Journeyman player called in union rift

Wild’s Mitchell upset at Saskin ‘It just looks like a cash grab’

You could call the next chapter in the NHL players union scrap “ Mr. Mitchell goes to Washington.”

For more than two months, the venomous battle for control of the NHLPA has featured a who’s who of hockey. On one side, bidding for Ted Saskin’s ouster as the union’s executive director are players such as Detroit’s Chris Chelios, Toronto’s Eric Lindros and Boston’s Sean McEachern. On the other side, proselytising that, for the good of the sport, the dispute over Saskin’s controversial hiring should be dismissed, have been the likes of Calgary’s Jarome Iginla, Edmonton’s Chris Pronger and Detroit’s Brendan Shanahan. But the U.S. National Labor Relations Board, which is probing events surrounding Saskin’s hiring, plans to ask a rank- andfile NHLer — who would largely be an unknown to most casual fans — to help it resolve the controversy.

While the NLRB has the power to subpoena union president Trevor Linden or anyone else it chooses to, a source familiar with the NLRB’s plans said one of three players that it plans to call to testify about the alleged shenanigans at the union is Willie Mitchell, a five- year veteran who started his career with New Jersey before signing as a free agent with Minnesota.

Mitchell said he’s been frustrated in attempts to get answers from Saskin over the past two months. “ I’ve sent Ted emails and he won’t answer them; he just left me a message saying he’d talk to me at a players meeting in December”) and added he looks forward to talking to the NLRB “ because this is about my livelihood.”

Mitchell said he understands why the dispute is not a sexy issue to many.

“ Listen, I know that some players are just hockey, hockey, hockey and they want to take a back seat on this,” said the 28year- old Mitchell, the son of a Vancouver Island mechanic.

“But this is my life and it’s about the lives of 700 union members. Just because it might not make a great story doesn’t mean it’s not important. We need to take the time to deal with this.” How about reports that, apart from a recent meeting with the Islanders in which goalie Garth Snow berated him and threw a cup of chewing tobacco spit at him, Saskin has the support of the majority of players?

“ Hey, I have a say and a voice just the same as every other member,” Mitchell said. “ If you and me were going into a business deal and you overstated your revenue, would I not ask questions? Sure I would. I have the right to want answers.”

While many reports have suggested the NHLPA battle is about the process employed to hire Saskin, Mitchell said that, for him, it boils down to one key issue: money.

Mitchell says one of his biggest beefs about Saskin’s brief stewardship of the union is the new contract he negotiated with Linden.

Saskin is scheduled to receive a base salary of $ 1.9 million ( all figures U. S.) this year, $2 million next year, $ 2.15 million in 2007, $ 2.25 million the following year and $ 2.35 million in 2009. He is believed to be working under conditions of his previous salary until the dispute is settled.

Saskin’s prospective $ 2.13 million average salary is roughly double that of Donald Fehr, the long-time head of the major league baseball players’ union. Opponents of Saskin say that in negotiations with Linden, he overstated the salaries paid to NBA players’ union chief Billy Hunter and Gene Upshaw, head of the NFL players’ union.

“ I can pretty much tell you how much every one of the 700 guys in the NHL make,” Mitchell said. “ All Ted had to do was get the numbers right for three other guys. I think, to most people, it just looks like a cash grab where he tried to chew off too much.”