Nelson Mathew Skalbania
February 12, 1938 - present

between years 1977 to 1984 Nelson Skalbania owned all or part of 9 different sports teams and brokered 2 major NFL teams.

Edmonton Oilers (WHA)

Edmonton Oilers (WHA) sold to Peter Pocklington.

Indianapolis Racers (WHA)

Indianapolis Racers (WHA) signed Wayne Gretzky, as a 17 year old, to a Personal Services Contract. Sold Wayne to Peter Pocklington along with the Oilers.

Calgary Flames (NHL)

Bought Atlanta Flames and relocated to Calgary in 1980.

Montreal Alouettes (CFL)

Nelson Skalbania acquired the Montreal Alouettes (CFL) from Sam Berger when he retired in 1981. The team signed Vince Ferragamo as quarterback one year after he played in Super Bowl with LA Rams.

CalGary Boomers
(NASL soccer team)

Founded as the Memphis Rogues in 1978, the team was purchased by Nelson Skalbania, during the 1981 North American Soccer League season. Memphis Rogues was moved to Calgary.

Vancouver Canadians
(triple A baseball)

Sold to Jimmy Pattison in 1981.

Vancouver Whitecaps
(NASL soccer team)

B.C. Lions (CFL Football)

Bought the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League in 1996 for $1.00.

New Westminster Bruins
(Junior Hockey)

Calgary Wranglers
(Junior Hockey)

Denver Broncos (NFL)

Brokered by Nelson - bought from Edgar Kaiser and Pat Bowlen

Philadelphia Eagles (NFL)

With Edgar Kaiser, tied up the Eagles and sold it to Jim Monoghan for Phoenix, but Monoghan prevented from moving the team to Phoenix.

There is, for example, the account of his sale of half-interest in the financially troubled Edmonton Oilers of the now defunct World Hockey Association to a fellow Canadian real estate man, Peter Pocklington. In exchange for half the team, Pocklington gave up a diamond ring, some paintings, other odds and ends, and the $200,000 Rolls-Royce driven by Robert Redford in ''The Great Gatsby.''

The transaction, recalls Skalbania, was ''very close'' to the following: Pocklington: ''Look, I'll throw in this seven-carat diamond ring. It's off my wife's finger and worth a $150,000, easy.'' Skalbania: ''Well, ah, Peter ...'' Pocklington: ''Do you want me to throw in my wife's finger, too? OK, I'll throw in the Rolls and Krieghoff, too, but that's final.'' Skalbania: ''With the Rolls you got yourself a deal.'' Skalbania recalls now: ''Peter was in the same business, in real estate, that I was, at the time. But maybe he didn't have a lot of cash, and hockey players will only play for cash. So I'd rather have diamonds, paintings or Rolls-Royces than all of the hockey players. So I suppose I put up all the money and got these assets back for half. Later on, Peter bought the other half of it.' They worked out details on the back of a napkin. - The New York Times

"Then there was Nelson Skalbania. He's the man who beat everybody in the hockey world to put Wayne Gretzky under a personal services contract to play for the WHA's Indianapolis Racers. He parleyed that into the deal with Peter Pocklington, another high flyer, that sent Gretzky to Edmonton, then still in the WHA. While Nelson Skalbania was operating in the WHA, or anywhere, for that matter, he was a media delight. He was either up $10 million or down $10 million, depending on what day it was." - Aquisitors by Peter C. Neuman

Nelson and Peter Pocklington - The man who came to be known as "Peter Puck" bought part ownership of the Edmonton Oilers in 1976. According to his biography, he offered a diamond ring his wife was wearing to dinner as his down payment. Within a year, Pocklington bought out his partner, Nelson Skalbania, who would later own the WHA's Indianapolis Racers. It was also from Skalbania that Pocklington acquired perhaps the greatest hockey player ever. In the fall of 1978, Skalbania offered Pocklington the rights to a 17-year-old phenom Wayne Gretzky. The Oilers' owner did not hesitate to do the deal. A few months later, Pocklington parlayed the Gretzky signing into a merger between the WHA and the National Hockey League (NHL); with this, the Oilers became members of the NHL. Five years later, the Oilers would win their first of five Stanley Cup championships they would capture under Pocklington's ownership.

Nelson with Wayne Gretzky when he was in Phoenix as coach of the Phoenix Covotes

Nelson with Jimmy Pattison on 16 Dec 2023, just after Jimmy played the piano and sang twenty five Christmas carols. Jimmy is 95 . The first deal I did with Jimmy was to sell him 50% of the Vancouver Canadians triple A baseball team  in 1980.

1. Michael Gobuty - former owner of Winnipeg Jets, that signed Bobby Hull to the first professional sports contract for $1 million/yr. 2. Ken Taylor - the Canadian hero and ambassador to Iran that helped rescue hostages. 3. Johnny Basset - Toronto media family, owned Birmingham Bulls and told me to sign Gretzky (Carling Basset, Johnny's daughter, a professional tennis player). 4. Nelson Skalbania

Former WHA owners in Palm Desert 2023 - left to right:
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1. Michael Gobuty, former owner of Winnipeg Jets. He signed Bobby Hull as the first global athlete to be paid $1 million per year. 2. Nelson Skalbania simultaneously owned the Indianapolis Racers and the Edmonton Oilers. He later signed Wayne Gretzky and played him in Indianapolis for the first time. 3. Natalie Gaglardi, wife of owner of the Dallas Stars( NHL). 4. Howard Baldwin owned Hartford Whalers, where he signed Gordy Howe and his two sons to play together. Baldwin went on to own and manage the Pittsburg Penguins and then later to produce movies (Safari, Raye etc.) 5. Peter Pocklington bought Oilers and Gretsky from Skalbania and Peter ends up with five Stanley Cup rings in Edmonton.

“I talked to Nelson Skalbania all the time,” Gretzky told hosts Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney. “He called me [at] 7 am when we won the Stanley Cup and said, ‘I am going to buy the Vancouver Canucks, I’ll give you 25% ownership of the team and $3 million a year.’ - Offside