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While many observers expected him to take a leadership role in the Players Association, Brendan Shanahan has accepted the position of Vice President of Hockey and Business Development with the National Hockey League."I'm thrilled to remain in the game I love and I'm looking forward to learning the other side of it," said Shanahan. About his fancy job title he noted, "That's sexy...so sexy. That should get me reservations at all the top spots, for sure."
The 40-year-old Shanahan, who retired as a player at the start of this season, made it clear he did not receive an offer from the union. "I was never approached by the Players Association to lead them or assist them in any way," said Shanahan, who by his estimate was a player representative for 17 of his 21 seasons in the NHL "I'm not disappointed by that." He wished his former brethren well, adding, "I want them to have strong leadership."
Shanahan, who lives in Manhattan with his wife and children, could not confirm how much he will be involved during the negotiations for a Collective Bargaining Agreement. "That's getting ahead a little bit; I don't even know where the bathrooms are around here yet," he joked. "I'll be involved wherever the league leads me."
In his role, clearly created specifically for him, Shanahan will work with Senior VP Colin Campbell in the Hockey Operations department and COO John Collins on the league's marketing efforts. Said commissioner Gary Bettman: "The league will benefit tremendously from Brendan's passion for the game and from the wisdom of his experience gained in 21 years of playing." Among his many responsibilities on the hockey side, Shanahan will look at rules changes and player safety. "All of these rules are not set in stone and you have to stay on top of the current trends in our game," he said.
Shanahan was one of the most respected players of this generation and was widely hailed for his role in a competition committee he established during the lockout that recommended rule changes to open up the game. "The game was being over-coached and we wanted to reward the skill players," said Shanahan.
There is no question his involvement then with the league led to the role announced on Thursday.
"We've got some great people in Hockey Operations, but as Colin pointed out, none of them played under the current rules," said Shanahan.
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