John Ziegler, Jr.

John A. Ziegler Jr. ( born February 9, 1934 in Grosse Pointe, Michigan ) was a sports official and from 1977 to 1992, the fourth president of the National Hockey League.

Career

Ziegler is from a suburb of Detroit and studied law at the University of Michigan. After a few years in a law firm he founded in 1970 his own company. In 1959 he worked for the owner of the Detroit Red Wings, Bruce Norris and the Detroit Olympia. For the NHL, he worked from 1966. Was chosen him in 1976 as chairman of the NHL Board of Governors.

From 1977 he took over the presidency of Clarence Campbell NHL. At that time the World Hockey Association presented still there is a huge competition for the NHL. Ziegler succeeded with the WHA to a takeover to some. This played from the 1979/80 season with the Edmonton Oilers, Hartford Whalers, Quebec Nordiques and Winnipeg Jets four former WHA teams in the NHL. He succeeded during his tenure the importance of hockey in North America to strengthen what was found in both rising attendances, especially but also in a much better media coverage.

Ziegler was mistaken, however, when he expressed the mid-80s that never Russian players in the NHL would play and players from the NHL would never take part in the Olympic Games.

He maintained a very good relationship with the players union NHLPA. This enabled him to finish even a strike at the end of the 1991/92 season. Many owners of NHL teams, however, were not satisfied with the outcome of the negotiations and urged Ziegler to resign after the season.

In 1987 he was honored with induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame. In 1984 he was awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy.