Canada Russia '72 (2006)

Judah Katz: Alan Eagleson

Quotes 

• [discussing the name of the team] 

  John Ferguson : What about "Canada Stars"? "Canada Pro Stars"?

  Alan Eagleson : "Canada Selects"? "Canada's Team"?

  Harry Sinden : "Team Canada"?

  John Ferguson : "Team Canada"? I like it.

  Alan Eagleson : Yeah, I like it too.

• Alan Eagleson : [to Phil Esposito]  Look, you played under Hull's shadow in Chicago and Bobby's in Boston. Alright? Okay? This is your big chance kid, to show everybody, that you're just not another second banana.

• Alan Eagleson : Uh, listen. I just got a call from the Russians. There's some kind of mix up with the hotel rooms in Moscow. Something about being overbooked or something. So basically what it means is that there's uh, there's no rooms for your wives. Alright?

  Phil Esposito : Ah, tell them to go screw themselves, Al! Come on!

  Alan Eagleson : You know what, Phil? You know how much I'd love to tell those Commie bastards to go screw themselves, right?

  Phil Esposito : Right.

  Alan Eagleson : Okay. But it's not gonna do any good this time, okay? There are no rooms. You got it? There are no rooms.

  Phil Esposito : That's horseshit, Al.

  Vic Hadfield : That's stupid, Al.

  Alan Eagleson : For Christ's sake, we've got a job to do here! And the only way to accomplish that job is to stop all this goddamn whining, and bitching, and complaining and all this... crap! We are playing for our country here. We are on a leaky rowboat, and unless we all start rowing together...

  Phil Esposito : [interupting]  You know Al from day 1...

  [Phil stands up] 

  Alan Eagleson : ...we are gonna go down.

  Phil Esposito : From day 1, we've done everything that's been asked of us!

  Alan Eagleson : We are gonna go DOWN!

  Phil Esposito : Everything! And more! And what have we got in return, huh? Ridicule, and contempt. People coming up to us, saying they're ashamed of us. Ashamed to be Canadians because of us? Not one of these guys has anything to apologize for. Jesus! And as far as I'm concerned, my wife doesn't go to Russia, neither do I.

• [Eagleson notices the camera crew] 

  Alan Eagleson : The camera crew with us or them?

  Gabrielle Fournier : Us. The Federal government wants a record of this cultural exchange.

  Alan Eagleson : Alright. Okay. Didn't realize Trudeau was such a hockey fan.

  Alan Eagleson : [to camera]  Election coming?

• Phil Esposito : Hey! These Swedes are pissed off, eh? Let's get goin'!

  Alan Eagleson : We can't. Somebody called in a bomb threat at our hotel.

  John Ferguson : Probably the Ambassador.

• Harry Sinden : Did you talk to Vic?

  Alan Eagleson : Yeah. He's going home, Harry.

  Harry Sinden : Then you get him on the first plane out of here.

  [brief pause] 

  Alan Eagleson : There are others too, you know.

  Harry Sinden : Who?

  Alan Eagleson : Richard Martin, Jocelyn Guevremont for sure, maybe more.

  Harry Sinden : Who?

  Alan Eagleson : I don't know.

  Harry Sinden : Any Bruins players?

  Alan Eagleson : I don't know. None that I know of.

  Harry Sinden : I don't care. Whoever the hell they are, you get them on a plane, you get 'em out of here.

  Alan Eagleson : You - you wanna maybe talk to them first?

  Harry Sinden : Hey, I didn't beg them to join the team, I'm sure as hell not begging them to stay!

• Alan Eagleson : [reading the proposed agreement for the series]  Let's see. "Proposed agreement: Canada-Soviet Hockey Series. April 1972." That's pretty good. The rest of this is horseshit.

• Vsevolod Gresko : Gentlemen. In the spirit of the Friendship Games, I agree to your proposal. Badder and Kompalla are out, they will officiate no more games. On four conditions. 1: Your coaches and players have to be more respectful to our officials. We hold officials in very high esteem. 2: Mr. Gary Bergman must desist from making rude comments and rude gestures to Coach Bobrov. 3: Canadian fans have to be more respectful for Soviet police. 4: And lastly four. Canadian players have to be more respectful to their opponents.

  Harry Sinden : 1: None of this would of happened if you hadn't brought in those two idiot referees. 2: Your players are just as guilty as Gary Bergman for taunting the coaches. 3: Don't blame our fans. We're not used to having armed soldiers at our hockey games. And last, but not least. I am sick and tired of our players taking a bad wrap. You guys are a hell of alot dirtier!

  Alan Eagleson : Harry...

  Harry Sinden : Stay out of it, Al!

  Harry Sinden : [to Gresko]  You want respect? You tell Bobrov to cut his chickenshit act.