John J. McMullen, 87; Ex-Owner of Devils, Astros Sports Teams

John J. McMullen, 87, former owner of the New Jersey Devils and Houston Astros professional sports teams, died Friday in Montclair, N.J., of undisclosed causes.

McMullen was credited with bringing NHL hockey to New Jersey by acquiring the Colorado Rockies franchise in 1982 and moving it to the Meadowlands Sports Complex. Under his ownership, the team won two Stanley Cups. He sold the franchise in 2000 to an affiliate of the YankeeNets sports holding company for $175 million.

McMullen bought a stake in baseball’s New York Yankees in 1974 before purchasing the Astros five years later.

“There is nothing quite so limited as being a limited partner of George Steinbrenner’s,” he said.

McMullen sold the Astros in 1992 to Drayton McLane Jr. for $115 million.

Born in Jersey City, N.J., McMullen graduated from the Naval Academy in 1940 and rose to the rank of commander during his 15-year naval career. He held advanced degrees in naval architecture and engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich.

In 1959, he started an international firm of naval architects and marine engineers. From 1968 to 1971, he was president of United States Lines, and from 1972 to 2002 owned the Norton Lilly International shipping agency.