How desperate and insecure must a man be to use these tactics to protect his job? And how is it possible that he and his business director Ken Kim were able to access players’ personal e-mails, not just on NHLPA.com, but other e-mail accounts as well? Maybe guilt was a factor. It seems to me that anyone who is suspected of acquiring a job by dishonest means is going to be looking over his shoulder. In other words, what goes around comes around.

Saskin Fired; Who’s Next For NHLPA?

While the NHL playoffs are picking up steam on the ice, the NHLPA made headlines last week off the ice when its player reps voted unanimously to fire Ted Saskin. The executive director was ousted after an attorney’s report revealed Saskin may have snooped through players’ e-mails. No interim director has been named, which makes you wonder who is running the asylum.

But seriously, whoever is hired as the new NHLPA director will have his (or her) hands full trying to rebuild a more amicable and trusting relationship between the players and owners. He’ll have to be a good listener, a tough negotiator, an astute business person, and a tactful and patient diplomat. Know anyone like that? The NHLPA may be interested in talking to them.