Insider to head the NHL Player Safety Department

Hiring of Stephane Quintal to the senior vice president of the NHL’s Player Safety Department made headlines in late September 2014. He will be taking over the job vacated by Shanahan who in April 2014 left the organization to take over the Toronto Maple Leafs after three years at the job. As a matter of fact, Quintal was acting at this position since Shanahan’s departure. Quintal is an insider and therefore, expected to continue business as usual. He will continue to maintain open communications with players and teams, provide explanations of suspensions, correct old mistakes made while adopting the Rule 48, and continue conducting hearings.

The Department of Player Safety was created just prior to the 2011-12 season and Quintal worked in the department since its inception. Player Safety Department is the most intensely scrutinized and competitive department in the organization. Its functions become more critical during the Stanley Cup Playoffs. On the other hand player discipline and disciplinary actions are always hot button issues for the NHL. Whether it is Quintal or anybody else on the job, it is always important to get it right at the first time when it comes to player safety and discipline.