Eakins\' mother, Carol Ploof, was a native of Macon, Georgia. His birth father was a Native American, Ted Yoder, whom Eakins believes was "Cherokee". Both parents split up shortly after his birth. Ploof later married Jim Eakins, a Canadian long-distance truck driver, and Dallas subsequently adopted his stepfather\'s last name.\n', '

In October, 1974, Eakins\' family relocated to Peterborough, Ontario. As a youth, he played in the 1980 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Peterborough.\n', '

Eakins played 4 seasons in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for the Peterborough Petes, being named the captain in his final year and also the team\'s best defenseman that season. Jeff Twohey who was with the Petes for 3 decades called him the best captain the team ever had, saying "He was a great leader. He was a hard worker, loyal, tough, and never afraid to confront people. He knew how to keep players in line."\n', '

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