NHLPA announces 31-player negotiating committee

Mike Halford

Jun 27, 2012, 2:23 PM EDT

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In advance of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement, the NHL Players’ Association has named its Negotiating Committee, a 31-player panel representing a cross-section of all union members.

The players are as follows:

Craig Adams (Pittsburgh Penguins)
Adrian Aucoin (Phoenix Coyotes)
Alex Auld (Ottawa Senators)
David Backes (St. Louis Blues)
Marty Biron (New York Rangers)
Brad Boyes (Buffalo Sabres)
Chris Campoli (Montreal Canadiens)
B.J. Crombeen (St. Louis Blues)
Mathieu Darche (Montreal Canadiens)
Rick DiPietro (New York Islanders)
Shane Doan (Phoenix Coyotes)
Brandon Dubinsky (New York Rangers)
Ruslan Fedotenko (New York Rangers)
Alex Goligoski (Dallas Stars)
Ron Hainsey (Winnipeg Jets)
Scott Hartnell (Philadelphia Flyers)
Jamie Langenbrunner (St. Louis Blues)
Manny Malhotra (Vancouver Canucks)
Steve Montador (Chicago Blackhawks)
Dominic Moore (San Jose Sharks)
Brendan Morrison (Chicago Blackhawks)
Douglas Murray (San Jose Sharks)
George Parros (Anaheim Ducks)
Chris Phillips (Ottawa Senators)
Cory Schneider (Vancouver Canucks)
John Tavares (New York Islanders)
Shea Weber (Nashville Predators)
Kevin Westgarth (Los Angeles Kings)
Dan Winnik (San Jose Sharks)
James Wisniewski (Columbus Blue Jackets)
Henrik Zetterberg (Detroit Red Wings)

Note: more players may be added to the negotiating committee at a later date.

“It’s great to see that so many Players have chosen to participate in bargaining and get involved in the important work ahead for their Association,” NHLPA Executive Director Donald Fehr said in a statement. “I’m certain this group of Players and all Players who will be attending bargaining sessions will do a great job.”

Notes

– Nineteen of the league’s 30 teams are represented on the panel. Teams without a representative are Boston, New Jersey, Florida, Washington, Calgary, Colorado, Tampa Bay, Carolina, Minnesota, Toronto and Edmonton.

– At 21, Tavares is the youngest player on the committee.

– At 38, Aucoin is the oldest.

– James Mirtle of the Globe and Mail points out that Aucoin, Auld, Biron, Boyes, Campoli, Doan, Fedotenko, Langenbrunner, Moore, Morrison, Parros and Winnik are all pending UFAs.