a recommendation by Alberta Golden Bears coach Clare Drake to have a university all-star team represent Canada internationally. The CAHA considered a proposal to restructure the playoffs for the Allan Cup from an east versus west final into a tournament format based in one city among the country's regional champions. Dawson felt that the CAHA was perceived as focused on junior hockey and neglecting senior hockey. He wanted to introduce private sponsorships for the national finals to generate profits which could be used to cover travel expenses for six to eight regional champion teams. The CAHA experimented with the Western Canada senior hockey final as a four-team round-robin among league champions instead of a knockout draw. Dawson stated that if the experiment was successful, the same would be done for Eastern Canada the following year. Despite criticism by senior hockey teams that it was unfair to their hometown fans to travel much further to attend the games, the concept was financially promising. Dawson announced on June 24, 1970, that the CAHA and the WCHL signed a two-year agreement which included 14 clauses to reunite the organizations. The WCHL became recognized as the only tier-1 league in Western Canada and qualified for an automatic berth the Memorial Cup final. The WCHL was allowed four over-age players in the upcoming season, but was reduced to two thereafter. The WCHL agreed to abide by the CAHA's professional-amateur agreement with the NHL, and was entitled to fees paid per player chosen in the NHL Amateur Draft and $100,000 in development grants for the 1970–71 season. The WCHL agreed not to expand or relocate a team without approval of the CAHA, and was given direct representation on the CAHA's junior council. Dawson later threatened to have the WCHL expelled when it broke several terms in the agreement; specifically the number of over-age players and importing players from the Ontario Hockey Association (OHA). Further disagreement arose when WCHL teams drafted players from a tier-2 league, and Dawson ruled that the players must be either released or transferred according to CAHA by-laws. Dawson faced escalating tensions which threatened to cancel the 1971 Memorial Cup and interrupted the George Richardson Memorial Trophy finals for the Eastern Canada junior hockey championship. After five games, the Quebec Remparts led the best-of-seven series by three games to two versus the St. Catharines Black Hawks. The players on St. Catharines refused to