Ziegler Sent on Way With Buyout After 15 Years as NHL President

NEW YORK — John Ziegler had no regrets about resigning as NHL president Friday after apparently being pushed out by a group of dissatisfied owners.

“Gratitude, not regret, runs through my heart today,” Ziegler told the NHL Board of Governors in announcing that he was quitting after 15 years. “I am distinctly privileged to have held one of the most cherished positions in the professional sports world.”

Although Ziegler’s accomplishments were numerous during his tenure, the owners apparently were dissatisfied with his inability to secure a television deal with a major U.S. network, his handling of the first league-wide players’ strike this season and a lawsuit by former players alleging misappropriation of pension funds.

Ziegler’s resignation will be effective Sept. 30, but he will remain with the league as a consultant to the Board of Governors.

There was no announcement of a replacement. One governor said there was no leading candidate, but several names have been mentioned, including 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.

Reportedly, Ziegler, 58, was given a $2-million buyout package for the four years remaining on his contract, plus an annual pension of $250,000 annually at age 62.