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?ss. Wednesday, October 27. 1993 CHalSteunteonNHL hides dark past of pension injusticeIT’S THE biggest, ugliest skeleton in the NHL’s closet, but all hockey shares the shame,The “skeleton is the way a hockey league that takes pride in describing itselF as “the best in the world has ripped off the pension fund of its former players. The shame is how few people in hockey seem to give a damn.Sure, we’ve heard reports that a lot of “oldtimers aren't receiving the pensions they sweated and bled to earn.We may even know that when a bunch of them—Andy Bathgate, Carl Brewer, Eddie Shack, Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Allan Stanley and Leo Reise — filed a class action suit a prominent jurist, Mr, Justice George Adams of the Ontario Court's General Division, found in their favor. But we also know how that works. The NHL simply appealed the ruling. The appeal :ourt’s decision is due any day now, nit who is to say that won’t be appealed, too?As a result, when we think of the jame's pioneers — if we think ofhem at all—it is simply to mumble, ‘Gee, that’s too bad.”Then we turn our attention to nore urgent hockey news,“Hey, Teemu Selanne has finally iroken out of his slump,” we sigh vith relief. Looks like the Jets will teall right, after all.”Chances are none of the old guys s really surprised by this reaction, ly the time every athlete in every 'rofessional sport reaches etirement, he or she will usually iave a clearer understanding of heir job description. All the public /ants to know is, “What have you one for me lately?Once in a while we remember our ormer stars with a “night” ora laque or a place in some Hall of ame. Then we put them back on the helf and focus our attention on the kills of some new, young lion too usy enjoying fame to consider ven great playing careers don’t last )rever. Even Gordie Howe's.Perhaps that’s as it should be. It is ;rtainly the way it is and that could 2 bad news for Bruce Dowbiggin. Dowbiggin? Sure, he’s that mildly ascible young man who delivers ie sports news on CBC’s ewsworld these days. He has also ritten a superbly researched book i the great pension rip-off. It is ititled The Defense Never Rests id is published by HarperCollins.rT ARRIVES ON local book shelves just in time to tap into ► the Christmas market and it fers much more than a list of tuarial tables proving how the iyers and former executive rector Alan Eagleson were ookered back in 1969.Dowbiggin skilfully blends the nsion fiasco into the lives of ronto Maple Leafs’ players and ■ners of that era. We are also ?ered insights into the dealings of my of the NHL’s front office ivers and shakers,Dowbiggin offers us an account of : events that sent Harold Ballard iailand perhaps caused Stafford lythe to drink himself to death, deals with the last days of eran defenceman Tim Horton1 has gone to great lengths to :ument many of Eagleson’s nplicated financial manoeuvres. jij he makes a case that suggests2 Eagle has (so far) been spared isecution because of friends in h places.t’s a good book and an important ie. Even Gary Bettman, the L’s freshly minted nmissioner, acknowledges that,It is a situation that must be Dived,” he said during his first ik in office. “It’s a black eye for game. It’s like baseball getting d by Mickey Mantle and Willie ys.ine words, but you will notice tiing has been done to correct the ation. The fact hardly anyone siders the matter important ugh to make a fuss suggestsvbiggin may not sell as manyks as he’d like.he longer the matter drags on, more memories dim and the less ■ageous the injustice suffered by [erday’s stars becomes, is disappointing current nbers of the NHL Players aciation have not taken a more ve role in seeking justice for i who helped build the league is making most of them richv-tat could be a mistake.,etimes yesterday’s menirfaee in important jobs.'enaspriae minister. -
Newspaper Details
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg, Manitoba, CA
Wed, Oct 27, 1993
Page 29
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 14 Mar 2019
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