The biography traces Brewer's journey from
working class roots to hometown hero and embattled crusader.
Friends and family reveal a man at odds with himself - a gifted
athlete who loved the game yet longed for a higher purpose.
Highly intelligent and deeply religious - at one time, he
wanted to be a priest - Carl Brewer was an anomaly in the
tough, often ruthless world of hockey. From the beginning,
he railed against a system that stripped players of their
self-respect and empowered tyrannical coaches like the Leafs'
Punch Imlach.
But it was Alan Eagleson who would prove Brewer's nemesis.
In 1963, he hired the fast-talking Toronto lawyer as his agent,
giving Eagleson entrée to the NHL. Before long, the
Eagle had become the top agent in the game, head of the NHL
players' union and an international hockey czar. But Brewer
came to realize that Eagleson had betrayed not only his trust,
but also the trust of every player in the NHL - and he felt
personally responsible.
The documentary chronicles Brewer's dogged quest for justice
- from the successful lawsuit over the players' pension money
to Eagleson's eventual conviction on charges of fraud, racketeering
and embezzlement. Hockey great Gordie Howe, who retired on
a pension of just $14,000 a year, acknowledges a debt of gratitude
while Frank Mahovlich and Harry Neale pay tribute to a man
whose personal courage transformed the NHL.
Original Air Date - October 7, 2003
Links
Carl
Brewer (from Turning Back the Leafs)
Carl
Brewer (from Sportsecyclopedia.com)
NHL Players
Association Web site
Game
Misconduct: Alan Eagleson and the Corruption of Hockey - Book
Review
(Note: CBC does not endorse the content of external
sites)
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