NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh tapped by President Biden to join USPS board

President Joe Biden nominated NHL Players’ Association executive director Marty Walsh as a governor of the United States Postal Service on Thursday, a bipartisan board role that will keep at least one toe in Washington’s political waters for Walsh while he runs hockey’s union.

Walsh, 56, was hired by the NHLPA one year ago on Feb. 16, 2023 out of Biden’s cabinet as the sitting United States Secretary of Labor. He served two terms as mayor of Boston and was previously head of Boston’s building trades council.

A press release from the White House on Thursday says Biden picked Walsh to “serve as a key leader in his administration” and he was the first nominee listed among a host of positions. Walsh will need to be confirmed by the United States Senate and if confirmed will become one of nine USPS governors that make up the board. Walsh said on Friday that he advised the NHLPA executive board of the opportunity and it is not a full-time position.

“There are maybe three to four meetings a year,” Walsh told Daily Faceoff. “It’s not unfamiliar for a person in a labor union position to serve on a board, President Biden knows what I bring working for people and drawing on that labor experience.”

Walsh earned $221,400 as Secretary of Labor and sources said he now earns $2.5 million per year at the NHLPA. With his atypical background for an NHLPA hire, hockey circles have whispered since his arrival that they do not believe Walsh is long for his role, that a return to the political world is inevitable.

Walsh poured cold water on that theory on Friday, addressing those rumors point blank.

“I’m very committed to the players, I love my job at the NHLPA,” Walsh said. “I’m very excited about my first year. My job is at the NHLPA. I did politics for 25 years, I’ve moved on to the next phase of my life. I have no future political aspirations – and maybe not ever.”