Staple: Hard-liner Fehr wrong choice for players' union

Don Fehr has been consulting with the leaderless NHL Players Association as it attempts to rewrite its constitution and find a new executive director. Fehr, who led the Major League Baseball Players Association for 26 years before stepping down Dec. 1, is a knowledgable, charismatic union man, and by all accounts, he's been a big help to an association that has been known only for disarray and chaos the last few years.

That said, Fehr is the wrong man to head the NHLPA (as some players have been rumored to want).

The baseball players' union is the strongest, most powerful one in sports, to be sure. And Fehr had much to do with that, taking a hard-line stance in negotiations that kept his constituents happy and rich, even if not necessarily working all the time. Baseball withstood work stoppages and spoiled-kid battles to stay popular, and players, usually individual stars, are the draws.

About the only similarity between baseball and hockey is that the owners in both sports don't exactly know how to grow the game. That's it, though, and if Fehr is at the helm going into the 2011-12 season - the current collective-bargaining agreement expires in September of 2011, but the PA is expecting to approve a one-year extension - who knows what the game will look like?

Hockey cannot afford another work stoppage. Losing the 2004-05 season didn't kill the game, but it's not terribly robust and healthy in many places. The league-owned Coyotes, incredibly atop the Western Conference, have just now started to get fans in the building. Attendance is weak all through the Southeast. Another work stoppage means those few fans disappear for good.

Fehr probably flew into a rage when the league pushed through its new hits-to-the-head rule last week before the PA even had a chance to make its own recommendation. Baseball never would have or could have done such a thing, if baseball had real rules that it needed to enforce. Fehr's MLBPA howled in protest over just about anything, and the baseball owners usually rolled over.

The NHLPA pushed out a good union man, Bob Goodenow, who gave them strong guidance into the 2004-05 lockout and was dismissed because players wanted desperately to get back to work and make money. Ted Saskin acted like an owners' mole in the PA, searching through player e-mails. Larry Kelly tried his best but was overthrown by players who wanted . . . well, something.

Fehr is offering good counsel at a time when it's badly needed. But hiring a hard-liner when most of the league's teams are losing money is not a recipe for success.

A lost season for all sides

It's sadly fitting that Chris Higgins didn't even make the trip back to Long Island this week with the Flames. Higgins, out with a lower-body injury, didn't get a chance to stop back home in Smithtown for a night, a perfect summary of his bad-luck season that began with a lot of hope when he was dealt to the Rangers.

About the only one who's benefited from that four-player deal between the Flames and Rangers on Feb. 1 is Brandon Prust, who has found a very solid niche as a hard-working fourth-line Ranger who fights and can play a bit. He'll be back next season with the Rangers.

Higgins is a free agent this summer. Given that he has eight goals and 17 points and possibly is done for the season, Calgary might not bring him back. John Tortorella loved having him, so don't rule out a Rangers return at a reasonable price.

As for Ales Kotalik, he's been as ineffective with the Flames (one goal, one assist in 18 games) as he was in New York. "I lost my scoring touch in New York. It's gone now," the typically candid Kotalik said when the Flames visited Long Island on Thursday. "I just have to do anything I can to help these guys."

With two years and $6 million left on his deal, the Flames will hope for a resurgence next season.

And, finally, there's Olli Jokinen, whose ice time is dwindling as his contract winds down. He won't be back.