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TIMEOUT-^Maurice SmithIt’ll Be Quite A FightMost of us would be delighted were we about to take a trip to Switzerland. But not so Earl Dawson, president of the CAHA, Vancouver’s Fred Page, North American president of the IIHF, and Gordon Juckes, hard-working executive director of the CAHA.The threesome will be heading for an emergency meeting next month of the IIHF Congress which has been called by Bunny Aheame, to deal with the Olympic eligibility problem.Normally, such a trip would be a welcome break in the daily routine. But Juckes, Dawson and Page will have to leave their families on New Year’s Day in order to arrive in Switzerland in time to have a few hours rest before the meeting gets under way Jan. 3.There’s likely to be quite a “fight” take place behind the closed doors of the meeting room and the Canadian threesome want to have their wits about them, particularly when dealing with the shrewd Ahearne, whose hockey empire may be crumbling.The issue at stake is whether teams which play against a Canadian squad with many professionals in its line-up will ,|be eligible for the Olympic Games. Avery Brundage, always adopting the old line, says they won’t. The CAHA and Canadian Olympic officials say it makes 110 difference.Juckes, Dawson and Page will go to Switzerland armed with a great deal of material which will say right is on their side. And as far as we can see it is.Strong OppositionHowever, they know they will receive strong opposition from the likes of Russia, Sweden, Czechoslovakia and East Germany. The Russians, in particular, wall be quite happy to see the Avery Brundage interpretation of “amateurism” adopted, especially since they hope to play host to the 1976 Olympic Games.Juckes, Dawson and Page will not back away from Bunny Ahearne and the IIHF, because there is so much at stake. The World Tournament would be almost doomed if Canada is not permitted the use of nine reinstated pros. The Hockey Canada people have threatened to withdraw if the IIHF reverses Sts decision of last summer to allow Canada the use of nine pros. Ahearne, wrho cast the deciding vote in favor of Canada at the summer Congress, now appears to have had a change of heart. If he cannot be persuaded to stand firm, then Canada may be in trouble.We sincerely hope the whole sorry mess is straightened out. Actually, the problem is something that would not have arisen had Ahearne and Brundage read the Olympic rule book.
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Sat, Dec 27, 1969
Page 42
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 14 Mar 2019
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