Brad MacMillan has signed with Idaho of the ECHL. The ECHL is not recognizing the final nine games of his CHL suspension, and he's going to play tonight.
Brad MacMillan has signed with Idaho of the ECHL. The ECHL is not recognizing the final nine games of his CHL suspension, and he's going to play tonight.
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The union's primary concern is the players, not league agreements on disciplinary action. Their involvement in this whole thing would have been to fight the suspension in the first place and do all they can to get it reduced, if they're doing their job.
They represent labor, not management, so they are probably jumping with joy over this because it gives them a precedent for future long suspensions in the ECHL.
So when Mac goes out and punches a NHL prospect in the face and ends his season when he "should have been suspended" according to some... the player injured will have a problem with the fact that he wasn't "protected".
JM... Not exactly calling Mac a misfit or goon. I have said before I believe he is a bit of a loose cannon who acts like a goon at times.
Steve if they represent labor then what about the labor that was on the receiving end in this situation which caused the suspension? Where is his representation?
I'd have to disagree that the union's primary focus is representing players. It's been my experience that the PHPA represents the PHPA first, second and third and somewhere along the line the players get a little consideration. Without the leagues, they don't have a union.
Good point Snuff but that's the way unions work, at least based on my 32 years of experience with them. Let's change the environment a tad and maybe you'll understand what I mean.
The Widget Company (who makes widgets, what else?) is unionized. Two employees get into an argument that escalates and employee A punches employee B. Company management issues disciplinary action against A, let's say a 30 day suspension. Employee A files a grievance and the union goes to work using several arguments to have the suspension reduced or not served at all.
Among other things they may use a precedent from a past case or maybe something called past practices (in the past only 7 days suspensions were given for punching someone for example), or both plus other options/arguments and negotiations. The point is in a case like this the union functions like a defense attorney and their job is to represent the employee being issued disciplinary action.
Admittedly there can be many other factors involved including the strength and legal options of the union, but my basic point was that by ignoring the CHL suspension they are setting a precedent that could be used against them in another case in the future.
Blake, could be, I have no experience with the PHPA, but I have seen that come into play with other unions only it usually wasn't over a disciplinary issue.
Not sure how it is in the PHPA, but I was reading that the NHLPA is made up mostly of agents. And agents are very different from lawyers. Granted that neither are human. Lol.