Eddie Shore, Battling Bruin, Says More Stress on Balance Necessary in Harvard Hockey Teams

Eddie Shore, battle-scarred veteran of the Boston Bruins Hockey team, believes that more stress should be laid on form and balance in the coaching of the Harvard hockey teams, following the example of the leading Canadian mentors.

"Balance," he declared," is the most important requisite of a big league iceman. A player's weight must be evenly distributed over his skates or the least contact will upset him."

Smoking incessantly and speaking in a mild, pleasant manner, the Bruins' captain said that he had seen both the Harvard Varsity and Freshman squads in practice at the Garden. While admitting that there can be little comparison between the 80,000 Americans and the 3,000,000 Canadians who play hockey, Shore feels that there are plenty of Americans, among them certain Harvard pucksters, who "ought to make good if given a chance."

A person who typewrites with two fingers corresponds to a hockey player without balance. When the former starts using all ten fingers, he experiences much difficulty. Just so when the amateur makes his "big jump" into the professional ranks, he rarely lasts two seasons without the fundamentals of balanced skating.

The feuds and fights that characterize the professional games are caused "entirely accidentally," according to Shore.

He completely refuted the found belief, that certain players are "out for" certain opponents.

The big idol of Boston hockey fandom closed by stating that practically all games are 80 per cent, skill and 20 per cent, luck but declared "that 20 per cent, is mighty important." He added that, with a little more coaching on form and balance, Harvard possessed plenty of skill, and he wished them all the luck, to hold a permanent place in the sun in college hockey.