Chicago eagle., 1913-11-08
CHANGE HOCKEY RULE?
Opposition to Plan Calling for
Dropping Of Rover.
secretary Won sernuth Of Amateur
League, Brushes Aside Al Arsu.
msnts Advanced by shIrrem,
Russell and Other stars.

Opposition to the plan Of eliminating
veloped since the strong plea Of Jimmy
Shirreff and President Russell Of the
Hockey association. The first COM
plant comes from II. G. Won Bernuth,
secretary Of the Amateur Hockey
league. He brushes aside all Of the ar.
guments advanced by Shirreff. Russell,
Dolby and other stars with the theory
that the plea for a change is only local
II am unalterably opposed" he says.
ITO the dropping Of the rover from the
forward line on our hockey teams and
I shall fight any such move when It
comes up. ! have carefully read the
reasons for the suggested change and
I have certai1y been impressed with
the list Of we'll known players who fa.
vor the shift. TO my mind, however, It
would be mistake. for several rea-
sons. First. those arguing for the
change apparently believe in It only
because Of the size, or lack Of size, OF
most rinks. II Ii certain that with
larger rink there would be no talk Of
afy change. The second sound reason
advanced Is that the crowded rink has
fostered shinneying. That fault. be.
lieve, IL due more to lax officiating than
to the presence OF four men on the
forward line. A strict penalizing for
cross checking and tripping would
eliminate q lot of that shinneying.
Now. a. to the origin for this want.
"a aho~~A hu0h hos hoas, ao1A 060Mt
the big professional league Of Canada
having adopted the six man team. The
real reason for the dropping Of one
man In that league was economy. Al
II has been stated. they pay great big
salaries and 1t meant the saving Of one
stipend. Then. again, many Of the
stars Of that league we're drawn or
to the Pacific coast league OF hockey
players, and It left them In fix to find
enough stars who could play the same
speedy game.
1T IL not right to my mind to change
the rules here just because New York
cannot boast OF a big rink. Now, In
Boston. where the rink Is c42 feet Ions
and amply broad, you could easily play
FIVE men in the forward line. The
same logic holds good In Syracuse
Cleveland. Yale and Chicago Kinks
where the size is ample for open
hockey. Supposing. for the sake Of ar
gument, we were to drop the rover
There would be difficulty every time
we were to play a Boston, Chicago
Cleveland or college team. Further
more. the New York league Is looked
upon as the authority In this country.
"Why should we be the only ones tt
have six men to a team? II the pro
ject should eventually go through II
Canada, and. by that mean the anna
teur ranks. II would be time enough
for US to adopt It. So far as can SCI
It IL purely matter Of local rink
Rather let US get to the seat Of thu
trouble, and that IL the rink itself. D'
you suppose that the, colleges vii
adopt any such change? ! don't. Fur
thermore. ! am not at all sure that tn
plan will ever be adopted by the anna
ltouP teams Of Canada.
II am aware that many OF the play
ers look forward to the change. but II
several cases It IL because they thinl
It will aid them to get In some spec
tacular work that is almost impOssibl
now. shall certainly oppose an
change, even II ] am the only one 4
voice that opinion"