Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1909-01-25
ICE HOCKEY SEASON
Many Sevens Have Shown Excel.
lent Form In Practice Games.
new YORK HAS STRONG TEAM
With the Addition Of Sheriff, Club
Promises to Be Ono Of Best In ANA
teur Hockey Leasue-canada Grab.
bling Pittsbure's Puck Chasers,

teur Hockey leasue-Canada Grab.
bling Pittsburs's Puck chasers.
While the championship hockey sea.
son Of both the amateur and intercol-
legiate leagues does not begin until
Jan. 6, the appetites of the followers
Of the game have been whetted during
the past few weeks for the better
things to come when the real menu Is
ready to be served in the first part Of
January.
The practice Of exhibition games
between the college and club sevens
has furnished the adherents of the
puck and skate with enough live mat
ter to cause the early season dopesters
to sit up and take notice.
1t can hardly be said that the games
which have thus far been played have
been surprises, for few dared to even
predict as to the showings that the
various teams would make. yet In real
ity some of them were a shock to ex.
pectations.
The class of hockey which was
evinced. with the possible exception of
the playing OF the Princeton university
seven recently in New York. was not
as good as might have been expected
even III he early session play Of this
time. In way this was largely due
to the fact that the teams We're con-
tinually trying young and inexperi-
ence1 rn"tor'al
The games were all more or less on
the slambang order, with no idea OF
team work or science. 1t was seldom
that the forward lines Of the combina-
tons worked together, and the work
resolved itself into individual play
which was not even of the sensational
character
Many Of the goals scored were lucky
smashes at sliding puck and from
scrimmage. 1t was on only few &C.
casions that the combined team play
of two or more players worked the
rubber disk into the scoring zone and
Their Gagged the puck for tally.
It might truthfully be said that at
this time In the season in no other
year has the rubber appeared to be
quite so elusive or have the players
shown the lack Of condition that has
been evident to date. One thing, how
ever, must be commended. With a few
possible exceptions the majority of
players are evidently trying to do
away with unnecessary rOughneSs.
The heavy body checks, which do so
much damage. and tripping have not
been among the features of the con-
tests.
In several feature games the Tigers
have shown excellent form, and 1t Is
evident they are out to regain the lau-
rels which Yale took away from them
last season. But the wise ones are
holding back and saying wait" Yale
has good material and under Tom
Howard is q dangerous quantity. Har-
ward always has a good hockey team.
PittsburC hockey promoters are pat
ting themselves on the back over the
fact that Canada. supposed to be the
seat CT the greet winter game, Is
grabbing many of the star puck chas-
ers of the Smoky City. Where the
Pittsburg men have the joke on their
rivals. however, is that many or the
players that are desired so much in
the Dominion originally came from
across the border. where several years
ago they were not even rated as posi-
biities in the rink sport. The Penn
svlyania hockeyites welcomed these
PLAYERS and proceeded to develop them
into stars of the highest caliber. The
result of their work is clearly cvi-
dcnced in the way the Canadian teams
have taken back their castoffs.
Among the players who developed
into stars while at Pittsburg are Bruce
Stuart. now with ottawa: Bert Morri-
son also playing in Canada: Jack Win
chester. with ottawa; Reddy McMil-
Ian Pitre. now with Edmonton; Riley
ITorn of the famous Wanderers; Fred
Lake. ottawa; Billy Baird, Sweitzer
IiviOlette. now with the Montrea
Shamrocks, and Kent. Aside from
these men, many others who are now
PLAYING in the Dominion received their
trial at Pittsburg, and 1t is easily seen
that the American managers are doing
more for the great winter sport than
the Canadians, who are supposed tc
be the godfathers of the game.
The New York Athletic club team
appears to be one Of the strongest IN
the Amateur Hockey league, and those
who have seen them practice this win
ter declare that the Amateur Hockey
league championship cup will be cor
rallied by them. Besides having the
same veterans that occupied places on
the first team last season, the forward
line and the scoring ability Of the com
bination have been strengthened by the
acquisition Of Jimmy Sheriff., who
played on the champion Crescents last
season.
E;oh%een DAYS Of BoWinQ.