wasn't a man in a hurry to
Less than halfway through the president's term, Walsh was as labor secretary. Then he got a call about an interesting opportunity: running the NHL Players' Association.
The former mayor of Boston and longtime Bruins fan was intrigued and earlier this year Now three months in, Walsh is and what they care about most, learning about everything from to the salary cap and future international competition.
鈥淭his job is more like being the mayor,鈥� Walsh said in a wide-ranging interview with The Associated Press during in Las Vegas. 鈥淵ou wake up in the morning, you鈥檙e planning on a smooth day and there鈥檚 an issue that pops, and that鈥檚 the issue of the moment. And then when that issue鈥檚 over, there鈥檚 another issue that comes right behind it. And if there鈥檚 a celebration on anything, that celebration鈥檚 short-lived because you鈥檙e on to the next issue.鈥�
With the through the 2025-26 season, the most pressing issue concerns the Coyotes, set to go into a second season in a 5,000-seat rink on Arizona State's campus after a
Walsh has met more with Arizona's players than anyone else among the nearly 200 members he has spoken to so far.
鈥淭hese are National Hockey League players playing in a college arena,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淧layers that are heading into the prime of their career now playing in this arena for a couple seasons 鈥� it鈥檚 just not right. It鈥檚 not good for the game.鈥�
When Walsh speaks to players, he finds out what they think is good or not so good for the game. Many, like Connor McDavid, prioritize returning to the Olympics after a lengthy absence and getting a on the schedule, while others are more concerned with the cap going up and keeping escrow payments down.
Several months after helping the U.S. , this job hearkens back to the days when Walsh was president of the Laborers鈥� Union Local 223 in Massachusetts. With players aged 18-38 in various stages of their careers, he said the NHLPA membership is diverse in what it cares about, just like any other workplace.
鈥淥ne thing I鈥檝e learned quickly is that this truly is a union because every player has a different concern,鈥� Walsh said. 鈥淎nd I think it鈥檚 important for me to get to know the membership so I can represent them the best I can, understanding the challenges they have.鈥�
Walsh, 56, also has gotten to know since taking over in March. They attended an event together at the Canadian Embassy in Washington in April and have met several times to discuss the cap, the Coyotes and more.
"To me, the vital signs seem good," Bettman told the AP recently. 鈥淲e鈥檙e getting better acquainted. I like him. I respect him. I think he鈥檚 smart. I think he鈥檚 going to be good for the players, and I look forward to working with him.鈥�
Walsh called it a 鈥渧ery cordial working relationship,鈥� while acknowledging there will be disagreements ahead 鈥渢hat put us on two different sides of a fence 鈥� and we will have to deal with that when the time comes.鈥� Collective bargaining talks in the coming years almost certainly will bring that conflict.
Kevin Shattenkirk, a veteran defenseman who was on the search committee, said Walsh was engaging and commanding right away and gave out his cellphone number to players to call any time after his first interview.
鈥淧art of his pitch was that he was going to be readily available to players at any moment 鈥� any time that we needed him,鈥� Shattenkirk said Sunday. 鈥淲ith his experience in working in labor unions, I think he knows how important that is. It鈥檚 important for the head of it to be accessible and also at the same time to be strong and powerful and know which way he鈥檚 leading his organization.鈥�
For now, Walsh is trying to lead the way in preparing players for life after hockey and growing the game beyond the nearly $6 billion in revenue. He watches football, basketball and baseball differently since shifting from politics to sports, thinking about what other leagues have done and how it might apply to the NHL.
Walsh is a fan of increasing and other places in Europe with games there and wonders about opportunities for hockey in Latin American countries and among underserved populations in North America.
鈥淲e have teams like the Dallas Stars and the Coyotes and even the (Florida) Panthers to some degree: large Latino populations,鈥� Walsh said. "You think of Boston 鈥� are we tapping into Latino population in Boston, New York, Chicago, places like that?鈥�
Just getting a chance to tackle tasks like that excites Walsh, who said he still has a very strong, close friendship with Joe Biden. The president, when Walsh left in February, called him 鈥渙ne tough union chief鈥� and a model for future labor secretaries.
This is just a different challenge, one that Walsh feels his entire career has prepared him for.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not many opportunities that probably could have come on my plate that I would鈥檝e been like, 鈥橭h, this is perfect,'鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is kind of my whole life coming full circle: labor movement, running a union, opportunities to grow the game, to be progressive in thinking as to how do we grow the game, how do we strengthen the union.鈥�
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AP NHL: and
Stephen Whyno, The Associated Press
