Today, I'm looking at Power Plays: An inside look at the Big Business of the National Hockey League, by Gil Stein, former President and CEO of the NHL.

Mr. Stein has a singular position to talk about the “inner workings” of the NHL; he was the first vice-president and general counsel of the league. At the end of his term as president, he was appointed special advisor to the league commissioner.

He gives an inside look at the NHL. There is an insider's look at the (then) current NHL Board of Governor, keeping in mind that this is as of the early 1990s. A special look at the somewhat random way that the expansion fee of 50 million dollars was determined. There's also a look at how Disney and Blockbuster were brought into the league, putting teams in Anaheim and Miami.

Stein also gives a look at the financial side of the league. This includes why some franchises moved, and other didn't. A close look at the attempt to move the California Seals to Indianapolis, plus the attempted move by Ralston Purina to move the St. Louis Blues to Saskatoon.

A chapter about the “real story” behind the WHA merger, plus one about the “beer wars” of 1984, plus the full story of the infamous “have another donut” adventure.

There's so much more in this book as well, and, as mentioned, Gil Stein is in a unique position to tell all of these stories. Admittedly, some of it is presented heavily in legalese, and may be a bit tough to follow. I had a bit of trouble in some places, and went back a 2^nd time.

All in all, it brings an interesting perspective to what's been going on behind the scenes over the years. A good read for sure.

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Power-Play-Inside-Business-National/dp/1559724226/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383099386&sr=1-1&keywords=power+plays%3A+an+inside+look

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/power-plays-gil-stein/1002442610?ean=9781559724227