Obituary: Ziegler brought WHA teams into NHL as president
John Ziegler Jr., the fourth president of the NHL who was instrumental in expanding the league by bringing in four teams from the rival World Hockey Association, died Thursday. He was 84.
The NHL confirmed Ziegler’s death on its website. Ziegler was living in Florida, and the cause of death was not immediately known.
Ziegler helped broker the 1979 deal that moved the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques and Hartford Whalers into the NHL from the folding WHA.
While the Jets, Nordiques and Whalers eventually relocated, the Oilers quickly found success in the NHL, winning four Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1988 on a superstar-laden team led by team captain Wayne Gretzky.
Contentious labour talks between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association over playoff bonuses, free agency and pension funds led to the players voting to strike in the final weeks of the 1991-92 season. The strike lasted 10 days. League owners unhappy with the labour agreement ousted Ziegler two months later.
Gil Stein took over as interim president after Ziegler’s departure.
The position of NHL president effectively ended with Ziegler, as Gary Bettman became the NHL’s first commissioner on Feb. 1, 1993.
Ziegler was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.