Strongest Candidates To Serve As The Next Head Of The NHL's Department Of Player Safety

George Parros has been the head of the NHL’s Department of Player Safety for eight years.

He’s been in charge of player safety since September 2017, but joined the department in 2016. He’ll be coming up on a decade as senior vice-president of the Department of Player Safety when the 2027-28 campaign rolls around.

Since the department was created in 2011, there have been three leaders, with Parros having the longest tenure. Brendan Shanahan was the first leader from 2011 to 2014, and Stéphane Quintal served following Shanahan’s departure until 2017.

Under the guidance of Shanahan, Quintal and Parros, the Department of Player Safety has faced it’s fair share of scrutiny, deservedly or not, and once again, Parros was under fire after Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas received a five-game suspension for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs superstar center Auston Matthews, causing the latter to miss the rest of the season with an injury.

While many felt the punishment wasn’t severe enough for a player like Gudas, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman reportedly defended Parros and the department’s decision, suggesting there’s full confidence in what Parros’ team is doing.

With how long Parros has been in the office, if he ever decides to step down, or if the NHL ever changes course and decides to go a different route, who should be next in line to take the job?

Shanahan wasted no time setting the standard around the NHL in his first season leading the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

In the 2011-12 pre-season, Shanahan issued nine suspensions. Five of those pre-season suspensions lasted for five games or longer.

Shanahan wasn’t afraid to make an example out of anyone and set the record straight for contact to the head and other dangerous plays.

Of those 2011-2012 pre-season suspensions he issued, several incidents called for players to miss the rest of pre-season and even face bans of 10-plus games.

Jody Shelley was handed a 10-game suspension for boarding Darryl Boyce, missing the five remaining pre-season games and five regular-season contests. Two days later, Shanahan suspended James Wisniewski for 12 games (four pre-season and eight regular-season games) for an illegal check to the head on Cal Clutterbuck.

Shanahan, who has departed from the Maple Leafs after 10 seasons as the franchise’s president, is currently out of a full-time NHL executive role. So, he is technically available if the league wanted to offer him the job again.

Chris Pronger has been linked to front-office and executive roles lately, including the next president of the Maple Leafs, so why not throw him in the ring for the head of player safety?

Of course, there are other factors that make Pronger a suitable candidate for the job. The league tends to resort to former NHLers to run the Department of Player Safety to keep some of hockey’s grit in the game, and Pronger was certainly a tough customer during his playing days and would fit that job description.

In addition to having over 1,500 career penalty minutes, he was considered a highly-skilled player, being the last defenseman to win the Hart Trophy in 2000. Therefore, Pronger sees the best of both worlds.

Also, his recent tour of broadcasting as an analyst, notably on Sportsnet’s and CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada and on Amazon’s Prime Monday Night Hockey, shows he is up to date with the NHL, following the league closely on a daily basis.

Paul Kariya makes this list as a former player who understands what it means to be a good sport, as well as a respectful, clean competitor.

In fact, the Hall of Famer was a back-to-back Lady Byng Trophy winner in 1996 and 1997. He was recognized for his conduct as the Lady Byng Trophy is awarded “to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability.”

Given his history as a player, he would likely side with protecting NHL players from dangerous hits or other incidents, considering he was often a clean player himself.

Eric Lindros has seen nearly every side of the game. He’s been a superstar in the NHL, an ex-player with a physical, tough edge and who dealt with multiple lengthy injuries throughout his career; he touches many bases for a professional hockey player.

Again, the history of department heads for NHL player safety includes individuals who were often the ones racking up the penalty minutes. While Lindros was still a rugged player who accumulated well over 100 penalty minutes in seven NHL seasons, he was also on the receiving end of many concussions.

Ultimately, Lindros retired because of the risk of brain damage and repeated impact to his head over his 13-year NHL career. Therefore, instead of hiring an individual who specializes in grittiness, it could be a breath of fresh air to have a different perspective in the office.

Ryan Getzlaf may be the most likely person to be next in line for the lead role of player safety. 

Since retiring after the 2021-22 campaign, Getzlaf has taken on a few roles, including a development coach and player coordinator with the Ducks, and has served as a senior advisor with Team Canada’s men’s program at the 2026 Olympics and other tournaments.

Additionally, what makes him a candidate to take over Parros’ role whenever he’s no longer in the seat is that Getzlaf joined the Department of Player Safety team in August 2024.

Getzlaf has been working alongside Parros and his team for almost two years now. And with Parros as a former teammate to Getzlaf, and now a co-worker, there’s a clear path for the former Ducks star to become the next face of NHL player safety. 

While it seems to be typical for the NHL to assign a former NHL player to lead the operation at the Department of Player Safety, maybe taking a different path is the way to go.

Former players have connections to NHL teams, whether with players on the ice or executives in the press box. For example, though Parros suspended Gudas, some claimed that his relationship with the Ducks, where he played 356 NHL games, may have influenced his decision.

Whether it’s true or not, the doubt and conspiracies are there when they shouldn’t be. Therefore, a sensible solution is to introduce a neutral perspective. Such perspectives could include a member of the IIHF or simply a retired NHL official.

While the IIHF has rules and regulations that judge violent play differently, there’s a bridge that can be made between the IIHF and the NHL. For instance, Scott Zelkin is the head of officiating for the IIHF and has experience officiating in the NHL between 1990 and 2003. 

With his experience on the ice and as an executive, he could potentially be a good fit to lead the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.

Another candidate in the field of officiating could be retired NHL referee Kerry Fraser, who officiated 1,905 regular-season games over 30 seasons. Or, another former referee who has been around is Dave Jackson, who has been a rules analyst on ESPN broadcasts since 2021.

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