Former NHL president John Ziegler died on October 25th. He was one of the most consequential men in league history, overseeing the WHA merger and an increase in European players. He is also at the center of one of the biggest mysteries in New Jersey Devils history: the case of the missing president.
Ziegler’s involvement with the New Jersey Devils traces to the 1988 “have another donut” incident. Even though the Prince of Wales Conference Finals between the Devils and Boston Bruins was a notable chapter in Devils history by itself, this remains the most famous part.
The story in a nutshell, for those uninitiated: On May 6th, 1988, Devils coach Jim Schoenfeld chased referee Don Koharski down after a Game 3 loss.