Sources say September 7th marked the beginning of the end of Eric Lindros's time as the NHLPA's Ombudsman.
At a Players Association meeting last September in Chicago, Lindros allegedly asked executive director Paul Kelly to leave the room so he could openly discuss his issues with the Associations new boss with an audience of player representatives.
According to sources, these issues ranged from Kelly's perceived closeness to the NHL, to cosmetic concerns over which cities Kelly attended games.
Kelly was given an opportunity to respond to Lindros' complaints and the matter was quickly dismissed by the players.
Some believe Lindros was trying to undermine Kelly's authority in that meeting, while others suggest Lindros was doing his job as the NHLPA's watch dog by looking over Paul Kelly's shoulder and reporting his findings to the board.
Sources say Lindros wasn't disliked by PA staff, although this September showdown with Kelly created friction between the two, resulting in almost no contact, verbal or otherwise.
''He was the wrong guy for the position,'' is how one source close to the rift responded to the news of Lindros' resignation.
When reached for comment, Lindros said, ''This is an internal matter within the PA. I don't feel that discussing things with you is the right thing to do.''
The Players Association recognizes, optically this is another example of infighting, but says this is an isolated case and insists the process of hiring a new ombudsman will begin in the near future.