One of John Ziegler's most overused sayings was, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
NHL governors, however, have decided that hockey needs fixing, and Ziegler's removal as league president after 15 years on the job is the first step in the repair.After weeks of rumors, the governors are expected to agree during a conference call today to ratify a $2 million buyout package for the four years remaining on Ziegler's contract.
"I don't know whether he's being fired or he's resigning," said Alan Eagleson, the former NHL union leader and one of Ziegler's close friends. "He's relieved to be going, and he's going with dignity. He will sit tight for a few years. He has a golden handshake, and that is good."
The governors will issue a statement after their call and Ziegler's spokesman, Bill Wilkerson, has scheduled a news conference for later in the day.
Ziegler, unavailable for comment Thursday, is to leave office Sept. 30. His contract, reportedly worth $1 million a year, had been automatically extended on June 1 through the 1995-96 season.
There are reports the 58-year-old Detroit lawyer will receive a $2 million severance package plus a pension of $250,000 annually at age 62.
There has been no decision on a replacement.
"There is no leading candidate," said one governor. "There just hasn't been time. The function to date was to reach an agreement with John, not to find a replacement."
Among reported candidates are Paul Beeston, president of the Toronto Blue Jays; Gary Bettman, general counsel of the NBA; Richard Patrick, president of the Washington Capitals; Richard Pound, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's marketing commission; and Ken Dryden, a Toronto lawyer and former NHL goaltender.
Also mentioned have been several American executives with strong television backgrounds.
During Ziegler's term the league developed superstars like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux but failed to develop its market - notably in the United States. Although the NHL usually played to sellout crowds, its last regular-season game shown on American commercial network television was in 1975 - two years before Ziegler took office.
While network TV filled the coffers of other leagues, the NHL scrambled for a paltry $5-million SportsChannel deal on the eve of last season.
The television failures kept hockey from attaining the status enjoyed by major league baseball, football and basketball.
"As great as Michael Jordan has been, Mario Lemieux has dominated our sport this spring playoff," said Richard Gordon, majority owner of the Hartford Whalers and one of the architects of Ziegler's undoing. "And for a time, Wayne Gretzky dominated hockey more than anybody in the history of sport. We never took advantage of it."
Ziegler's departure is the culmination of a disastrous season for the NHL, including the first league-wide players' strike after contract negotiations fell apart and a lawsuit by former players alleging misappropriaton of pension funds.
Gordon said the NHL needs new direction.