The National Hockey League Players’ Association announced Thursday that the executive board had unanimously appointed Martin J. Walsh as NHLPA Executive Director following a nine-month, player-led search. Walsh succeeds Donald Fehr who has held the NHLPA top post since Dec. 18, 2010.  The 10-player NHLPA search committee consisted of Ian Cole (Tampa Bay Lightning), Mattias Ekholm (Nashville Predators), Justin Faulk…