Dallas Eakins

Dallas Eakins (born 21 January, 1967 in Dade City, Florida) is a former American ice hockey defenceman and current coach of the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.

Eakins was drafted 208th overall by the Washington Capitals in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft. He went on to play 120 career NHL games, scoring no goals and 9 assists for 9 points. However, the majority of Eakins career was played in the AHL and the IHL. In those two leagues, Eakins played 882 games, scoring 43 goals and 179 assists for 222 points while playing on 10 different teams (not to mention the 8 NHL teams Eakins played on during that time). Eakins won two Calder Cups as a member of the Chicago Wolves in the AHL.

Eakins was named as an assistant coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 20, 2006. Eakins served the same role the year before for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Eakins once made a bet with Cincinnati radio personality Dennis "Wildman" Walker of WEBN while a member of the IHL Cincinnati Cyclones that he would not score more than 3 goals in one season. Wildman Walker known for his "Big Hair" stated that Eakins could shave his head at center ice of the Cincinnati Gardens if he eclipsed that mark. Eakins not only scored six goals, but did it in 30 games. The head shaving took place at center ice prior to a game in December 1994 in a game against the Long Beach Ice Dogs.

While serving as the role of captain of the AHL Manitoba Moose in 2003–04, Eakins switched from his number 6 to number 37 in honor of friend Dan Snyder who was killed in a car accident in Atlanta, Georgia. Snyder was a member of the NHL Atlanta Thrashers.

He was an assistant coach with the Toronto Marlies in 2005-06 and as assistant coach with the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2006-07 and 2007-08.

On August 4, 2009, Eakins was named the head coach of the Toronto Marlies.