by the mid-1980s, the old digest-sized format of the "nhl guide" could no longer accommodate the increased number of league players and clubs. early in 1984, dan diamond, a toronto-based editor and publisher, proposed a redesign and reorganization of the "nhl guide", converting it to a magazine-sized format and incorporating photographs for the first time since the hendy editions. the nhl accepted diamond's proposal and the redesigned format made its first appearance in the fall of 1984 in a 352-page edition. twenty-five years later, the book had grown to 656 pages and included a mug-shot photo of every active nhl player.