George Dudley | |
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| Born | April 19, 1894 Midland, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | May 8, 1960 (aged 66) Midland, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | Osgoode Hall Law School |
| Occupation(s) | Lawyer, solicitor |
| Known for | |
| Awards | Hockey Hall of Fame |
| Honours | Dudley Hewitt Cup |
George Samuel Dudley QC (April 19, 1894 – May 8, 1960) was a Canadian ice hockey administrator. He joined the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA) executive in 1928, served as its president from 1934 to 1936, and as its treasurer from 1936 to 1960. He was elected to Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA) executive in 1936, served as its president from 1940 to 1942, as its secretary from 1945 to 1947, and as its secretary-manager from 1947 to 1960. He was secretary of the International Ice Hockey Association from 1945 to 1947, and was later vice-president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) from 1957 to 1960. He was expected to become the next president of the IIHF before his death. He graduated from Osgoode Hall Law School in 1917 then practiced law for 43 years as the town solicitor for Midland, Ontario.
Dudley and W. G. Hardy led the way in revising the definition of an amateur hockey player to keep amateur players in Canada and slow the number of Canadians turning professional. Dudley negotiated deals with the National Hockey League and the British Ice Hockey Association to govern the transfer of players internationally. He introduced contracts for junior ice hockey players, as a means to obtain development payments from professional teams seeking new talent. He supported an alliance between the CAHA and the Amateur Hockey Association of the United States (AHAUS), and sought for international recognition of AHAUS as the governing body of ice hockey in the United States. He threatened to withdraw Canada from ice hockey at the Olympic Games if the International Olympic Committee did not accept the Canadian definition of amateur, and supported the IIHF hosting its own Ice Hockey World Championships separate from the Olympics. Dudley's role as secretary-manager of the CAHA made him influential in Canadian hockey since he served as the regular delegate to IIHF meetings, and was in charge of selecting the Canada men's national team. He facilitated the first exhibition tour by the Soviet Union national team in Canada, and oversaw ice hockey at the 1960 Winter Olympics on behalf of the IIHF
Dudley was committed to implementing reforms for amateur hockey, believing that they were in the best interest of hockey in Canada. He was opposed to governments funding or controlling amateur sports associations, and supported the continuation of hockey and incorporating Royal Canadian Air Force teams into the CAHA as a morale boost during World War II. Dudley was described by journalist Jack Sullivan as a staunch and shrewd hockey official and a problem solver. Journalist Scott Young stated Dudley was a low-key figure at first who grew to prominence by his reputation as being a busy and able volunteer. Young further stated that Dudley was a forward thinker, and had the ability to listen to a conversation and find a compromise without forcing anyone to change his mind. Young credited Dudley for dealing with reforms to amateurism, and regulations on player salaries and transfers, which led to increased interest in hockey.
Dudley was inducted to the builder category of the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1958, and was posthumously inducted into the Midland Sports Hall of Fame in 1996. He was made a life member of both the CAHA and OHA, received the Gold Stick award from the OHA in recognition of service to hockey in Ontario and the AHAUS citation award for service to amateur hockey in the United States. He was named to the selection committee for the Hockey Hall of Fame, and previously sat on the same committee for the Original Hockey Hall of Fame. He and W. A. Hewitt were made the namesakes of the Dudley Hewitt Cup, first awarded by the Canadian Junior Hockey League in 1971.