The Florida star., 1910-01-07
HOCKEY STARS
COME HIGH.
War Among Leading Clubs In
Canada Boosts Salaries.
LARGE OFFER FOR WALSH

Groat FORWARD Fromiseo v<yoOO For
Ten Weeks Play by Rsnfrew Club
and 500 Bonus to PIsy Entire Sea.
son--Taylor Of Ottawa Another.
There IN reason to believe that the
fabulous prices paid the star profes-
slonal ice hockey players in Canada
/. last winter. which made many old
timers gasp. will be surpassed before
the present season Is passed into the
well filed annals Of the sport across
the border. Had Ii not been for the
hockey war between the Canadian
Hockey association and the National
Hockey association the figures estab-
lished last year might have stood unas-
sailed. but under present conditions
and judging from the reports about
the large sums OF money already there
Is every reason to believe that the
professional hockey players of the DO
minion will reap a harvest.
The hockey players life-that is. his
period Of usefulness In the fast and
strenuous professional game-is CON-
paratively short, and he must grab all
the money he can while he is star.
Like baseball. many OF these men en-
ter the sport to gather enough funds
10 start them In business. and many
OF them have "made good"
The prices paid these players appear
on the surface to be enormous. and as
a matter Of fact they are. but when
the great risk Of personal and serious
injury taken by the puck chasers is
considered they are worth all they can
get.
This is In no way advocating the
jumping Of contracts. so much in
vogue at the present time. Although
there Is no governing body, a player
certainly should honor any contract
which he is under unless 1t be unfair.
Until the war has been settled and
one or other Of the organizations has
taken the final count there does not
appear to be chance OF any commits
sion with the same powers as the ma
tional commission OF baseball being
formed. But just as soon as this strife
is over the agitation among hockey
promoters is so strong that commits
sion will be appointed and rules and
regulations drafted which will make
the professional hockey players honor
their contracts and will restrict club
owners from stealing players. There
will be q drafting season and one for
the purchasing OF players. Under
these improved conditions hockey is
bound TO become the leading winter
pastifne not only OF Canada. but OF
this country as well.
Marty Walsh. who Is conceded to be
one OF the best forwards In the DOmin-
ion. has received an offer Of $500 for
ten weeks play. a bonus OF 500 II he
plays the complete season and the
guarantee OF q position at $1,000 per
annum. good the year round. from the
Renfrew Hockey club. Renfrew is
backed by milliOnaires who are doing
their best to get together a team which
will wrest the Stanley cup from the
Ottawas. and they are going the limit
at Offering big money to the hockey
players to get them to sign up with
that team.
Fred Taylor. the great cover point of
the Ottawa seven. has received an Of
fer very similar. but has turned IL
down. He was to get $1,000 for ten
weeks play and position at a salary
OF $1,000 81 year.
The average salary paid the prnfes.
sional hockey player In the Dominion
for about nine weeks play il probably
$1.C0O. hut there are several lumina-
rleS at puck chasing who are COM
pensated for their services in much
larger checks. Some draw as high as
$1,000 for the season.
II Is generally. conceded that the av-
erage baseball player receives a sti-
pend of about $1,000 a season for near
ly seven months daily work. Hockey
Is too strenuous game to request Il
man TO play Il every night. and when
all this time Is taken into cOnsidera-
tiOn il will be found that the salaries
paid hockey players touch a higher
mark than thNse given the ball toSsers.
EnoIiah Polo Team Comma