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Game Misconduct : Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey

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In "Game Misconduct" reporter/author Russ Conway has exposed the scourge of the National Hockey League personified by Alan Eagelson. Initiated by his relationship with the Boston Bruins of the early '70s, including Bobby Orr, Conway became aware of inequities in pension payments to such NHL greats as Brad Park, Gordie Howe and Orr. But perhaps more frightening and vile were the actions taken by Eagelson in disability claims by former players. Innumerable examples of players filing for permanent disability due to injury are chronicled in this book. The tragedy is the way Eagelson manipulated the NHL Players Association, the NHL and the players to gain profit off the backs of the injured. Eagelson "charged" the diability insurance for representing the players. A significant percentage of insurance claims lined Eagelson's pockets before the injured/retired player saw a dime. In addition, such players as Brad Park, whose child suffers from a chronic illness, were stonewalled on insurance and pension claims to support their family.

Conway methodically documents the path Eagelson traveled in his rise from virtual unknown to head of the NHLPA and major sports agent. How one man can succeed in an environment of obvious conflicts of interest is testimony to the ruthlessness of major sports team ownership and the naivete of the young professional athlete. Conway brings the reader to 1996 and the Eagelson indictments in US Feredal Courts in Boston but unfortunately is unable to report on the successful extradition of Eagelson to the US from Canadan proving money has its benefits.

This is a well researched book on the corruption of major sports in Norht America. Conway deserves praise for exposing the cold and calculating Eagelson who profited from the agony and injury of players he represented as agent and NHLPA head. Anyone interested in major sports off the field will be amazed by this book

This is one of the most important sports books ever written. Through his exhaustive work, Russ Conway exposes the greed, corruption and financial swindling that plagued the NHL throughout Alan Eagelson's reign of terror and the financial and emotional price that so many players faced. Most importantly, Conway's work served as the catalyst for Mr. Eagleson's downfall and proving many player's assertions of corruption. Put simply, this is an important piece of journalism that every fan of sports should read, whether you are a hockey fan or not.

Russ Conway has written a wonderful investigative piece about a man who is truly a disgraceful figure in the history of Canadian hockey. Russ brings forth, with his own agressive style, the wicked ways of a man who calling a crook is an understatement. First, he never backed down to get his answers and his writing is first-rate. Anyone who follows hockey should read about a man who almost destroyed it.

All hockey fans owe Russ Conway a debt of gratitude for helping rid hockey of the parasite Alan Eagleson. He documents Eagleson's criminal and disgusting behaviour in great detail, helping fans to better understand what hockey players faced in the past, the necessary background information for many of the issues facing pro hockey today. I haven't read such a gripping book since "Net Worth". Eagleson will be back in the courts again before long, no doubt willing to lie about the charges being brought forward by a number of retired hockey players. Read this book and you'll see that the players have justice on their team.

I'm about halfway through this book, and I'm appalled and in shock at what Alan Eagleson managed to get away with. He had half the Canadian government in his pocket and all those players totally snowed. I wish he'd gotten punished way more than he did. But the author, Russ Conway, really did a lot of legwork on this, and he wrote an excellent book. He has stories from so many players, important people in the world of hockey and kudos to him for helping to crack this down and get this jerk out of his position(s) so that he couldnt screw those guys over any more. All the owners of every single team should have had to sell their teams for a $1 to someone else for all that they allowed him to do to their benefit instead of the benefit of the players. An excellent read if you like hockey for sure, but also excellent read if you want to find out about a businessman who thought he was above the law finally getting his comeuppance.

Those who want to learn about hockey - and not just what Alan Eagleson did to it - should run, not walk, to buy this book.
Conway's book is superb, and his work on Eagleson made him a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.
It's a must-read for any sports writer, too. It's like having an "Investigative Journalism 101" class taught to you, and for a fraction of the money you'd pay at a university.

Most sports fans realize that pro sports is a big business. Game Misconduct by Russ Conway, shows once again that it is more of a business, than anyone realizes. Jaw dropping page after jaw dropping page, Conway describes the biggest con game in sports history. From stealing pension funds to insurance scams, Conway shows what kind of deceit a person can get away with when they are unchecked. This book is a must read for any sports fan, whether they like hockey or not. It will leave you speechless

Russ Conway comes to the rescue of the National Hockey League Players Association. After observing the less than comfortable lifestyles of retired players, Conway studies the management of the NHL's player pension fund. He finds the pension funds were not as lucrative as he and many retirees expected them to be. Further investigation shows that Alan Eagelson invested players' pensions into other business ventures, as well as pocketing his self-made commissions for filing insurance claims on behalf of the players. With quotes from many retired players as well as documentation to support Conway's claims, it's a true paper chase as you hope the good guys eventually get the bad guy or, in this case, Alan Eagelson