Former NHL president John Ziegler Jr. has died at the age of 84.

Ziegler served as president of the NHL from 1977-92, a tenure which oversaw the league's expansion from 18 to 24 clubs, including the merger of four teams from the former World Hockey Association.

"The NHL family was saddened to learn of the passing of former league president John Ziegler," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. "He was instrumental in the NHL's transition to becoming a more international league - during his tenure, the share of European-born players in the NHL grew from two to 11 percent, players from the former Soviet Union first entered the league and games between NHL and European clubs become a nearly annual tradition."

Ziegler was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1987.

Gil Stein succeeded Ziegler as NHL president in 1992. Bettman became the NHL's first commissioner in 1993.

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