Dit Clapper facts for kids

Aubrey Victor "Dit" Clapper (February 9, 1907 – January 21, 1978) was a famous Canadian ice hockey player. He played his entire professional career for the Boston Bruins in the NHL.

Clapper was the first NHL player to play for twenty seasons. He was also one of only two players to be an All-Star at both forward and defence. He was a key part of the "Dynamite Line" with Cooney Weiland and Dutch Gainor. This line helped break many scoring records in the 1930s. Later in his career, he became the player-coach for the Bruins. He continued coaching after he stopped playing. He is a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Nickname

Aubrey Clapper grew up in Hastings, Ontario. He got his nickname "Dit" when he was very young. He would try to say his own name, but it sounded like "Dit."

Clapper started playing hockey at age 13. He played minor hockey in Oshawa. In 1925, he played for the junior league Toronto Parkdale club. He even scored a goal during their Memorial Cup run that season. The next year, he became a professional player. He joined the Boston Tigers in the Canadian-American Hockey League.

NHL Career Highlights

Joining the Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins bought Clapper's contract in 1927. He had been a defenceman before. But Bruins' coach Art Ross decided to try him as a right wing. This change worked out very well. Clapper scored his first NHL goal just ten seconds into his first game. This was against the Chicago Black Hawks.

The "Dynamite Line"

In the next season, Coach Ross put Clapper with Cooney Weiland and Dutch Gainor. They formed the "Dynamite Line." This was one of the first forward lines in hockey history to get a special nickname. The Bruins won their division that year. They then won their first Stanley Cup championship. Clapper scored the winning goal in the first game of the series.

Breaking Scoring Records

For the 1930 season, the league changed some rules. This made it easier to score goals. The Bruins, who were Stanley Cup champions, used these new rules to their advantage. They broke many scoring records. They also had the highest winning percentage in league history. The Dynamite Line led the way. Weiland was the top scorer in the league. Clapper finished third with 41 goals. This was the third-highest goal total in league history at that time. The Dynamite Line scored 102 of the Bruins' 179 goals. Even though Clapper scored four goals in the playoffs, the Bruins lost the Stanley Cup finals to the Montreal Canadiens.

Changes and Captaincy

In the 1931 season, Clapper continued to score many points. However, Gainor's scoring dropped. The Dynamite Line was eventually broken up. Clapper's 22 goals placed him eighth in the league. He was named a Second Team All-Star at right wing. This was the first time such All-Stars were chosen.

The next year, Clapper became the team captain. He still finished eighth in league scoring. But the Bruins had many injuries and finished last. In 1933, the Bruins got star player Nels Stewart. He played with Clapper, and they formed a strong attacking duo. This helped the Bruins win their division again.

Moving to Defence

Clapper was a big player for his time, standing 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighing 200 pounds. In 1937, during a playoff game, there was an unusual event. Clapper had a heated moment with referee Clarence Campbell. Clapper was fined $100 for the incident. Campbell, who later became the NHL president, even spoke up for Clapper. He said he felt he had provoked Clapper.

By 1938, Coach Ross asked Clapper to move back to defence. He played alongside superstar Eddie Shore. This change was very successful. Clapper was named a First Team NHL All-Star as a defenceman in 1939, 1940, and 1941. He helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1939 and 1941.

In February 1942, Clapper suffered a serious injury. He had a severed tendon after colliding with a Toronto player. Many thought he would have to retire. But he came back the next year and played well. During the 1944 season, Clapper broke the record for most career games played. He held this record until 1957.

Player-Coach Role

During the 1944 season, Clapper temporarily coached the team. This happened when Art Ross was sick. In 1945, Ross retired as coach. He then named Clapper as the new player-coach. Clapper was the only player-coach in Bruins history. He remained team captain until he retired as a player in 1947. He was captain for longer than any NHL player until Ray Bourque in the 1990s.

Retirement and Lasting Impact

Clapper's #5 jersey on display at the International Hockey Hall of Fame

Due to injuries, Clapper decided to retire before the 1946–47 season. However, he returned in November 1946 to help the Bruins. He played only a few more games. He officially retired for good on February 12, 1947. In his final game, the Bruins won 10-1 against the New York Rangers. On that day, the Bruins announced that his number #5 jersey would be retired. The Hockey Hall of Fame also immediately added him as an Honoured Member. He was the only active player ever inducted into the Hall of Fame. At that time, he was also the only living member inducted.

Tiny Thompson, a famous Bruins goaltender, once said about Clapper: "Clapper understood plays like a great baseball player. He always put himself where the puck was going to be."

Clapper coached the Bruins for two more seasons. He resigned in 1949 because he was not happy with the team's performance. He also felt uneasy coaching friends he had played with. He coached for one more season in 1960 for the American Hockey League's Buffalo Bisons. After that, he did not work in professional hockey again.

After retiring, Clapper ran a plumbing business and a sports store in Peterborough. He also served as a director for the Peterborough Petes hockey team. He briefly tried to enter politics. He ran as a Liberal candidate in the 1949 federal election. He lost by a very small number of votes.

Dit Clapper passed away on January 21, 1978. He had complications from a stroke he suffered in 1973. He is buried in Trent Valley Cemetery in Hastings, Ontario.

Retired Jersey Incident

In 1983, the Bruins signed former Montreal Canadiens star Guy Lapointe. Lapointe wanted to wear his usual #5 jersey. This number had been retired in Clapper's honor almost forty years earlier. The team's general manager, Harry Sinden, agreed to Lapointe's request. However, Clapper's family, Bruins superstar Bobby Orr, and the public protested. After a few games, Lapointe's number was changed to #27.

In August 2012, a new street sign named "Dit Clapper Drive" was unveiled in Hastings, Ontario. Former NHL coach Scotty Bowman paid tribute to Clapper at the event. Bowman had known Clapper when he was a young coach for the Peterborough Petes.

Achievements and Facts

• Played on three Bruins Stanley Cup championship teams (1929, 1939, 1941). This is the most of any Bruins player in history.
• NHL First All-Star Team: (1939, 1940, 1941)
• NHL Second All-Star Team: (1944) as a defenceman; (1931, 1935) as a right wing.
• Won the Elizabeth C. Dufresne Trophy as the most outstanding Bruins player in home games in 1940 and 1941.
• The first player in NHL history to play for 20 seasons. He is one of only nine players to do so with the same team.
• He was the last active NHL player who played during the 1920s.
• When he retired, he held the NHL career record for games played and seasons played.
• In 1998, The Hockey News ranked Clapper number 41 on their list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players of all time.
• He is mentioned in the hockey movie Slap Shot as an example of "old time hockey."
• Retired NHL defenceman Greg Theberge is Dit's grandson.
• His game jersey from his retirement night is on display at the International Hockey Hall of Fame in Kingston, Ontario.

Career Statistics

Coaching Record

• Dit Clapper's biography at Legends of Hockey
• Dit Clapper's career stats at The Internet Hockey Database