“This process took a while because from the hockey players standpoint, they wanted to be sure and, from my standpoint, I wanted them to be sure that they had made a decision that they were comfortable with, that all the players had an opportunity to have their say and that this judgment represented a consensus view of the entire membership,” Fehr commented. “It has. That's both quite an honor and it is also quite humbling.”

Ryan Getzlaf (Anaheim), Jamie Langenbrunner (New Jersey), Brian Rafalski (Detroit), Brian Rolston (New Jersey) and Mathieu Schneider were part of the search committee that recommended Fher. The veteran will now take control of the union after being an unpaid consultant since November.

The NHLPA has had its share of upheaval in the past few years and saw four different leaders since 2005. NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman commented that the organization is pleased that the leadership position was filled and are willing to work with Fher in his new role.

Donald Fher worked for the baseball union for 33 years and left it in 2009. Now, as leader of the hockey players union he will have to negotiate a new labor agreement with the national hockey league. Fher expects to get familiar with the dynamics of the sport’s business model.