WILMINGTON, Mass. -- Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference said Sunday that despite media reports tying his stepping down as the club's NHL representative to dissension among his teammates, he actually made the decision before arriving in Boston for the season.

"Two years [as the rep] and I put in unbelievable hours of work," he said after the Bruins' practice at Ristuccia Arena. He said that over the summer "I had calls where I was on the phone for 11 hours straight, nine hours straight, multiple times. Flying in and out of Toronto to become one of the most educated players on what's going on with our union. That decision was made in the summertime. Two years, I'm tapped out."

Mark Stuart, who had been the Bruins' alternate rep, replaced Ference.

Normally one of the most affable members of the Bruins, Ference has been criticized in the press in recent weeks. And it's obvious that negative media reports on his handling of players' association issues and the firing of executive director Paul Kelly have soured him on the job. He addressed the topic Sunday.

"I moved on after Chicago," said Ference, referring to the Kelly firing in late August. "Obviously there was a lot of stuff that was decided and a lot of stuff was said about me and I was attacked. But I've got big shoulders. I'm a man and I'm accountable for decisions I make because I have confidence in my education and my decision-making. Whether newspaper reporters want to call me a retard or whatever it is, go ahead. That doesn't hurt my feelings."

The blueliner dismissed the notion that there are issues with his teammates. He acknowledged that a couple of Bruins voiced displeasure with how the Kelly firing was handled, in particular its timing. But otherwise life in the locker room is the same as it's been the last two seasons, he said.

"Obviously there's an effort out there to make something out of nothing. Obviously that makes for much more exciting news to read," Ference said.

In the Bruins' comeback win over the New York Islanders Saturday night, Ference proved he's the same tough player on the ice, coming to center Marc Savard's defense after a questionable hit by New York's Sean Bergenheim. Ference earned a roughing penalty after getting a couple shots in during an abbreviated bout.

"It looked like it was a little dangerous," Ference said. "You kind of had that gap between him and the boards. I know technically he's kind of allowed to be hit, but he didn't touch the puck at all. It was a vulnerable spot for one of our top guys."

Stepping down as the players' representative doesn't mean Ference will detach himself from union issues.

"You put trust in whoever is up there," he said. "It's the same thing I would expect when I was there -- trust. And it's not like you disengage. That's the problem. A lot of players -- whether you're in a position like that or not -- you have to be engaged, you have to show up at meetings, you have to get educated. The ultimate cop-out is guys that don't do that. That's where problems start."

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