The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-01-14
HOCKEY MAKES
GAINS IN j. s.
American Teams Now Able I,
Compete With Canada's Best

IT is doubtful and improbable thai
| hockey will ever assume the impor,
ance in this country that it has ia
its home-.Canadd. To imagine sue
thing would be like reversing tn
| conditions of baseball, with the eX
ception that baseball is becoming mon,
aad more popular across the horde
with the advent of each season, say
the New York Evening Telegram.
There is one great difference. how
! ever, and difference that has a prt
| Eounced effect upon conditions
| ball needs an open field; hockey need
ice. Aside from small ponds and art
! fetal Kinks, there is little chance 70.
The youth of this country To play ia
! winter sport.
/ Considering the handicap undcl
which the teams labor in the United
States the quality OF hockey playeG
is excellent In the games that have
taken place between the leadins
I
teams of the Dominion the showing
made by our representatives has been
cCmmcndable.
Whenever one of this contry's
seven is successful in defeating a
septet from the Dominion, Canadians
are wont TO point to the fact that
the ma iority of our players of ability
are Canadians This is true i'm part.
Eut it is also. true that gradually
American players are being developed
in our colleges, universities, prep"
schools and amateur clubs who are
becoming more and more proficient
by preserving those who have rec
ognizcd anu appreciate the real value
of the game as a sport arc succeed
irg i'm accomplishing things which
several years ago were deemed almost
impossible.
Colleges and universities i'm tho Uni
ted States have manifested growing
interest. At some institutions the
sport has been promoted from Il minor
athletic pastimc, for which the play
eTs receive only an individual insignia,
to a major sport for which they re-
ceive the cherished varsity letter.
This has proved an incentive for in
creased activity among the general
students bodies and as a result the
squads have increased annually from
Il scant two sevens To- four and five
sevens, and even more players who
have had some experience while serv-
ing their terms in the prep" schools.
When 1t is known that this year los
teams have enrolled as members of the
Ontario Hockey Association of Can
ada, an amateur organization divided
into three classes, senior intcrmcd-
late and junior and that the leading
teams have all thes players to call
upon for material, 1t is small wonder
that Canadian teams are so strong.
When these conditions are compared
with those which exist here, the rcla
tive strength of the representative |
seven Is indeed striking. 1t wasn't |
Sc long ago that local teams did not :
have a lighting chance against in
vaders. Now they have more than a |
fghtins chance. They are almost equal
IL ability
When the present members of col
cce teams are graduated and If
hey continue In the sport by becom-
ng affiliated with clubs the ranks
" tho club teams can then be iilcl
~ Americans because the Canadian,
Who brought The game here and ba'-
led for its existence against ever
odds have served their time
md are ready and anxious To pass
ip the severe work To younger men.