Power Play: An Inside Look at the Big Business of the National Hockey League

This explosive book, by the most recent past president of the NHL, reveals what really goes on behind the scenes in professional hockey. Gil Stein served as general counsel and vice president of the NHL for 15 years, and as president from 1992 to 1993. He details the antics of the NHL's multimillionaire owners whom he calls "the Haves and the Have-Mores", which often resemble those of the Gang That Couldn't Shoot Straight, and shows how the 1980 plan of six expansion teams was motivated solely by the short-term greed of a majority of NHL owners, and why the 1994-95 lockout was the result of "a major goof by Bob Goodenow of the Players Association."The reader will learn the truth about:- How Eisner and Huizenga were brought into the NHL- The Broad Street Bullies in criminal court- NHL croquet matches in Palm Beach- How John Ziegler became president- How the WHA war ended while Ziegler slept- The NHL collective bargaining charade- Why the 1991-92 strike cost Ziegler his job- How Goodenow's mistake cost players 43 percent of their salaries- What went on behind the scenes in the Hockey Hall of Fame- And much, much moreFilled with entertaining anecdotes and personal vignettes written with total candor, Power Plays is as exciting as winning the Stanley Cup.