Bruce McNall | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | April 17, 1950 Arcadia, California, United States |
| Education | UCLA |
| Occupation(s) | sports teams owner, racehorse owner, film producer |
| Known for | Owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) |
| Board member of | Los Angeles Kings Toronto Argonauts |
Bruce Patrick McNall (born April 17, 1950) is an American former Thoroughbred racehorse owner, sports executive, and convicted felon who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).
McNall claimed to have made his initial fortune as a coin collector, though Metropolitan Museum of Art director Thomas Hoving claimed he smuggled art antiquities[1] as the partner of Robert E. Hecht.[2] In the 1980s McNall produced several Hollywood movies, including The Manhattan Project and Weekend at Bernie's.
McNall bought a 25 percent stake in the Kings from Jerry Buss in 1986, and bought an additional 24 percent in 1987 to become the team's largest shareholder. He was named team president that September, and purchased Buss' remaining shares in March 1988.[3] He then shocked the sports world on August 9, 1988, when he acquired the NHL's biggest star, Wayne Gretzky, along with Marty McSorley and Mike Krushelnyski, from the Edmonton Oilers for Jimmy Carson, Martin Gelinas, three first-round draft picks and US$15 million. McNall raised Gretzky's annual salary from less than $1 million to $3 million, which, in turn, triggered a dramatic rise in NHL salaries throughout the 1990s.
In 1992, McNall was elected chairman of the NHL Board of Governors—the league's second-highest post.[3]
In 1991, McNall, Gretzky and actor/comedian John Candy purchased the CFL's Toronto Argonauts. Prior to the 1991 season, McNall enticed Raghib "Rocket" Ismail away from the National Football League by signing him to a four-year contract for a then-unheard-of $18.2 million. Although Ismail led the Argonauts to the 1991 Grey Cup championship, he returned to the U.S. after two seasons in Toronto.
At one point, he also owned the finest copy of the most expensive baseball card, Honus Wagner's 1909 T206 card.[4]
- ^ 1996 - "False Impressions" by Thomas Hoving
- ^ Hoving, Thomas: Making the Mummies Dance. New York: Simon & Schuster. ISBN 0-671-73854-2
- ^ a b Fischler, Stan (1999). Cracked Ice: An Insider's Look at the NHL. Lincolnwood, Illinois: Masters Press. ISBN 1-57028-219-6.
- ^ Bob Pool, Honus Wagner card sells for $2.35 million, Los Angeles Times, February 28, 2007.