Bruce Patrick McNall (b. April 17, 1950 in Arcadia, California) is a former American sports executive who once owned the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League {CFL). April 17 is the 107th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (108th in leap years). ... 1950 (MCML) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Arcadia is an upper-middle class city in Los Angeles County, California that is located about 20 miles Northeast of downtown Los Angeles It is the site of the Santa Anita Park racetrack and home to the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden. ... The Los Angeles Kings are a National Hockey League team based in Los Angeles, California, USA. // Facts Founded: 1967 Arena: Staples Center Former Home Arenas: Long Beach Sports Arena (part of 1967), Los Angeles Sports Arena (part of 1967); The Forum (1967-1999) Uniform colors: Purple, black, and silver Logo... The modernized NHL shield logo debuted in 2005, replacing the orange and black shield, which had been used since the leagues inception. ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... The Canadian Football League (CFL), also known by its French name, Ligue canadienne de football (LCF), is a professional league located entirely in Canada that plays Canadian football. ...

McNall made his initial fortune as a coin collector. He purchased the Kings from Jerry Buss in 1987 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, several first-round draft choices and $15 million US. 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 1990's. A coin is usually a piece of hard material, generally metal and usually in the shape of a disc, which is issued by a government to be used as a form of money. ... Gerald H. Buss is a former real estate developer, a basketball team owner, and poker player. ... 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wayne Gretzky playing for the Edmonton Oilers in 1984 Wayne Douglas Gretzky, OC (born January 26, 1961) is a former professional ice hockey player and is currently part-owner and head coach of the Phoenix Coyotes. ... Martin James McSorley (born May 18, 1963) is a former professional hockey player in the National Hockey League (NHL) and former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (2002-2004). ... Mike Krushelnyski (born April 27, 1960 in Montreal, Quebec) was a professional ice hockey centre in the NHL. He and Marty McSorley were part of The Trade when Wayne Gretzky was sent to the Los Angeles Kings for two players, draft picks and cash. ... The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta. ... James Charles Carson (b. ... Martin Gélinas (born June 5, 1970 in Shawninigan, Quebec, Canada) is a professional ice hockey player. ... A (sports) draft is a process by which professional sports teams select players not contracted to any team, often from colleges or amateur ranks. ... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ... The 1990s decade refers to the years from 1990 to 1999, inclusive. ...

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 championships, he returned to the U.S. after two seasons in Toronto. 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... John Candy in the motion picture Brewsters Millions John Franklin Candy (October 31, 1950 – March 4, 1994) was a Canadian comedian and actor. ... The Toronto Argonauts are a Canadian Football League team based in Toronto, Ontario. ... Raghib Ramadian Rocket Ismail (b. ... The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. ... Then Prime Minister Joe Clark presents the 1979 Grey Cup to victorious Edmonton Eskimos Danny Kepley and Tom Wilkinson. ...

By the mid-1990's, McNall's business empire was collapsing. Fraudulent transactions worth about $200 million were uncovered by federal investigators, and in 1996, McNall was sentenced to 70 months in a federal prison for his crimes. He remained on good terms with many of his former players, however, with Gretzky, Rob Blake, Luc Robitaille and others visiting him in prison. Gretzky even refused to allow the Kings to retire Gretzky's number until McNall could attend the ceremony. McNall was released in 2001 after his sentence was reduced by 13 months for good behavior. He is on probation until 2006. Events and trends Technology Explosive growth of the Internet; decrease in the cost of computers and other technology Reduction in size and cost of mobile phones leads to a massive surge in their popularity Year 2000 problem (commonly known as Y2K) Microsoft Windows operating system becomes virtually ubiquitous on IBM... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... This is a list of U.S. federal prisons. ... Rob Blake in the Team Canada uniform. ... Luc Robitaille playing for the Los Angeles Kings on December 21, 2005 Lucky Luc Robitaille (born February 17, 1966 in Montréal, Québec, Canada) is a former professional ice hockey player and is the all-time leading scoring left winger in National Hockey League history. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey. ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

McNall has written an autobiography titled Fun While It Lasted: My Rise and Fall in the Land of Fame and Fortune. An autobiography (from the Greek auton, self, bios, life and graphein, write) is a biography written by the subject or composed conjointly with a collaborative writer (styled as told to or with). The term dates from the late eighteenth century, but the form is much older. ...

By the way, he came into my store the other day and made a purchase. I looked at hie ID for the credit card purchase. Somehow he seemed small and sad.