Game Misconduct: Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Through a series of investigative newspaper articles collectively
entitled “Cracking the Ice,” Russ Conway, a sports reporter since
1967 at the Boston Eagle-Tribune, drew sufficient attention to the
possibly illegal activities of Alan Eagleson, player agent and executive
director of the NHL Players’ Association. Eagleson was subsequently
charged with, and ultimately convicted of, a number of criminal offences
in the United States and Canada. Game Misconduct presents the story
behind the articles.

In largely chronological fashion, the book traces Conway’s gathering
of evidence against Eagleson, which began when Conway attended the 1990
reunion of the 1970 Stanley Cup–winning Boston Bruins team. At the
reunion, a number of ex-Bruins raised questions about some of
Eagleson’s questionable activities, questions that triggered memories
of other conversations about Eagleson that Conway had engaged in with
other NHL players during his years as a sports reporter. Conway, who is
liberal in his use of direct quotes from NHL players, past and present,
and from others associated with professional hockey, reveals how
Eagleson used his player agent/union head positions in blatant
conflict-of-interest situations to benefit himself financially; he did
so through such avenues as player contracts, the players’ pension
funds, insurance settlements, and the international Canada Cup
tournaments.

Although it is a well-researched piece of nonfiction, Game Misconduct
is as grippingly written as the best page-turning detective novel.
Readers confronted with Conway’s growing pile of evidence against
Eagleson can only shake their heads in disbelief at how long it took
Canadian legal authorities to take action against “the Eagle.”
Black-and-white photos depict the key players discussed in the book.

Originally published in 1995, this updated version carries the Eagleson
story through to May 1997, a date before Eagleson’s convictions, his
jail sentence, and the stripping of his various honors. Game Misconduct
is highly recommended for libraries, especially those that did not
purchase the 1995 edition.