Kelly May Have Been Spying On Players

The Globe and Mail is reporting that Paul Kelly may have been fired for allegedly spying on a closed door meeting:

One of the prime reasons Paul Kelly was fired as NHLPA executive director is that he was allegedly caught reading a transcript from a confidential meeting between the union’s advisory board and 30-member player executive last June.

The leaked story can not be confirmed because the players have been asked not comment on the situation until after Kelly receives his severance package. However, no one is going out of their way to deny the allegations.

When an executive board member was contacted yesterday to confirm the private session was part of the reason for Kelly’s dismissal, the phone line went silent. He then said, "The players have agreed not to say anything." The player was given a chance to refute the story and did not deny the allegations.

The meeting in question took place in Las Vegas two months ago during the group's annual summer meetings. The players met to discuss, among other things, Kelly's leadership and a five-year contract extension for then-General Counsel and current Interim Executive Director, Ian Penny. The allegations suggest that Kelly, who was reportedly at odds with Penny, "peeked" at the written transcript after news that Penny had received the extension.

This would not be the first instance of an NHLPA head spying on the players. Kelly's predecessor, Ted Saskin, was let go after reports surfaced that he was monitoring the players' e-mail accounts.

Between this and the Coyote's mess, the regular season can not come any sooner for the NHL. Hopefully Ovi can go out and get another new tattoo to make us all focus on what's really important.