President John Ziegler of the National Hockey...

President John Ziegler of the National Hockey League will be among the witnesses appearing at a civil trial today in Vancouver, Canada, to determine whether he had the power to impose a $310,000 fine on the Vancouver Canucks. The trial stems from Vancouver’s secret signing of Pat Quinn, former coach of the Kings, to a five-year $1.16-million contract while he was still coaching the Kings.

To seal the deal, Quinn was given a $100,000 signing bonus a few hours before a King-Canuck game that ended in a 3-3 tie Jan. 2. When Ziegler learned of the deal a few days later, he expelled Quinn, pending an investigation.

Ziegler, calling the Canucks actions “dishonorable and prejudicial,” fined the team $310,000 Jan. 30. The Kings were also fined $110,000 for allowing Quinn to continue coaching despite knowledge of the deal.