Bill Beagan

William Thomas Beagan CD (born December 1, 1937) is a Canadian retired ice hockey administrator and ice hockey referee. He served in the Canadian Army for thirteen years, before refereeing in the National Hockey League (NHL) for two seasons. He was commissioner of the International Hockey League (IHL) from 1969 to 1978, the Ontario Major Junior Hockey League (OMJHL) from 1978 to 1979, the Eastern Hockey League from 1979 to 1981, and the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA) from 1985 to 1998. He was a partial owner and the general manager of the Toledo Goaldiggers from 1981 to 1985, and led the team to two Turner Cup championships.

Beagan is credited for turning around IHL finances and making it a top-tier development system for future NHL talent. He had agreements with the NHL to develop on-ice officials while commissioner of the IHL and the CCHA. He signed the CCHA to the first national television contract for colleges in the United States, introduced instant replay to the league, and shared revenue with the schools. On-ice success was realized when CCHA teams won six NCAA Division I Men's Ice Hockey Tournament championships during his tenure. He has been honoured with the United Nations Emergency Force Medal, the Canadian Forces' Decoration and the Canadian Peacekeeping Service Medal. In 1998, the CCHA made him the namesake of the Bill Beagan Trophy for the most valuable player in the CCHA Men's Ice Hockey Tournament.