It’s only been a few months since Brian Ramsay was named as the PHPA’s new Executive Director, but by all accounts, he has hit the ground running with the union’s members across both the AHL and ECHL – instilling new life and a new energy among pro hockey players across North America.

“He’s come in and really set the tone for what we’re looking for,” Bridgeport Islanders forward Chris Terry, a member of the PHPA’s Executive Committee, said about the transition from former longtime Executive Director Larry Landon to Ramsay this fall. “He has ideas, we have ideas, and we’re gelling really well. I think there’s a lot of things that he’s kind of spearheaded and has already taken action on, and I think we’re seeing the benefit of positive results.”

Ramsay brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the PHPA having led professional football players in the Canadian Football League (CFL) as the first full-time Executive Director of the CFLPA from 2016-2024- spearheading strong and effective CBA negotiations in 2019 and 2022. In 2020 and 2021 Ramsay worked to modify the CBA to accommodate the CFL’s return to play during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“My passion is definitely advocating for athletes. I put a lot of value on relationships,” Ramsay said, explaining that during his time with the CFLPA he spent a lot of time meeting the other pro sports players’ unions across all sports. “And what I found was that the challenges that we all go through as athletes, no matter the sport, are much the same.”

One of the first things Ramsay did in his new role was streamline the PHPA’s Fall Enrollment Tour. 

Instead of the union breaking into groups to visit all 61 AHL and ECHL organizations, Ramsay brought in a camera crew and filmed the annual information-heavy power point presentation with his staff – sending it out to all PHPA members at the beginning of the season and allowing them to refer back to that information whenever they need to.

Rather than multiple groups splitting up and visiting the teams, Ramsay himself, accompanied by staff members, went on the road so he could personally visit all of the union members he’s tasked with leading. With all the information already sent out, these visits provided a more interactive discussion with players and PHPA staff. The site visits were not the typical sit down and talk at the players. They were meant to provide interactive opportunities.  

“We’re asking the members what they want. It’s important for me to get in front of everybody and give them an opportunity to meet in person and get to know me, but more importantly for me to get to know them and the issues and challenges they face as professional hockey players,” Ramsay explained. “The most critical piece that they need to walk out of that room with, whether they’re in their first week or their 10th year, is that this is their organization. This is their union and I work exclusively for them.”

The response from the players has been overwhelmingly positive. Both Ramsay and the players noted an increased engagement and awareness of PHPA and CBA topics under this new streamlined Fall Enrollment Tour.

“I just think it was very interactive. He asked a lot of questions, and we had a lot of questions for him,” Hershey Bears forward and PHPA team representative Matt Strome said of the new-look Fall Enrollment Tour. “You could tell that he’s kind of been through it. He has seen the worst of the worst, and he wants to make a change. That first meeting we had with him was really good. I think that open communication is a big thing.”

Ramsay echoed Strome’s sentiments, noting how impressed he was with the level of engagement and where the guys want to take the PHPA moving into a big year for the organization. 

“We’re walking into rooms where they’ve got a piece of paper and a pen and the list of questions ready for us,” Ramsay said. “We’re just having really positive conversations and spending the time together while still making sure that the information they need is delivered to them in formats they are comfortable with.”

As a member of the Executive Committee Terry is in constant contact with Ramsay, getting him up to speed to help create a more seamless transition. He’s been impressed with how eager Ramsay is to get to work on moving the PHPA forward in both the AHL and ECHL.

“We are thrilled with just how prepared he’s already gotten with both leagues, setting up committees to being prepared with our legal team, and really, if he doesn’t know the answer he’s getting the answer,” Terry said of the transition to Ramsay. “He has a lot of contacts and colleagues that he’s worked with over the years that we’ve already met that are extremely helpful and will be extremely helpful in the coming months to renegotiate the CBA. We’re all in with Brian. We couldn’t be more thrilled that he’s leading us through these negotiations.”

Make no mistake about it, this is an important year for the PHPA as the collective bargaining agreements for both the AHL and ECHL are set to expire this summer – a fact that Ramsay was well-aware of upon seeking the job as the PHPA’s Executive Director. 

The PHPA will meet face-to-face with the ECHL for the first time later this month, and are scheduled to meet with the AHL in the beginning of February after the league’s All-Star Classic festivities.

“I really see it as an opportunity to address some of the key issues of concern to our members.  I am telling the members we don’t have to wait three years to bargain,” Ramsay said. “In many instances, you’ve got to wait that period of time before you can have an opportunity to amend and adjust your collective agreement. We don’t. We have that right in front of us.”