Yesterday, the National Hockey League Players Association (NHLPA), through its Executive Board, overwhelmingly chose to remove Paul Kelly from his position of Executive Director for the union. The NHLPA Executive Board, which is composed of one representative from each of the National Hockey League’s (NHL) 30 teams, voted 22 to 5 (three reps abstained from voting) in favor of ousting Kelly, who had only been on the job for 22 months as the Union’s fourth Union head. The decision to remove Kelly was made during the NHLPA’s annual meeting, which took place on Sunday and Monday in Chicago. In the wake of Kelly’s dismissal, NHLPA General Counsel Ian Penny was installed as the Union’s interim Executive Director while arrangements are made to find a new Union leader.  As of now, neither Penny nor Interim NHLPA Ombudsman Buzz Hargrove has expressed any interest in becoming Kelly’s successor. Hargrove, in an interview with the Toronto Globe and Mail, attempted to provide some insight into the Executive Committee’s decision to fire Kelly by stating that, even after being on the job for nearly two years, Kelly had not earned the trust of the players. “I could only summarize it in that the players felt that given all the issues that they dealt with, not any one in particular, but with all of the concerns combined, they came to the conclusion that they didn’t have the trust and confidence in Paul Kelly to lead the union into the future, especially with the CBA [collective agreement] coming closer and closer to and end. Those outside the inner circle of the NHLPA are left to wonder what events led to Kelly’s dismissal. Players reportedly perceived that Kelly was developing too cozy of a relationship with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and that Kelly was not developing the necessary relationships with this constituency. Others speculate that Kelly was the victim of a power struggle between rival factions within the NHLPA. Regardless of the reasons that led to the dismissal, it is clear that there is a leadership void within the Union. With less than two years before the expiration of the current CBA, players seem less concerned with, as the Executive Committee framed, “public relations hits” or maintaining leadership stability and more interested in acting on new information that was important enough to change the direction of Union leadership. “The decision [to fire Kelly] was made as the result of the checks and balances we now have in our Constitution,” said Chris Chelios, a member of the player board. Fellow Executive Board Member Shawn Horcoff echoed Chelios’ message, saying that the new information that came to the players was “too hard for the membership to ignore.” OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Business of Sports Network: Focus on Media (THE BIZ OF BASEBALL) Dodgers Deal for Veterans Jim Thome and Jon Garland VIDEO: Dave Howard, Exec. VP of Business Ops for Mets Grills Book Author on Team Sale Tribune Bankruptcy Judge to Hear Requests in Cubs Sale Kazmir, Mulder Reconnect With Rick Peterson to Get Pitching Delivery Back in Form With Fenway Park Renovations Nearly Complete, Everything Coming Up Roses for Janet Marie-Smith Angels Land Kazmir Free Agent Minor Leaguer Suspended 50 Games for PEDs Book Author Speculates That Mets Being Sold "When", Not "If" Court Ruling Places Name Leakers, BALCO Investigation in the Crosshairs (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) "Fan Can" Stance by Colleges Wreaks of Hypocrisy DirecTV Drops VERSUS, Cites "Unfair and Outrageous Demands" Michael Irvin Joins NFL Network NFL Institutes Rule Changes In Wake of Punted Ball Striking Cowboys Video Display (THE BIZ OF BASKETBALL) Hornets Owner Shinn Isn't Concerned About Team's Status The Biz of Basketball Adds Complete Summary of Current NBA CBA Jeff Levine is a staff member of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is a sports attorney, and the Executive Director of One Sports and Entertainment, International. Follow The Biz of Hockey on Twitter