Former NHLPA labour lawyer and current player agent, Ian Pulver, BA’87 (Sociology), recently shared his thoughts on some of the NHL’s hot button issues.
Do you feel that the NHL is doing enough to police head shots?
They have a new program in place to educate and inform the players on what they can and can not do. In fact, when I worked at the union (NHLPA), we proposed similar educational programs, along the lines of use of video, and now, several years later, I’m glad to see that they’re adopting what we proposed or suggested. Having said that, I guess it all comes down to a consistent application of what players can and can not do, and whether supplementary discipline will be applied in a consistent way across the board, no matter who the players are, no matter what team they play on. And time will tell whether they’re doing enough.
What rule changes would you like to see the NHL implement?
It seems like there is a constant change in rules. I think the game is really good in how it’s being played right now and they should just let the current rules play out for several years. The game is exciting and there’s a lot of skill being demonstrated now more than ever before. So right now, I think that maybe other than the no-touch icing – to implement no-touch icing is the only rule that I would maybe tinker with – but I think there are too many rule changes. Right now, the game is great and exciting and entertaining and they should just let it be.
What are your feelings about the NHL returning to Canadian markets like Winnipeg and possibly Quebec in the future?
At first I had a little trepidation, but to see the support in Winnipeg, the corporate support, the fan support, the commitment to the team, I think that it’s great. And I think that those strong markets help with the hockey-related revenues and the popularity of the sport in Canada. And I’m a firm believer that a second team should be in the Toronto area in Ontario, wherever that may be. I think that would be great for the sport. I don’t believe that the players should continue to subsidize markets in the southern part of the United States that plainly may not care about hockey. And (I believe) that markets that will support hockey – Winnipeg, Quebec and another franchise in Ontario – is where NHL hockey should be. And players should not take less money or live under the salary cap to help keep teams where they are. I think that this last five or seven years since the last lockout has demonstrated that a salary cap does not solve small market issues where people don’t want to support NHL teams. And the case in point was the Phoenix Coyotes. Last year that was a playoff team and a good team that was assembled by smart management and they still had trouble drawing fans. And it wasn’t the issue about building the team. In fact, players want to play in Phoenix, but even under a salary cap, it could be an attractive market but the fans don’t necessarily want to support it. I guess the long-winded point is the salary cap was not necessarily the answer to save a small market in the south that just doesn’t have the fan support, even when their team is successful.
Do you feel that fighting should continue to be part of the game? Why or why not?
Fighting should continue to be part of the game if the enforcer is able to protect his teammates, especially his skilled teammates, so that they can go out and entertain the fans in a safe environment. If the enforcer or the protector of the skill, they’re not fighters, they’re protectors of skill. They’re enforcers to ensure that the skilled players can play. If there’s no meaningful role for that to happen, then there’s no place in hockey for staged fights. If the protector of skill or the enforcer can help in a positive way to stop other players from taking liberties on the skilled player, then there’s clearly a role.
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To read the Alumni Gazette profile on Ian Pulver BA’87 (Sociology), click here.
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