Frost Resigns

[les_glorieux]

Frost resigns as NHL player agent

TORONTO (CP) - The man who handled the career of jailed NHLer Mike Danton has resigned as an NHL player agent.

The NHL Players' Association confirmed Tuesday that David Frost had resigned, saying it would have no further comment on the matter.

Frost's client list has been small, with Danton and Sheldon Keefe the most prominent players.

Danton, a former St. Louis Blue and New Jersey Devil, is serving a 7½-year sentence in a U.S. prison for a $10,000 US murder-for hire scheme. U.S. prosecutors said Frost was the target, although Frost has denied that.

The prosecution argued Danton tried to have Frost killed out of concerns that the agent planned to go to Blues management with information that could ruin Danton's career.

Frost came under renewed scrutiny recently when CBC's The Fifth Estate examined his relationship with Danton. But Frost told TSN that the timing of the decision had nothing to do with the documentary.

"The decision was not made now," said Frost. "The decision was made a year ago in November during the (NHL) lockout with the NHLPA, Bob Goodenow and NHLPA Associate Counsel Ian Penny. My only concern was the pending grievance that Mike Danton had with the New Jersey Devils over his injury pay from the season when he tore his oblique muscle and New Jersey tried to suspend him without pay. There was going to be a hearing and I hung around a little longer to see if that was going to materialize and it didn't.

"With Mike Danton and his situation and the five guys I got playing in the American League, there was really no need for me to stay on with the PA. Nobody pressured me out. If somebody tried to do that, I would of just stayed around in spite."

The show and its surrounding publicity led several agents to wonder publicly why Frost continued to be certified by the players' association. The NHLPA responded by saying it was looking into the case.

"People can say and write and talk about whatever they want but I know what it is and certainly the NHLPA and Ian Penny and the former Executive Director Bob Goodenow know what it is and it is what it is," Frost told TSN.

The CBC documentary featured FBI tapes that recorded Frost counseling Danton to deny Frost was the target of the hit and to blame his emotional problems on his parents.

In another bizarre twist, the day after the CBC show aired, Danton's father was arrested and charged with criminal harassment.

The charge reportedly involves 22 phone calls Steve Jefferson made over three days to Frost.

Jefferson has been ordered to appear in court on Jan. 10.

Danton, 25, changed his last name from Jefferson and has severed ties with his family.

He is asking a U.S. federal court to rule that he be transferred to a Canadian prison so he can become eligible for earlier parole.