Earl Phillip Dawson (December 17, 1925March 28, 1987) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator, politician and civil servant. As president of the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association, Dawson reversed the decline of hockey in rural Manitoba and spent more money per player to develop minor ice hockey than other Canadian provinces. As chairman of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) rules committee, he established clinics for referee instructors to standardize interpretation of ice hockey rules. Elected vice-president of the CAHA in 1966, he served as president from 1969 to 1971. The International Ice Hockey Federation had approved a limited use of professionals at the 1970 Ice Hockey World Championships, but later reversed the decision when the International Olympic Committee objected. Dawson and the CAHA perceived this a double standard since the Europeans were believed to be state-sponsored professionals labelled as amateurs, and withdrew the Canada men's national ice hockey team from international competitions until it was allowed to use its best players.
Dawson faced internal issues from junior ice hockey teams in Western Canada who were upset with the imposed age limit and demanded greater financial compensation for players chosen in the National Hockey League Amateur Draft. The Western Canada Hockey League played outside of the CAHA's jurisdiction for two seasons, when Dawson negotiated a new deal that saw the league accept the age limit in exchange for increased financial compensation. Dawson oversaw the CAHA reorganize its executive to include vice-presidents for minor hockey, junior hockey and senior ice hockey to give each level of hockey a greater voice. He later announced that junior hockey would split into a two-tier system for the 1970–71 season. The Memorial Cup remained the championship for the top tier and junior hockey, and the CAHA established the Manitoba Centennial Cup for the second tier's championship. Dawson oversaw the transition of both the Memorial Cup and the Allan Cup's formats from an east-versus-west final into a round-robin involving league champions. He also led the CAHA into the product endorsement business, released a logo for the CAHA, and used the money generated to reinvest into hockey in Canada.
Dawson served with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the Canadian Army during World War II, then operated a dry cleaning business for 19 years in Rivers, Manitoba. He was extensively involved in community service groups, was a town councilor from 1957 to 1965, and represented the Hamiota electoral district as a Manitoba Liberal Party member from 1966 to 1969. Dawson wanted to use the 1967 Pan American Games and the Canadian Centennial events to boost recreation in Manitoba and improve local infrastructure. He sought to increase subsidies for rural students, to employ students locally and stop human capital flight. He argued that medicare laws in Manitoba discriminated against rural citizens, and wanted to reduce medical costs and increase their services. He also supported the development of local resources to relieve rural industries and businesses from tax burden.
Dawson served as a director for Sport Canada and the secretary of the Canada Games council from 1970 to 1987. He oversaw the Canada Fitness Award Program and supported the Junior Olympics program. He served as chairman of the 1975 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships hosted in Winnipeg which coincided with the Manitoba Centennial celebrations. He aimed to increase the level of competition in women's sport across the country, and implemented testing for doping in sport in the Canada Games in 1984. Dawson summarized his career by stating, "I just seem to be the kind of person who gets involved in controversy, be it in hockey or politics", and the Winnipeg Free Press concurred that he "had controversy as his constant companion". He was named Western Manitoba Sportsman of the Year by the Brandon Sun in 1964, and was posthumously inducted into the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 1995.
Early life and community involvement
thumb|City Hall in St. Boniface, hometown of Dawson|alt=Exterior of building
Earl Phillip Dawson was born on December 17, 1925, in Saint Boniface, Winnipeg. He was the son of Thomas and Irene Dawson, and was educated at . He contracted polio at age 12 which prevented him from playing ice hockey. He married Madeline O'Callaghan on June 29, 1949, with whom he had four sons and one daughter.
Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association
Dawson managed an intermediate level ice hockey team from Rivers during the 1952–53 playoffs, which was disqualified by the Manitoba Amateur Hockey Association (MAHA) for the use of illegal players. He was also invited to join the MAHA executive committee after expressing his grievances, He was elected second vice-president of the MAHA in October 1955,
Dawson was elected president of the MAHA to succeed Curly Tyler in October 1958. The MAHA had its greatest registration to date and sought to reimburse teams in rural Manitoba for the cost of developing players lost to the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (MJHL) who in turn profited by selling players to professional teams. Dawson planned to promote and raise funds for minor ice hockey with a Minor Hockey Week in January 1959.
thumb|upright=0.8|left|Dawson had multiple disputes with the Flin Flon Bombers (team jersey pictured) while he was president of the MAHA.|alt=Flin Flon Bombers hockey jersey and photo of Bobby Clarke
Dawson was re-elected president in October 1959. He sought a financial arrangement with the Saskatchewan Amateur Hockey Association (SAHA) if the Flin Flon Bombers were to affiliate with the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League (SJHL) instead of the MJHL, and wanted to recuperate the MAHA's costs of developing minor hockey players and on-ice officials in Flin Flon that contributed to local talent. Without a suitable agreement in place to receive a portion of playoffs profits, the MAHA made a proposal at the 1960 Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) general meeting for Flin Flon to be transferred to the SAHA. He also wanted consistent rules used in Western Canada that allowed replacement players for interprovincial playoffs, and was opposed to teams in the Alberta Amateur Hockey Association or Thunder Bay Amateur Hockey Association being given the advantage over the MAHA and SAHA.
thumb|upright=0.8|The Allan Cup was the championship trophy for amateur senior ice hockey in Canada.|alt=Silver bowl trophy with two large handles, mounted on a black plinth
Dawson was re-elected president in October 1960. The MAHA reached an agreement with the SAHA and Dawson served an ultimatum to the Flin Flon Bombers to pay a flat rate of C$300 or be denied permission to play in the SJHL. He felt that the Winnipeg Warriors team had a negative impact on junior ice hockey in Winnipeg and spoke up against professional teams encroaching upon MAHA territory. After backlash from the media, Dawson clarified the comments to disagree that professional teams should have an exclusive zone to dictate operation of teams under CAHA jurisdiction. After the Winnipeg Maroons opted out the 1961 Allan Cup playoffs, Dawson allowed lower-level senior teams to compete since the MAHA wanted a provincial representative in the national playoffs. After the season, he renegotiated the MAHA's financial arrangement with the Brandon Wheat Kings to prevent a proposed to switch from the MJHL to the SJHL. He also wanted to see updates to the MAHA constitution to deal with modern problems, and set up a committee to oversee issues specific to hockey in rural Manitoba.
Dawson was re-elected president in October 1961. The MJHL hired a new promotional director and requested to use international ice hockey rules without body checking to begin the 1961–62 season as an effort to attract more spectators. Dawson approved the request, but CAHA president Jack Roxburgh ordered the MJHL to revert to standard Canadian rules. The MAHA allowed the Prince Albert Mintos of the SJHL to move to Dauphin, Manitoba after a fire ruined the team's arena in December 1961, and levied a fee of 10 per cent of ticket sales to cover lost revenue for the existing senior team in Dauphin. Despite the Flin Flon Bombers also playing in the SJHL and paying a flat fee, Dawson justified the higher fee for temporarily displacing an existing MAHA team in Dauphin.
Dawson was re-elected to a fifth term as president in October 1962. During his presidency, the MAHA had grown to be the country's third largest provincial association by registration and spent more per capita to develop minor ice hockey than other provinces in Canada. Journalist Laurie Artiss stated that the Rural Minor Hockey Council established by Dawson had succeeded in reversing the decline of hockey in rural Manitoba by enforcing geographical limits on where the bigger cities could claim players. The decision resulted in players staying in smaller towns and gave more children a chance to play locally. As the past-president he represented the MAHA at an arbitration committee in October 1964. His stance on teams playing out-of-province was confirmed when the CAHA ruled that the Flin Flon Bombers and Brandon Wheat Kings would turn over the majority of profits for their home games to the MAHA despite the teams playing in the SJHL.
Canadian Amateur Hockey Association
Dawson became involved in national hockey during his tenure of president of the MAHA and served on several committees of the CAHA. He was secretary of the Western Canada intermediate senior hockey committee for three seasons, and sat on the CAHA leadership committee. He later became chairman of the rules committee and organized the first nationwide clinic for referee instructors in 1964 to standardize the interpretation of hockey rules across Canada.
Second vice-president
thumb|Canada versus the Soviet Union at the 1967 Ice Hockey World Championships|alt=Black and white game action photo
Dawson was elected second vice-president of the CAHA on May 28, 1966, serving under Fred Page as president. The Canadian Major Junior Hockey League was launched for the 1966–67 season, despite reservations by Dawson that the league was premature and too expensive. He advocated for the Brandon Wheat Kings to remain in the MJHL amid negotiations for top-level junior teams to leave their provincial associations and join the new league. He was named chairman of the minor hockey committee that oversaw promotions dedicated to the Canadian Centennial in 1967, and organized a Minor Hockey Week and the Midget Centennial Tournament. He also oversaw the Memorial Cup playoffs in Western Canada as vice-president.
In 1967, Dawson became chairman of the CAHA committee to oversee the Canada men's national ice hockey team. The CAHA approved establishing a second national team based in Ottawa in addition to the Winnipeg-based team. Both teams were expected to play international tours or exhibition games, and increase the number of players with international experience in advance of ice hockey at the 1968 Winter Olympics. Canada was subsequently awarded hosting duties of the 1970 Ice Hockey World Championships and Dawson sat on the planning committee. Dawson planned to continue the two national teams despite operating a deficit during the 1967–68 season.
First vice-president
Dawson was elected first vice-president of the CAHA in May 1968. Lloyd Pollock resigned as president in October 1968 due to business reasons, and Dawson became the acting president.
The CAHA had approved the concept of Hockey Canada in 1966, as a corporation with tax-free status to operate the Canadian national team. In December 1968, John Munro, the Minister of Health and Welfare, stated a federal task force was looking into establishing such a corporation, and Dawson felt that the government was taking credit for something which the CAHA had proposed. Dawson later suggested disbanding the national team program as it would not be financially viable without an annual $100,000 grant from the government. Munro announced a $200,000 contribution for operation of the national team in 1969.
Dawson arranged for the Soviet Union national ice hockey team to tour Canada in January 1969, but his relationship became strained with what he called "childish problems" by the Soviets. Frustrations grew when they arrived late for the first scheduled game on the tour which negated profits for the CAHA, and Dawson was reported as wanting to see discipline handed out by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) against the Soviets.
President
First term
thumb|National Hockey League president Clarence Campbell|alt=Campbell sitting on his desk with the Stanley Cup
Dawson succeeded Lloyd Pollock as president at the CAHA executive meeting on January 27, 1969. When the transfer of control of the Canada men's national ice hockey team from the CAHA to Hockey Canada became imminent, Dawson sought a clear definition of the CAHA's responsibilities and did not want to compromise its authority over amateur hockey in Canada nor its membership within the IIHF. He also wanted to ensure that all players in Canada to had the opportunity to play on the national team.
Dawson increased the number of annual executive meetings from two to three due to disagreements with National Hockey League (NHL) and increasing dissent from branches of the CAHA. Team owners in Western Canada were upset with the existing professional-amateur agreement between the CAHA and the NHL signed in 1968 and in effect until 1972. It stipulated the age limit in junior hockey at 20 years old before players would become the property of professional teams. The NHL declined to alter the age limit despite continued requests by Dawson and the CAHA. Dawson and the CAHA were also opposed to potential expansion into Canada by the American Hockey League, and asked NHL president Clarence Campbell to follow-up on press reports of rumoured farm teams in Montreal, Ottawa and Kingston.
Junior teams in Western Canada claimed that the lower age limit decreased its talent pool and negatively affect ticket sales. The teams wanted greater financial compensation for players lost to professional teams since their travel costs were greater than teams in Eastern Canada. The teams in the Canadian Major Junior Hockey League broke away from CAHA jurisdiction and formed the Western Canada Hockey League (WCHL) under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Hockey Association (CHA) led by Ron Butlin. Dawson and the CAHA responded by proposing committees to operate senior hockey, junior hockey and minor hockey.
Second term
Dawson was re-elected president in May 1969. The CAHA reorganized its executive to include vice-presidents for minor hockey, junior hockey and senior hockey respectively; and decided against unilateral action to change the junior age limits imposed by the professional-amateur agreement with the NHL. Hockey Canada took over control of the national team from the CAHA in June 1969, although Dawson committed the CAHA to arrange international exhibition tours for the team. The CAHA approved requests by the Yukon and the Northwest Territories to become branch members and began discussions to separate the territories from the jurisdiction of British Columbia and Alberta respectively.
International hockey
thumb|The Swiss town of [[Crans-Montana|Crans-sur-Sierre hosted the IIHF general meetings in 1969 and 1970.|alt=Photo of Swiss chalets on a mountain lakeshore]]
Dawson attended the IIHF general meeting in July 1969, and lobbied for the open use of professionals at the Ice Hockey World Championships. He hoped to convince Europeans that they were competing against second-rate amateur talent from the United States and Canada, and that an open competition would be truly representative of the world's best hockey. The IIHF approved a CAHA proposal to extend the deadline to reinstate professionals as amateurs and be eligible for the World Championships, which had the potential to allow Canada access more talented players. Dawson felt the change was sufficient but Hockey Canada wanted to pursue open competition with unlimited use of professionals. Canada had not won the World Championships since 1961 and had never hosted the event. The unlimited use of professionals was seen as the best chance to return Canada to hockey supremacy.
The next day, the IIHF voted against the second CAHA proposal and open competition at the 1970 World Championships. The Canadian Press blamed IIHF president Bunny Ahearne for the decision since he was perceived to have influenced the vote when he stated that any team which played against professionals at the World Championships would be ineligible for the 1972 Winter Olympics as per International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules. Dawson then announced the cancellation Canadian tours to Sweden and Finland in response to the two countries not supporting the Canadian proposal for open competition.
Dawson went ahead with plans to host the 1970 World Championships and was in favour of using professionals reinstated as amateurs for international competition but noted that would require co-operation from all levels of professional hockey. The Soviet Union protested against the proposed schedule for the 1970 World Championships which had the team playing multiple instances of games on consecutive days. Dawson was confident that Soviet Union would play despite the threat of a boycott, and declined to make any changes to the schedule.
thumb|left|upright=0.8|International Olympic Committee president Avery Brundage|alt=Black and white photo of Brundage
IOC president Avery Brundage objected to the use of professionals at the World Championships and stated that any national team which played against professionals would be ineligible for hockey at the 1972 Winter Olympics. The IIHF called an emergency meeting for January 1970 to discuss the situation.
Canada perceived the situation to be a double standard in international hockey since players on European national teams were believed to be state-sponsored professionals labelled as amateurs.