39 Facts About Alan Eagleson

Robert Alan Eagleson was born on April 24,1933 and is a disbarred Canadian lawyer, hockey agent and promoter.

Alan Eagleson was the first executive director of the NHL Players Association, which was initially lauded for improving the bargaining power of National Hockey League players.

Alan Eagleson is 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.

However, Eagleson 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.

Alan Eagleson graduated in law from the University of Toronto and soon became a prominent lawyer in Toronto.

Alan Eagleson first became involved with hockey as an advisor to Bob Pulford, a player with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Alan Eagleson formed 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.

Alan Eagleson's motive was to educate these players about investments, and use their funds more intelligently.

Lastly, Alan Eagleson was involved in representing the Springfield Indians during their negotiations with owner Eddie Shore over players' rights.

Alan Eagleson had a strained relationship with Leafs owner Harold Ballard and general manager Punch Imlach.

When Imlach said that he was open to offers for Sittler from other teams, Alan Eagleson said it would cost $500,000 to get Sittler to waive the no-trade clause in his contract.

That same year, Alan Eagleson was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for his work in promoting the sport.

Alan Eagleson travelled regularly to negotiations and ice hockey events in Europe with an entourage, and employed Aggie Kukulowicz as a Russian language interpreter.

Notably, Alan 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 the NHL.

Four years later, Alan Eagleson organized the first Canada Cup, which included WHA players.

Alan Eagleson was defeated by then-active NHL player Red Kelly, who ran for the Liberals.

Alan Eagleson served there until 1967 when he was defeated by Patrick Lawlor of the Ontario New Democratic Party.

Alan Eagleson was a major PC fundraiser and president of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario from 1968 to 1976.

Alan Eagleson would become part of Bill Davis' Big Blue Machine that dominated Ontario politics for much of the 1970s and 1980s.

Winter and Salcer charged that Alan Eagleson was skimming off money from advertising on the dasher boards, and had lent pension money to friends.

Alan Eagleson was able to weather this storm because the union's executive committee was stacked with longtime associates.

Alan Eagleson then announced he would be stepping down as executive director in 1992.

The series revealed evidence that Alan Eagleson had engaged in a staggering litany of unethical and criminal conduct over many years.

Conway's writings alleged that Alan Eagleson had embezzled player pension funds for many years.

For example, in 1976 after Orr's contract with Boston ran out, Alan Eagleson said that the Blackhawks had a deal on the table that Orr could not refuse.

However, the series' most shocking revelation concerned Alan Eagleson's actions regarding disability claims by former players.

Alan 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.

Alan Eagleson revealed that the NHLPA had unknowingly footed the bill for expensive clothing, theatre tickets and a luxury apartment in London.

Brewer had by this time become the leader of a group of former players who felt Alan Eagleson had lied to them.

Two Globe sports writers, William Houston and David Shoalts, expanded that material, Conway's work, and the latest developments into their own book, entitled Alan Eagleson: The Fall of a Hockey Czar, which was published later in 1993.

In 1994 Alan Eagleson was charged by the FBI with 34 counts of racketeering, obstruction of justice, embezzlement and fraud in Boston.

On January 6,1998, Alan Eagleson pleaded guilty to three counts of mail fraud in Boston, and was fined.

Alan Eagleson was sentenced to 18 months in prison, of which he served six months at the Mimico Correctional Centre in Toronto.

Alan Eagleson even had the support of some prominent Liberals, including former Prime Minister John Turner.

Alan Eagleson was reportedly unrepentant about his crimes, and as of 2012 several former Team Canada players have refused to reconcile with him.

Alan Eagleson's resignation was accepted immediately, and Eagleson became the first member of a sports hall of fame in North America to resign.

Since being released, Alan Eagleson has largely remained out of the limelight, although he was interviewed on television after Canada's loss to Russia in the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.

Alan 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.

Defenders of Alan 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.