The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-10-21
EAST TALKS OF
HOCKEY CHANGE
Canadians Plan to Play Game
With Six Men Discussed

New York oct. 21.--The discussion
OF the substitution of n six-man hook
cy team for the seven-man variety in
American Kinks is rife here with the
approach OF winter.
Jimmy Shirreff of the Crescent club,
one of the best players on one of the
best clubs in the country, believes the
number of men should be cut down
from seven To six men.
Skating, and with 1t hockey is
due To- star in a few weeks" said
Shirretf and IL IL not too soon to add
vocatc what, to my mind, will prove
the salvation OF the sport in this
country. The one deterrent of the
game, as at present constituted in
this country, Is the smallness of the
rink and the consequent crowding of
fourteen players on the ice.
Naturally 1t is impossible to change
the size OF the only rink we have here
In New York, which Is so small. com.
pared to the real Canadian Kinks. that
Canadian teams smile when asked To
do themselves credit on the ice sur
face. Every Canadian who has ever
played here realizes tho handicap and
the same thought il uppermost in the
minds Of our players.
There Is remedy both simple and,
/ think, imminent. TT = Canadian
hockey players are now playing only
six men To team, lcavinS out the ro-
YER whose utility, as n matter Of fact.
has always been somewhat question
able.
Il am safe in saying that the great
majority of players here believe with
me that the governing body should
this fail so change conditions of the
game that the rover VIII be dispensed
with.
The question is asked; Why this
change? Wen. the answer is simple,
particularly in view of our small Kinks.
With fourteen players on the ice there
is almost no chance for any individual
or team brilliancy. There is a crowd
ing that prevents real hockey. so that
the game has almost become shlnncy.
back of the net. With the puck behind
the cage, there are often eight players
fallin, over each other in an attempt
to get the disc. II resulted IN q scram-
bic that Is neither interesting nor ex-
citing To player or spectator. Certain
~ 1t isn't hockey.
Another reason is that rover al
ways inos 1t hard 10 get IN line; he is
usually onslde. All OF the big Cana
uIan teams have dispensed with the
rover for the reason that IL opens UP
the game and prevents shinneying.
Indeed. there is tar moro reason TO
advocate and put through the change
here than in Canada. for our teams
play only once a week, whereas the
Canadians are at il four or five times
in that period
I'm CANADA there has been only one
fault found with the change, and that
Is that 1t puts on the shoulders of the
three remaining linesmen more work
than under the old system.
Nv here prott ssional hockey is con-
tcrned. as in Canaua, 1t Is Of course
essential that every man should be in
as lood shape as the ball players
have to be IN this country. But the
well trained hockey player of Canada
SCOTS at the only objection thus far
raised.
1--WE had a good chance tn size up
the difference Of the game last year
when the Canadians played here. and
every hockey player in these parts was
impressed with the Improvement.
There remained no question but that
I; added speed and interest To the
matches. or course. the Improvement
was not noted until the end of the
season whcr the Canadians were here.