The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-02-03

Murdoch's weathering Of hook
ey's storms during the years since
the Rangers were organized In
1926 has been partly responsible
for the Gotham teams rise to the
heights of the game. But also re-
) sponsibIe for the success of the
squad, which was climaxed by the
unexpected winning of the Stanley
cup in the playoff last season, is
the managerial acumen of the sill
ver-thatched Patrick.
Les, who was born across the
line in the Dominion of the Maple
Leaf, and who has packed a career
full of playing, promoting and
managing, stood pat on the team
that won the title last year. With
the exception of q few youngsters,
his lineup of Andy Aitkenhead,
goalie; Ching johnson, Earl Sci
bert, OFT Heller and Doug Brennan,
defense, and Bill and Bun Cook
and Frank Boucher, front line, was
good enough for him this season.
Bad Star t
But the boys started out on the
wrong foot. They lost consistently
until the genial Irishman gave
them : dressing down, changed his
lineup and started them clicking.
To-day they are at the top of the
hotly contested American division
of the National Hockey League.
Patric'.'s team Is O squad of stars.
Andy Aitkenhead Is at the top of
his profession, and has scored six
shutouts this year. Only Al goals
have been scored against him in
26 games.
Recently, Edouard Lalonde,
manager OF Les Canadiens, was
asked to name his ideal hockey
players, and here's the way he
classed the Rangers:
For elusiveness, I figure Bill
Cook of the Rangers is No. l man.
AS for play making and creating
situations that make for clean
shots at the net, Frank Boucher of
the same team is first.
"Outstanding in courage, too, is
Bill Cook.
."Cook, up until this year, was
the modern ideal of the game. But
he hasn't hit his full stride yet, and
the lonors at present go to Aurel
Joliat Of Les Canadens."
LUX anu DOuCllSl Oh . oLtII . VI
the team-but SO are. Ching john
son, Bun Cook, Murdoch, Earl Sci
bert and the rest of them. And
making OF them than any other
factor.
A hockey team, Patrick cures,
should be run like any other highly
organized athletic squad. Accord
ingly, he has his own system of OPP
erations.
He never fines a man for infringe
ment of rules, but If the culprit
persists in repeatedly pulling the
stunt, he is dismissed without any
fuss. He holds blackboard talks in
the dressing room before every
game, and during those talks every
player has his duties mapped out
for him.
During the game, his eyes aren't
always on the puck-they're on the
Ranger who's moving it up the ice
or trying to take it away from an
enemy. In that way he can see
which players are working" and
which are not.
Retired
Although Les was a star for
years, he doesn't play now. Six
years ago, however, during the
height of the titular battle between
the Rangers and the Montreal Ma
rooms. Patrick got into game.
Lorne Chabot, his goalie, was hit
over the eye by a flying puck and
couldn't continue. Patrick donned
the pads and for the remainder of
the game buried his stiffened form
in front Iof sthe net, allowing only
one goal to get past him. The
Rangers nally won.
The Gray Eagle" fancies a GER
tain type of player-and that type,
strangely, is one who is not so in
telligent. He has found hockey
players can think faster on the ice
IL they are hockey players rather
than intellectuals.
THAT'S because there's nothing
on their minds but hockey" he
says. TOO many ramications in
the brain is bad. If boys head
is He'd With thoughts of modern lit
erature, business depression and
strides of science, he hasn't many
cells left for hockey"