Long-time NHLPA Executive Sadly Passes Away at the Age of 72
Photo credit: USA TODAY
Tributes are pouring in after a long-time executive with the National Hockey League Players' Association (NHLPA) has sadly passed away recently at the age of 72.
2025 has been a sad and quite frankly tough year for our sport with many former NHL players and executives, along with European and international players passing away.
Among those that we've sadly lost throughout 2025 include include former Vancouver Canucks forward Mark Kirton and last weekend, the Montreal Canadiens announced the passing of Hockey Hall of Fame netminder Ken Dryden.
On Saturday, the National Hockey League had some more tough news to pass along following the passing of a long-time executive with the Players' Association.
Long-time NHLPA executive director Bob Goodenow passes away at the age of 72
In a press release on the NHL's website, the league announced that Bob Goodenow - the second executive director in the history of the Players' Association - passed away recently at the age of 72.
National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman commented on Goodenow's passing where he admired the hard work that the former NHLPA executive director put in for his players during his tenure between 1992 and 2005.
"The National Hockey League mourns the passing of Bob Goodenow, a hockey man to his core who was a captain of the team at Harvard and played professionally in the IHL before serving as a player agent and as Executive Director of the NHL Players' Association for 14 years.
Bob was a skilled attorney and tenacious advocate for the players he represented as an agent and as the head of the Players' Association. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Wendy, their three children, Joe, Katharine and Kerry, and his many friends and admirers throughout hockey.
Goodenow joined the NHLPA as deputy executive director in 1990 and succeeded Alan Eagleson as executive director in 1992, remaining in the position through 2005." Bettman said.
Bob was a skilled attorney and tenacious advocate for the players he represented as an agent and as the head of the Players' Association. We send our deepest condolences to his wife, Wendy, their three children, Joe, Katharine and Kerry, and his many friends and admirers throughout hockey.
Goodenow joined the NHLPA as deputy executive director in 1990 and succeeded Alan Eagleson as executive director in 1992, remaining in the position through 2005." Bettman said.
During his time with the NHLPA, Goodenow co-founded the Goals& Dreams Program, worked with the NHL to launch the inaugural World Cup of Hockey in 1996 and helped get NHLers to the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan.
The thoughts of everyone here at CanucksDaily are with the friends and family of Bob Goodenow.
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