The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-11-30
PUT HOCKEY ON
BETTER BASIS
INTERNATIONAL GOV ERNlNG
BODY WOULD PLACE PoPU-
LAR CANADIAN GAME ON
FIRM FOUNDATION.


made In the Canadian hockey rules. 1t
appears as though the legislators Of
the ice game had taken lesson from
the shifts in the American football
rules The number OF periods has
been heightened from two TO three.
This is one less than the division made
Of football playing time.
Canadian teams VIII play twenty
minute periods, instead of two thirty
minute sessions. as was the case last
year. There win be ten minute inter
missions instead Of five. as was the
case last season.
The name of the new organization
is THE National Hockey Association
Of Canada The number of clubs was
fixed at seven and the salary limit fix
ed at IS 900. The Canadian Athletic
club and Quebec take over the fran
chises Of Harleybury and Cobalt.
Whether this change will be adopted
locally this season remains To be seen.
Heretofore the teams Of the copper
country teams have always followed
the Canadian rules closely but so far
ing the periods Of play. 1t has been
customary for the amateur teams to
adopt shorter halves than those play
ed in the league games and it is al
most certain that the local men will
not deviate from the old rules.
Local Outlook Doubtful.
The outlook for hockey in the cop
.foIa
as it might be. Although n team has
been organized at Mohawk and the
Houghton promoters are prepared TO
enter team II a league is organized.
hockey is already recognized as
| dead issue in Calumet and Hancock.
and IL is doubtful If any attempt win
,, be made to revive the game. The re-
verses and discouragements of other
seasons coupled with the fact that the
game has been a losing proposition
financially has dampened the ardor of
fans and promoters.
Another detrimental feature is the
mercenary attitude which has been as
sumed by most of the players. When
professional hockey was at its height
in this section fancy salaries were
paid TO the players. many Of them
drawing better money than is now
paid by the larger cities in Canada.
The sport became a losing proposition
for the promoters. however. and anna
teur hockey was substituted with the
admission of fees greatly reduced.
Inducements Offered Players.
Recently however the copper coun-
| try players have grown almost as pro-
| ficient as the best Canadian stars and
they are no longer satisfied with play
ing for glory alone. During the last
few years the sport is said to have
taken on sort Of semi professional
basis. Special inducements in the ma
ture of good positions with lucrative
| salaries have been offered 20 hockey
players in order that their contracts
may be secured and as n result the
players of other teams expect similar
opportunities. Then, too. at the close
Of the season the players divide
certain percentage of the accumulated
gate receipts. While these arrange
ments have been satisfactory so far to
all Of the homogeneous. there is n
growing tendency towards profession
alism.
Should Have Governing Board.
The experiences Of the copper coun-
try promoters have been repeated i'm
a number Of other cities and as a re-
suit there is an air of uncertainty
rbout the outlook for the coming sea-
son and as a result the buckeyes OF
many cities may be deprived of fire.
quency of this spectacular game dur
ing the coming season. The sugges-
ton is made by one copper country
promoter that an international gov
erning board should he organized for
hockey. similar to the national body
which now controls baseball. The ex-
periences which the managers and
players are now passing through are
similar to those which were manifest
during the early years of professional
baseball and which seem 10 have been
completely solved with the advent OF
the national commission.
Hockey has fascination for red
blooded Americans which cannot be
denied and sooner or later all of the
larger cities Of the country will take
up the sport That the increased
popularity and interest will usher I'm n
period OF fabulous salaries is freely
predicted by those who have already
had experience with the game Under
these conditions II would seem that
the sport should be under the con-
troll of an international organization.
and copper country promoters and
managers would undoubtedly be will
ing 60 assist in the formation of such
n body
Charles Al ConiskeV president OF