Report: Mutual interest between Chris Pronger, NHL Department of Player Safety

Veteran defenseman Chris Pronger and the NHL Department of Player Safety are believed to have mutual interest in regards to a potential job, according to Bob McKenzie of TSN.

The NHL Players Association is also believed to be involved in the discussions, as Pronger remains under contract with the Philadelphia Flyers for three more seasons, albeit on long-term injured reserve after a career-ending eye injury suffered in 2011.

Nick Cotsonika of Yahoo further reports Pronger would "be part of the team that analyzes plays, participates in hearings and gives input to (director Stephan) Quintal," and expands on the potential conflict of interest:

(Pronger's) connection to the Flyers does present a conflict of interest. But he hasn’t played since November 2011 and does not have any active role in the organization anymore. He would not weigh in on any incidents involving the Flyers. The NHL Players’ Association is involved; the NHL likely would wait for the union’s blessing.

Interestingly, Pronger himself was no stranger to NHL discipline during his playing days, with no fewer than eight suspensions for a combined 22 games and 1,916 penalty minutes on his record.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman addressed the situation in a season opening press conference on Wednesday. While he declined to confirm the league's interest in bringing Pronger on board, he expressed optimism that - should the league choose to - hiring Pronger wouldn't be an issue: