Neilson was a bundle of contradictions. Nicknamed Captain Video for his many cutting-edge technological innovations, he routinely got lost in parking lots and arenas and once tried to change a TV channel with his calculator. Hehad a deep love of hockey, but he seemed to undo it at each turn, exploiting loopholes in the rules at every opportunity. He might have angered hockey people if they weren’t too busy laughing at his antics and marvelling at his boundless energy. On the job, he was maniacally driven, obsessed with order, detail, analysis, and a defensive mindset that is the flavour – some say the scourge – of today’s NHL.