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71-546: Eagleson is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: Alan Eagleson (born 1933), disbarred Canadian lawyer, convicted felon David Eagleson (1924–2003), judge of the Supreme Court of California from 1987 to 1991 Dylan Eagleson , Irish boxer Ernest G. Eagleson , mayor of Boise, Idaho, in the 1910s and 1920s Ryan Eagleson (born 1974), former Irish cricketer Vashon Eagleson , college football coach for

142-548: A defenceman will often be described as the power play "quarterback", in particular if an umbrella power play formation is used (where a single defenceman is occupying the point, in the middle of the ice). This is also referred to as "playing the point " (this term derives not from the basketball position, but from an older name for the defence position in hockey itself). During faceoffs in the defensive zone, most teams have their defence players pair up with opposing wingers to tie them up while leaving his team's forwards open to move

213-516: A goaltender on the ice, and may use either two forwards and one defenceman, or—rarely—two defencemen and one forward. Organized play of ice hockey originates from the first indoor game in Montreal in 1875. In subsequent years, the players per side were reduced to seven per side. Positions were standardized, and two correspond to the two defencemen of current six-man rules. These were designated as cover point and point , although they lined up behind

284-612: A grudge not only because of Eagleson's fraud and abuse, but also his lack of contrition. In October 2013, Orr commented on his perception of Eagleson's lack of integrity. Orr said, "I just wanted to get away from the man -- person", correcting himself as he refused to refer to Eagleson as a "man." Defenders of Eagleson pointed out that during his tenure as executive director of the NHLPA, both salaries and pension benefits increased exponentially, offering real security to players that had not existed until that time. The earlier NHLPA only lasted

355-535: A large amount of material to Conway. Although Eagleson had been based in Toronto, most Canadian media organizations had avoided detailed investigation of his dealings until Conway's material was published. That changed when The Globe and Mail began its own examination of Eagleson's career in early 1993, and published a series of stories with further revelations. Two Globe sports writers, William Houston and David Shoalts , expanded that material, Conway's work, and

426-415: A penalty), in which two defencemen are typically joined by only two forwards and a goaltender; when a team is on the power play (i.e. the opponent has been assessed a penalty), teams will often play only one defencemen, joined by four forwards and a goaltender. In National Hockey League regular season play in overtime, effective with the 2015-16 season , teams (usually) have only three position players and

497-425: A reference to the blue line in ice hockey which represents the boundary of the offensive zone; defencemen generally position themselves along the line to keep the puck in the zone). They were once called cover-point. In regular play, two defencemen complement three forwards and a goaltender on the ice. Exceptions include overtime during the regular season and when a team is short-handed (i.e. has been assessed

568-408: A shot on net is made, an unguarded forward can often redirect it too quickly for the goalie to adjust or else score on a rebound. Another important duty is clearing rebounds away from the goal, and preferably to the defenceman's teammates, before opposing forwards can get to them. Often, defence players end up covering the opposing team's wingers while in the defensive zone, while their centre will cover

639-532: A union official being elected to the hall of fame in a major team sport. That same year, Eagleson was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for his work in promoting the sport. Over the years, Eagleson developed a very close relationship with league president John Ziegler . For all intents and purposes, the NHL of the 1980s was ruled by a triumvirate of Ziegler, Eagleson and Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz , who

710-684: A year, as owners broke the union in 1957 by demoting to the minors or trading the involved players, which led out-of-court settlement over several players' issues in return for the disbanding of the union. There was some controversy that Eagleson's directives (aside from instances in which he colluded with favoured owners to hold down wages) contributed, as well as the formation of the rival WHA, to rapidly increasing player salaries, something especially advocated by his successor Bob Goodenow . Moreover, before Eagleson's involvement, North American professional players had never participated in international hockey , an involvement that later grew into involvement in

781-490: Is an offensive defenceman , who gets aggressively involved in the team's offence. To accomplish this, the offensive defence player often “pinches in” to keep the play from going offside and moves towards the halfboards and high-slot area for scoring opportunities. This makes it difficult for the opposing team to protect their net from being scored upon if the team can maintain control of the puck . However, this can lead to more odd man rushes and breakaway opportunities for

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852-551: Is one of only two people ever removed from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Soon after his guilty plea, Eagleson was removed from the Order of Canada . Though he was not entitled to do so, he continued to wear his Order of Canada lapel pin during the court proceedings before his sentence. Since being released, Eagleson has largely remained out of the limelight, although he was interviewed on television after Canada's loss to Russia in

923-541: Is practically a second goal-minder ... although he should remain close to his goal-keeper, he should never obstruct that man's view of the puck. He should, as a rule, avoid rushing up the ice, but if he has a good opening for such a play he should give the puck to one of the forwards on the first opportunity and then hasten back to his position, which has been occupied, in the interim, by the cover-point." Also in Farrell's 1899 book, Hugh Baird, then captain and cover-point of

994-462: Is still referred to as "playing the point", though this term now refers mostly to the role of defencemen on the power-play. Defencemen must possess excellent skating abilities, specifically in speed, constant foot movement and quick transitioning from forward to backward and vice versa. With regard to skating backwards, defencemen must acquire a higher skill level than offensive players. This allows them to face their offensive opponents as they rush down

1065-796: Is the only defenceman in NHL history to capture the Art Ross Trophy as the league's leading scorer. In 1998, Orr was selected as the best defenceman of all-time (second overall player behind Wayne Gretzky ) in The Hockey News ' Top 100 NHL Players of all-time . Conversely, according to the IIHF Centennial All-Star Team (also chosen by The Hockey News ), the greatest defencemen to play in IIHF -sanctioned international competition are Vyacheslav Fetisov and Börje Salming . Defence players are often described by

1136-549: The Toronto Star . No other NHL owner was ever charged in the affair. Orr was once one of Eagleson's strongest supporters, but broke with him after suspecting that he was being cheated. Orr, whose career ended in 1978 because of serious knee injuries, learned from an independent accountant that he was almost insolvent from tax liabilities, despite having supposedly earned high salaries while being represented by Eagleson. It took Orr several years to recover his fortune. However,

1207-534: The Blue and White Group , a group of friends he had known from the Maple Leafs, including Brewer, Pulford, Bobby Baun and Billy Harris , along with a car dealer, a jeweller, and three other lawyers. Eagleson's motive was to educate these players about investments, and use their funds more intelligently. Pulford, Baun, Brewer and Harris eventually earned university degrees after their playing careers. Two members of

1278-592: The Boston Bruins . This marked the first time an agent represented a professional hockey player. Secondly, Carl Brewer fought to have his amateur status reinstated. Lastly, Eagleson was involved in representing the Springfield Indians during their negotiations with owner Eddie Shore over players' rights. These events solidified Eagleson's reputation, and he became the catalyst for the NHLPA . When

1349-499: The Montreal Hockey Club , describes the cover-point as "a combination of a defence man and a forward, and is allowed, in virtue of this fact, more latitude with respect to leaving his position, than any man on the team, except the rover. In his capacity of a defence player, he should linger around his goals as long as the puck is near... When the play is at the other end of the rink, the cover-point should advance to about

1420-811: The Progressive Conservatives in the Toronto riding of York West . He was defeated by then-active NHL player Red Kelly , who ran for the Liberals . Later that year, he was elected to the Ontario Legislative Assembly as the Progressive Conservative MPP for the newly created Toronto riding of Lakeshore . He served there until 1967 when he was defeated by Patrick Lawlor of the Ontario New Democratic Party . He

1491-697: The University of Toronto and soon became a prominent lawyer in Toronto . He first became involved with hockey as an advisor to Bob Pulford , a player with the Toronto Maple Leafs . It was quickly realized that any attempt to create a union would be easier to achieve with Leafs players as his base of power. That led to other members of the Leafs becoming clients, most notably defenceman Carl Brewer , who hired Eagleson as his agent. Eagleson formed

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1562-606: The World Hockey Championship , the World Cup of Hockey , and the Winter Olympic Games. Eagleson's maximum official salary as executive director of NHLPA was one-tenth of that of his successor, Bob Goodenow. While Eagleson's close relationship with Ziegler and Chicago Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz led to them forming a cooperative triumvirate, this ended immediately with Goodenow's accession to

1633-415: The defensive zone , the defence player is responsible for keeping the opposing forwards' opportunities to a minimum when they are on a rush, forcing them to the corners and blocking both passing and shooting lanes. The primary responsibility is to cover areas of the defensive zone that would otherwise pose a clear goalscoring threat from the opposing offence. When the opposing offence is putting pressure on

1704-634: The 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin , Italy . To date, all Summit Series events for Team Canada have involved only the players and coaches. Eagleson was originally invited to the 40th anniversary reunion of the Summit Series scheduled in September 2012 with the support of most members of Team Canada; however his invite was revoked due to opposition from Phil Esposito , Brad Park, and Dennis Hull . It has been suggested that some players still held

1775-540: The Blackhawks had a deal on the table that Orr could not refuse. It later emerged that the Bruins had offered Orr one of the most lucrative contracts in sports history, including an 18 per cent stake in the team; however, Eagleson claimed the Blackhawks had a better offer. Blackhawks owner Bill Wirtz was never charged with wrongdoing, largely because the Bruins' offer was widely known in league circles, and even reported in

1846-484: The Blue and White Group, Pulford and Baun, were the first two presidents of the NHLPA. The Leafs' acquisition of Andy Bathgate was advantageous to Eagleson. A friendship was forged in Toronto which followed Bathgate to Detroit , where Eagleson started to talk to Red Wings players about the concept of a union. Eagleson's influence in the hockey world began when he negotiated Bobby Orr 's first professional contract with

1917-480: The Canada Cup and other arrangements unknown to the players. In addition, many local Canadian journalists owed favours or access to Eagleson. In 1989 player agents Ritch Winter and Ron Salcer teamed up with former National Football League union official Ed Garvey to author a devastating review of the NHLPA's operations. Winter and Salcer had been critical of Eagleson's stewardship for many years, and felt he

1988-524: The NHL. Four years later, Eagleson organized the first Canada Cup , which included WHA players. During the final game of the Summit Series games in Moscow , Eagleson garnered international attention by attempting to confront off-ice officials after the goal judge had failed to light the goal lamp when a Canadian player scored, at which point he was seized by soldiers of the Red Army. The Canadian players and

2059-549: The NHLPA had unknowingly footed the bill for expensive clothing, theatre tickets and a luxury apartment in London . Many players had been led to believe that they were playing in the Canada Cup for free because all the money was going to their pensions. Conway worked very closely with Carl Brewer , one of Eagleson's early clients. Brewer had by this time become the leader of a group of former players who felt Eagleson had lied to them. Brewer's longtime companion, Susan Foster, provided

2130-431: The NHLPA was formed in 1967, Eagleson was appointed its first executive director, a position he held for 25 years. By 1979, Eagleson represented more than a dozen Toronto Maple Leafs players, including Darryl Sittler and his best friend and linemate, Lanny McDonald . Eagleson had a strained relationship with Leafs owner Harold Ballard and general manager Punch Imlach . Imlach believed Sittler had too much influence on

2201-458: The NHLPA. Just two months after being appointed head of the union, Goodenow led the players out on a 10-day strike on the eve of the Stanley Cup playoffs, which fundamentally altered the relationship between the league and its players. Goodenow called the strike a "major moment", stating "I don't think the owners took the players seriously and it wasn't until the strike that they understood

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2272-689: The North Carolina Eagles Thomas W. Keene (1840–1898), American actor, born Thomas R. Eagleson See also [ edit ] Eagleson Road (Ottawa Road #49) in Ottawa's west end in Kanata Eagleson Station (OC Transpo) , in Ottawa, Ontario [REDACTED] Surname list This page lists people with the surname Eagleson . If an internal link intending to refer to a specific person led you to this page, you may wish to change that link by adding

2343-709: The United States until 1997. After a three-year investigation, the RCMP charged Eagleson with eight counts of fraud and theft. Some of Eagleson's former clients, including Bobby Orr, remarked that had it not been for the United States justice system, he would never have been charged. After being arrested, one FBI agent remarked that Eagleson "just didn't get it", as the former sports agent was tinkering with police equipment while being booked. On January 6, 1998, Eagleson pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in Boston, and

2414-815: The amount that they participate in offence. The extreme of non-participation in offence is a "stay-at-home" defender, who plays a conservative, risk averse game and does not score much, instead focusing on defensive assignments towards the opposing team. A good example is Rod Langway , who won the 1983 Norris Trophy after having scored only three goals that season, as the award winners before and after him were primarily offensive defencemen such as Bobby Orr , Denis Potvin , and Paul Coffey . Other examples of stay-at-home defencemen include Leo Boivin , Chris Chelios , Tim Horton , Harry Howell , Tom Johnson , Jacques Laperrière , Kevin Lowe , Brad McCrimmon , Bill Quackenbush , and Scott Stevens . The other extreme of participation

2485-553: The basis of a book, Game Misconduct: Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey. Tipped off by Conway's investigations, future Vancouver Canucks General Manager Mike Gillis successfully sued Eagleson in 1997 for $ 570,000 for stealing a portion of his disability insurance. Conway published several other stories over the next nine years about Eagleson's crimes. For instance, he had been reimbursed more than $ 62,000 for personal expenses from 1987 to 1989. He also revealed that

2556-475: The blue line because his slapshot was simply too fast to block effectively. When a team is on a power play , a defence player can set up plays in the offensive zone, and distribute the puck to the teammate that he or she feels is in the best position to score, similar to a point guard in basketball , a playmaker in soccer , and a quarterback in American football and Canadian football . For this reason,

2627-455: The blue line that demarcates where the offensive zone begins. Should the puck cross this line, the offence cannot touch the puck in their opponent's zone without stopping play (see offside ). Defencemen must be quick to pass the puck around, helping their forwards to open up shooting lanes, or taking open shots themselves when they become available. The defence must also be able to skate quickly to cut off any breakaways, moving themselves back into

2698-469: The center and the rover, unlike today. Decades later, defencemen were standardized into playing left and right sides of the ice. According to one of the earliest known books on ice hockey, Farrell's Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game (1899), Mike Grant of the Montreal Victorias , describes the point as "essentially defensive. He should not stray too far from his place, because oftentimes he

2769-591: The claims and there had been no "fight". In other cases in which a "fight" with the insurance companies was required, several players ran into bureaucratic dead ends and no support from Eagleson while they tried to move forward on insurance and pension claims to support their families. Conway was particularly moved by the ordeal of second-line defenceman Ed Kea , who suffered a devastating head injury that required major brain surgery and left him physically and mentally disabled. This not only ended Kea's playing days but also jeopardized his post-hockey career and finances, as he

2840-588: The controversy, but with the growing player revolt, a formal vote of board members was scheduled to decide the matter. Knowing that he faced all-but certain expulsion (an informal vote to expel him had already passed), Eagleson resigned in April 1998, six days before the board's final vote was scheduled. His resignation was accepted immediately, and Eagleson became the first member of a sports hall of fame in North America to resign. Along with Gil Stein , Eagleson

2911-451: The defence's team, the defence skater usually plays closer to the net, attempting again to block shooting lanes but also ensure that the goalie is not screened (prevented from being able to see the puck at all times). It is especially critical for the defenceman to keep opposing forwards from being able to move effectively in front of the net, which is why defencemen are frequently tasked with playing physical hockey in front of their own net. If

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2982-408: The defensive zone ahead of the onrushing opponent. Essentially in all three zones of the rink, the defence is the backstop for the puck. It should never go behind the defence, unless the player intentionally lets it for strategic reasons. The defence keeps the momentum of play squarely directed towards the opposing goal, or at least away from his own. Because defencemen are often expected to shoot on

3053-519: The devastating 1989 report by Winter and Salcer, most Canadian journalists did not look into the rumours. Over the course of a year, Conway interviewed many NHL personalities, including former and active players and NHL officials. In September 1991, he published the first of many instalments in a series called Cracking the Ice: Intrigue and Conflict in the World of Big-Time Hockey, a series that

3124-517: The few Canadian fans rallied to his defence to prevent him from being arrested, providing one of the most memorable off-ice moments of the series. As they walked back across the ice, Eagleson allegedly extended his middle finger to the Soviet crowd. Eagleson was also active in politics for many years. In the 1963 federal election , he ran unsuccessfully for a seat in the House of Commons of Canada for

3195-538: The goals, but if he has not, he should, as I have said, return the puck instantaneously." After a finished season the NHL, the premier ice hockey league in the world, presents the James Norris Memorial Trophy to the best defenceman in the league. Bobby Orr of the Boston Bruins – an eight-time Norris Trophy recipient – is often considered to be the greatest defenceman in NHL and ice hockey history. In addition to his Norris Trophy honours, he

3266-421: The ice toward the defensive zone. A defenceman must be as comfortable going backwards and sideways as forwards. Defencemen must also gain confidence in quickly carrying the puck to open up the attack during a defensive zone break-out. This requires the ability to burst out of the defensive zone with speed, yet at the same time having the ability to use their vision to execute quick passes to open forwards, or gaining

3337-593: The latest developments into their own book, entitled Eagleson: The Fall of a Hockey Czar , which was published later in 1993. In 1994 Eagleson was charged by the FBI with 34 counts of racketeering, obstruction of justice, embezzlement and fraud in Boston . However, he still had enough political clout from his days as an MPP and a power broker with the Progressive Conservatives to stave off extradition to

3408-417: The middle, so that when the puck is lifted down, he may return it without loss of time, in order to keep the game centered around his opponents' goals, and to save his forwards the trouble of skating up to him so that they may again 'get in to play.' It is by playing far up under these circumstances that a clever cover-point can chine to the advantage of his team. If he has a good opening he should shoot well for

3479-509: The nickname "Uncle Al". Eagleson travelled regularly to negotiations and ice hockey events in Europe with an entourage, and employed Aggie Kukulowicz as a Russian language interpreter. Notably, Eagleson was responsible for the decision to exclude many WHA stars from the Summit Series, including Bobby Hull , Gerry Cheevers and Derek Sanderson , as they had chosen to play in the WHA instead of

3550-414: The offensive momentum without leaving the defenceman out of position should his team lose control of the puck. In certain situations the best option could be to skate the puck into the zone to maintain offensive speed as well as preventing an offside. In the offensive zone , the defence skaters usually "play the blue line". It is their duty to keep the puck in the offensive zone by stopping it from crossing

3621-402: The opposing net from long range, these players often develop the hardest and most accurate slapshots . This is because taking a more stationary position on the blue line rewards pure accuracy and patience, rather than the adept hand–eye coordination attributed to forwards. Al MacInnis , who was seven times decorated with "Hardest Shot" in NHL skills competitions, was able to score frequently from

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3692-432: The opposing team if the defender does not succeed. Bobby Orr's end-to-end rushing allowed him to defend effectively as well as attack, helping his teams win two Stanley Cup Championships. By contrast, Paul Coffey enjoyed high offensive production but his defensive play was considered mediocre for most of his career; he helped his teams win four Stanley Cup Championships, often paired with a "stay-at-home" defender. When in

3763-496: The opposing team's centre. In the neutral zone , the defence hangs back towards his or her own blue line, usually playing the puck up to other teammates. According to Jay Leach, who writes for NHL.com's "learn to play hockey" section, the defence must "Move the puck hard and quick to the open man. Join the rush, [but] do not lead it." Because of this responsibility, defencemen must read the other team's defensive strategy effectively in order to make an effective first pass that furthers

3834-537: The person's given name (s) to the link. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eagleson&oldid=1122803465 " Category : Surnames Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata All set index articles Alan Eagleson Robert Alan Eagleson (born April 24, 1933) is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, hockey agent and promoter. Clients that he represented included superstars Bobby Orr and Darryl Sittler . He

3905-564: The players were serious." Ziegler was ousted as NHL president following the season, and Gil Stein was named to succeed him on an interim basis until Gary Bettman was chosen as the league's first commissioner . Defenceman (ice hockey) Defence or defense (in American English ) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from scoring . They are often referred to as defencemen , D , D-men or blueliners (the latter

3976-459: The profession in Ontario. During the criminal proceedings against him, several players whom he had defrauded were amongst his biggest supporters. Many of his most ardent supporters during and after his trial were famous and prominent clients who had benefited from his activities, including high-profile hockey personalities such as Bobby Clarke , Bob Gainey and Marcel Dionne . Eagleson even had

4047-401: The puck, though this is at the discretion of the individual coach. In the offensive zone, the defence player acts in his or her usual role, keeping control of the puck as the forwards fight for position. In the first organized ice hockey, (see Amateur Hockey Association of Canada ), defencemen used to line up in an "I" formation behind the rover (defunct) as point and cover point . Defence

4118-467: The same wall as that man." Over the next six weeks, 18 other Hall of Fame players (including Bobby Orr, Andy Bathgate, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe , Jean Béliveau , Mike Bossy , Johnny Bucyk , Ted Lindsay , Henri Richard , Johnny Bower , Darryl Sittler and Dickie Moore ) followed Park's lead and threatened to resign from the Hall if Eagleson was allowed to remain. The Hall initially tried to stay out of

4189-440: The series' most shocking revelation concerned Eagleson's actions regarding disability claims by former players. Eagleson was accused of taking large payments from insurance claims before the players filing them received their share, telling the players that he earned the "fee" while fighting against the insurance companies to get the claims paid. In fact, many players later learned that the insurance companies had already agreed to pay

4260-491: The support of some prominent Liberals , including former Prime Minister John Turner . Eagleson was reportedly unrepentant about his crimes, and as of 2012 several former Team Canada players have refused to reconcile with him. On January 6, 1998, the day of Eagleson's first guilty plea, Hockey Hall of Fame member Brad Park made a public statement, saying, "I challenge the Hall of Fame to remove Alan Eagleson. If they do not, I will request to be removed. I do not want to be on

4331-519: The team and tried to undermine his authority with the players. When Sittler and goaltender Mike Palmateer agreed to appear on the TV show Showdown , as negotiated by the NHLPA, Imlach went to court to try to get an injunction to stop them. When Imlach said that he was open to offers for Sittler from other teams, Eagleson said it would cost $ 500,000 to get Sittler to waive the no-trade clause in his contract. So, instead of trading Sittler, Imlach sent McDonald to

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4402-511: The union's executive committee was stacked with longtime associates. Eagleson then announced he would be stepping down as executive director in 1992. In 1990, Russ Conway , sports editor of The Eagle-Tribune , began an investigation of Eagleson's performance in office. Conway had heard rumours for some time that something was seriously amiss about the inner workings of the NHL—specifically, serious discrepancies in pension payments. Despite

4473-534: The woeful Colorado Rockies on December 29, 1979. In response, Sittler ripped the captain's C off his sweater, later commenting that a captain had to be the go-between with players and management, and he no longer had any communication with management. Ballard likened Sittler's actions to burning the Canadian flag. Eagleson was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1989 as a builder —the first instance of

4544-506: Was a major PC fundraiser and president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 1968 to 1976. He would become part of Bill Davis ' Big Blue Machine that dominated Ontario politics for much of the 1970s and 1980s. As Eagleson's power grew, concern was raised about his multiple roles as union chief, player agent and hockey promoter. Suspicions also rose that he was reaping a substantial windfall from

4615-507: Was chairman of the NHL board of governors. Eagleson was also active in promoting the sport, helping to organize the historic 1972 Summit Series —the first time Canadian and Soviet professionals had ever competed against each other on the ice. According to the Globe and Mail , his role as "manager and motivator, travel agent and godfather, firebrand and peacemaker" for the first squad ever to be known as Team Canada earned him wide recognition and

4686-405: Was convicted of fraud and embezzlement and briefly imprisoned , after it was revealed that he had abused his position for many years by defrauding his clients and skimming money from tournaments. After his convictions, he was removed as a member of the Order of Canada and resigned from the Hockey Hall of Fame where he had been inducted in the builder category. Eagleson graduated in law from

4757-581: Was fined US$ 700,000 . One day later, he pleaded guilty in Toronto to three more counts of fraud and embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars of Canada Cup proceeds in 1984, 1987 and 1991. He was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he served six months at the Mimico Correctional Centre in Toronto. The conviction resulted in his automatic disbarment from the practice of law by the Law Society of Upper Canada , which regulates

4828-464: Was intended to last six months, but which would run for most of the 1990s based on the information gleaned, and which earned Conway a Pulitzer nomination. The series revealed evidence that Eagleson had engaged in a staggering litany of unethical and criminal conduct over many years. Conway's writings alleged that Eagleson had embezzled player pension funds for many years. For example, in 1976 after Orr's contract with Boston ran out , Eagleson said that

4899-497: Was not giving them the support they needed to adequately represent their clients. The report, presented at a union meeting in West Palm Beach , revealed that Eagleson's travel expenses were not subject to any form of review by the union. Winter and Salcer also charged that Eagleson was skimming off money from advertising on the dasher boards, and had lent pension money to friends. Eagleson was able to weather this storm because

4970-478: Was playing in a minor league game and NHL benefits for catastrophic injuries did not apply to his case. Unable to hold a job, Kea's family which included four children struggled for several years. Conway was appalled that Eagleson "didn't even have the common decency to go visit the family. He wouldn't aid them in the insurance process. He was gone. Crush up the cigarette pack, throw it out. Next!" Conway vowed never to forget Kea's story and later turned his series into

5041-634: Was the first executive director of the NHL Players Association (NHLPA), which was initially lauded for improving the bargaining power of National Hockey League (NHL) players. He is also well known for providing the opportunity for professional players to compete in international hockey, by promoting the 1972 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union , and the Canada Cup (now the World Cup of Hockey ). However, Eagleson

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