Ancient Video Footage: 1924-1928

[tarheelhockey]

A bit more context for the tactics and strategies on display in these videos.

Some users may have access to "Ice Hockey: A Manual for Players and Coach", published in 1926. It can be found at this link, though it seems there are some restrictions on access. For those who can't access it, see the notes below:

- Apparently the author was a Hobey Baker fan, dedicating the book to him and singing his praises in a loosely-written chapter called "Reminiscences".

- Defines hockey as requiring 6 players -- the topic of rovers is not mentioned. This is not entirely surprising as rovers had been dropped from pro hockey in 1923, but the absence of even a retrospective mention of them is noteworthy.

- Pond rink dimensions described as 220' x 90' or 216' x 88', with 40" high boards. Nets described with standard dimensions except for being "a foot or so deep" which is a strikingly shallow construction -- this would have made it a virtual springboard for pucks to bounce off, which helps explain why Art Ross developed the B-shaped net within a few years after this. Goals to be placed 8' from the end boards. Boards make a rectangle, so triangular boxes in the corners ensure the puck continues on its way.

- Intercollegiate Ice Hockey Association of America's 1926 rulebook is provided. Too much to mention here, but I'm happy to look up a rule if anyone has a question.

- Aerobic conditioning, square meals, and 9+ hours of sleep noted as the foundation of good training.

- Good candidates for "backs" (defensemen) would be players who have all the skills of a forward, plus a larger-than-ordinary physical frame through either stockiness or lankiness.

- Centres should be selected for intelligence, stickwork, and defensive ability. Handedness is irrelevant as they are playing in the middle of the ice.

- Goalies should stand slightly off-center to the puck in order to protect their weak side, which would be the right side for a goalie who holds his stick with his right hand. Bear in mind the goalie is holding the stick with both hands, so the logic is that he would find it much easier to cover the left side of the net. This applies also to kick saves, where the stick blade should be used in tandem with the skate. Note the positioning about 6 inches off-center:

- Emphasis for the goalie to try to square up and take the puck straight-on with the pads or torso if possible. When catching, don't close the hand but deflect or toss the puck aside. Clearing rebounds with the stick is a critical skill.

- Start of game, which implies general player positioning with the puck at center ice:

- Backs (defensemen) should be positioned about a quarter of the way up the rink, 6 feet apart from each other. They should move up and down, but should not cross the center line. Rushes should be intercepted about 15' from the net. Emphasis is on maintaining gaps with correct use of speed. Protect the middle of the ice at all costs, forcing the play wide. In tandem, one D plays the body while the other picks up the puck. The one with the puck has an option to start a rush with the forward line, or continue skating back behind his net to set up an orderly advance.

- When a D leads the rush, the forward whose lane he has occupied should drop back as a D. The manual mentions a new strategy where the entire forward line drops back and the two D lead a rush together.

- The basic principles of a forward rush are along the lines of using diagonal or drop passes to isolate a defensive player against 2 attackers and open up an opportunity for a shot. Deception and speed are the determining factors of success. Individual puck-carrying moves include banking the puck off the boards or lobbing it over an opponent to chase it down. Once inside the zone, the focus is getting in on net quickly with a pass or deke before back-pressure arrives. The C should drive the middle of the ice and force the D to protect that lane, allowing the C to make a quick pass out to the wing for a chance on net. Head and shoulder fakes are key to selling the D on covering the wrong lane.

In the event that an opportunity doesn't open up, circle behind the net for a pass-out. Note the C filling the LW's open lane for a back door chance:

There seems to be a really important assumption here -- primary offensive chances will come quickly off a rush, not by moving the puck systematically around the offensive zone.

- If the play is driven to the corner, one option is to pass out to the D for a long shot. But, this would put the forward line off side, so they can't pursue the rebound and must retreat back to where the shot was taken before they can proceed. The D are mentioned as being capable of taking valid shots, but only in the context of a failure by the forward line which are now hemmed into a corner and at risk of turning the puck over if they don't pass back to the D.

- "Triangle" systems on both offense and defense are described, and then dismissed as weak options. Both involve the center playing in a triangular formation with his teammates. In both cases it is noted that opposing teams can easily counter such a formation.

- This manual recommends using the C as the "safety" player who curls back after passing to ensure that his own D doesn't get outnumbered on a counterattack. It acknowledges that the back-side winger can also fill this purpose while the C rushes ahead, but recommends against using that tactic for various positional reasons.

- When the forwards backcheck, the wingers should crowd the center lane in order to force the play wide, then jump out to intercept the puck carrier as he moves up the boards. The recommended tactic is a stick lift combined with taking the body, allowing the loose puck to be picked up by the D.

- Wraparounds, which are not called by that term, are described as a useful "trick". It also describes with near-perfect precision the exact backhand power move that Malkin famously used to beat Cam Ward for a hat trick goal in the 2009 playoffs.

- Icing the puck is recommended as a smart late-game defensive play, not yet being illegal.

- Nighbor-style hook checks are described as a "trick" but the tone is that they should be fairly uncommon for players of modest ability.

- Notably, the manual recommends doing the classic beaver-tail clap if you're open for a pass. Apparently beer leaguers everywhere are building on at least a hundred years of history with that one.


Other images:

There are also some staged photos of players in various postures (shooting the puck, fighting for a faceoff, etc) but I don't think those tell us very much that we didn't already know.

 

[Sanf]

Excellent work!

Though few questions. (And I´m talking now mostly from my memory)

What does the book says about the forward pass in D-zone? I believe that CAHA had rule (during this time span) that (IIRC) there was zone of 40 or 60 feet from own goal where defending team could use forward pass. This was not allowed for example in NHL.

I would also asume that neutral zone forward pass was not allowed in Intercollegiate hockey (which was allowed in NHL). Also bodychecking in neutral zone probably wasn´t permitted?

It does not change all that much, but need to be taken in to consideration. It was said that it usually takes amateur player a season to get used to all the different rules in pro hockey.

This is overall interesting time span selected to this thread because there was lot of consolidation done in hockey. Whether it was leagues or rules.

 

[Theokritos]

A bit more context for the tactics and strategies on display in these videos.

Some users may have access to "Ice Hockey: A Manual for Players and Coach", published in 1926. It can be found at this link, though it seems there are some restrictions on access. For those who can't access it, see the notes below:

- Apparently the author was a Hobey Baker fan, dedicating the book to him and singing his praises in a loosely-written chapter called "Reminiscences".

- Defines hockey as requiring 6 players -- the topic of rovers is not mentioned. This is not entirely surprising as rovers had been dropped from pro hockey in 1923, but the absence of even a retrospective mention of them is noteworthy.

- Pond rink dimensions described as 220' x 90' or 216' x 88', with 40" high boards. Nets described with standard dimensions except for being "a foot or so deep" which is a strikingly shallow construction -- this would have made it a virtual springboard for pucks to bounce off, which helps explain why Art Ross developed the B-shaped net within a few years after this. Goals to be placed 8' from the end boards. Boards make a rectangle, so triangular boxes in the corners ensure the puck continues on its way.

- Intercollegiate Ice Hockey Association of America's 1926 rulebook is provided. Too much to mention here, but I'm happy to look up a rule if anyone has a question.

- Aerobic conditioning, square meals, and 9+ hours of sleep noted as the foundation of good training.

- Good candidates for "backs" (defensemen) would be players who have all the skills of a forward, plus a larger-than-ordinary physical frame through either stockiness or lankiness.

- Centres should be selected for intelligence, stickwork, and defensive ability. Handedness is irrelevant as they are playing in the middle of the ice.

- Goalies should stand slightly off-center to the puck in order to protect their weak side, which would be the right side for a goalie who holds his stick with his right hand. Bear in mind the goalie is holding the stick with both hands, so the logic is that he would find it much easier to cover the left side of the net. This applies also to kick saves, where the stick blade should be used in tandem with the skate. Note the positioning about 6 inches off-center:

- Emphasis for the goalie to try to square up and take the puck straight-on with the pads or torso if possible. When catching, don't close the hand but deflect or toss the puck aside. Clearing rebounds with the stick is a critical skill.

- Start of game, which implies general player positioning with the puck at center ice:

- Backs (defensemen) should be positioned about a quarter of the way up the rink, 6 feet apart from each other. They should move up and down, but should not cross the center line. Rushes should be intercepted about 15' from the net. Emphasis is on maintaining gaps with correct use of speed. Protect the middle of the ice at all costs, forcing the play wide. In tandem, one D plays the body while the other picks up the puck. The one with the puck has an option to start a rush with the forward line, or continue skating back behind his net to set up an orderly advance.

- When a D leads the rush, the forward whose lane he has occupied should drop back as a D. The manual mentions a new strategy where the entire forward line drops back and the two D lead a rush together.

- The basic principles of a forward rush are along the lines of using diagonal or drop passes to isolate a defensive player against 2 attackers and open up an opportunity for a shot. Deception and speed are the determining factors of success. Individual puck-carrying moves include banking the puck off the boards or lobbing it over an opponent to chase it down. Once inside the zone, the focus is getting in on net quickly with a pass or deke before back-pressure arrives. The C should drive the middle of the ice and force the D to protect that lane, allowing the C to make a quick pass out to the wing for a chance on net. Head and shoulder fakes are key to selling the D on covering the wrong lane.

In the event that an opportunity doesn't open up, circle behind the net for a pass-out. Note the C filling the LW's open lane for a back door chance:

There seems to be a really important assumption here -- primary offensive chances will come quickly off a rush, not by moving the puck systematically around the offensive zone.

- If the play is driven to the corner, one option is to pass out to the D for a long shot. But, this would put the forward line off side, so they can't pursue the rebound and must retreat back to where the shot was taken before they can proceed. The D are mentioned as being capable of taking valid shots, but only in the context of a failure by the forward line which are now hemmed into a corner and at risk of turning the puck over if they don't pass back to the D.

- "Triangle" systems on both offense and defense are described, and then dismissed as weak options. Both involve the center playing in a triangular formation with his teammates. In both cases it is noted that opposing teams can easily counter such a formation.

- This manual recommends using the C as the "safety" player who curls back after passing to ensure that his own D doesn't get outnumbered on a counterattack. It acknowledges that the back-side winger can also fill this purpose while the C rushes ahead, but recommends against using that tactic for various positional reasons.

- When the forwards backcheck, the wingers should crowd the center lane in order to force the play wide, then jump out to intercept the puck carrier as he moves up the boards. The recommended tactic is a stick lift combined with taking the body, allowing the loose puck to be picked up by the D.

- Wraparounds, which are not called by that term, are described as a useful "trick". It also describes with near-perfect precision the exact backhand power move that Malkin famously used to beat Cam Ward for a hat trick goal in the 2009 playoffs.

- Icing the puck is recommended as a smart late-game defensive play, not yet being illegal.

- Nighbor-style hook checks are described as a "trick" but the tone is that they should be fairly uncommon for players of modest ability.

- Notably, the manual recommends doing the classic beaver-tail clap if you're open for a pass. Apparently beer leaguers everywhere are building on at least a hundred years of history with that one.


Other images:

There are also some staged photos of players in various postures (shooting the puck, fighting for a faceoff, etc) but I don't think those tell us very much that we didn't already know.

Excellent overview. I wasn't even aware that icing had yet to be outruled.

 

[tarheelhockey]

What does the book says about the forward pass in D-zone? I believe that CAHA had rule (during this time span) that (IIRC) there was zone of 40 or 60 feet from own goal where defending team could use forward pass. This was not allowed for example in NHL.

“A player on the defending side shall not be off-side when he takes a pass from or plays the puck when it bounds off his goal-keeper or the end of the rink or netting, or is passed by any of his team-mates within a space of twenty feet out from the goal and extending to the side of the rink, and a line shall be drawn across the ice of the rink to designate the distance.”

So a rather short defensive zone allowance for forward passing. 20 feet isn’t much space at all for defenders to get on side.

I would also asume that neutral zone forward pass was not allowed in Intercollegiate hockey (which was allowed in NHL). Also bodychecking in neutral zone probably wasn´t permitted?

The only no-checking zone in this handbook is the space within 5 feet of the boards. In the index, the following penalties are assessed for “checking into boards” and “unnecessary roughness”: “1 warning unless flagrant, 2nd time 2 minutes, increase 1 minute each offense”

 

[Theokritos]

Something I never thought about -- when did goalie skates originate? Because both netminders have them in that beautiful 1928 Olympic footage!

Apparently as early as 1908. See "Goal Tender Skates with 'Puck Stop' on Blade: Ice Hockey Equipment 1900 – 1912 | The Birthplace of Hockey

Does ANY video exist anywhere of Cyclone Taylor during his playing days? Was always curious to see something of him on the ice

Unfortunately I don't think there is any. Would be very interesting to see for sure.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Very interesting footage. It'd be interesting to know if any coaches took anything from tennis doubles...I don't know much about tennis tactically, but the body position that many of these defensemen show makes a little more sense to me than sometimes I see in doubles tennis...I don't understand defending doubles alley in exchange for disadvantaged shots in the middle. Looks like a lot of d-men are sticks out, and are looking for body blows in the interior - sandwich hits even, as tarheel pointed out...

It's interesting, too, what an interesting double disadvantage is at play here...these are two more modern concepts I believe, in fact, when I teach them, I still get some looks haha

Let's start with the easy one, defending the line. There's no line to defend at this point. There's no offside rule. I tell my players that the blueline is a bonus defender and to use it accordingly. Players that sit inside the line forfeit that bonus player.

Quick little instances just for the visuals here. Both Brian Dumoulin (PIT 8, LHS) and Kristopher Letang (PIT 58, RHS) are really good line holders. I legit found these on the second and third shifts that I watched, which is great for the sake of time. Note the stick blade pointed at the puck, inside-out, get moving lateral (breaks speed, more on that later) and then eventually the play just kind of dies. Secretly, Dumoulin and Letang utilize another "half" a player, and that's the offside rule. Not in play here. So the advantage of being up higher is not gleaned in this case...but I'm not so sure about my second case - after the video.



The other thing that's lost here is a concept I refer to as "speed matching" and this is where I sort of stumble with some of this footage we have here...I'm guessing this is a limitation of equipment thing...forwards being unable to cut inside and defensemen unable to pivot/transition skate as well creates this product I imagine...

The best example I can find, for the sake of time, is at 0:13 of this video but even then, it's not exactly what I want to show...one thing that I've really gone to in the last few years is speed matching, but with another element to it. There's a pressure/lateral force that comes along with it.

When the puck changes hands and a rush is beginning, I want my defensemen to take it head on, the first step is forward, not backward. not a c-cut back...really, I consider it a "j-cut" forward...you slide up and inside, and start dumping some sand on this speed...force the attacker to take a stride that isn't straight at you...the last thing you want as a defenseman is to inherit a bunch of speed, especially if that speed is good. I don't care if Michael Grabner is fast because, well, what's gonna happen...? Nothin' probably. But if that speed as some skill with it, like McDavid or MacKinnon are right now, those hyper-speed superstars, I don't want to be in a position where I'm absorbing all of that...

Again, not my favorite example, Duncan Keith used to do it a lot too in the NZ, now he's not effective any more because his wheels aren't the same and he never really adapted a new defensive game...anyhow, check out Adam Fox (NYR 23, RHS) in the clip below...



He sort of takes that initial step, tries to dull things out a bit, and then he recovers back because he's now taken some control over the pace of play. If you've ever heard anyone say "control the pace of play", this is a fairly advanced interpretation and utilization of the term. Typically, you have the puck when you're controlling things, right? Well, the really special players can control the pace without the puck too.

Jump back to 100 years ago, we see no such mechanism for that. Plays that create depth seem a little feckless because of forward passing limitations too, so that plays a factor. But these defensemen have to absorb speed. They aren't even usually churning their feet that much to absorb these rushes, they're just bouncers without supervision it seems like...it'll be interesting to note the progression of the positioning and skating techniques employed as defensemen evolve...

 

[Michael Farkas]

It's also noteworthy to see what a talent gap there was - assuming I got my clips right - between the Swedish goalie who gave up 57 goals or whatever it was to Canada vs Lorne Chabot, where there is actual technique to his game.

I think it's probably fair to say that the average and lower end players at this time were a far cry from the top end players in the league. I mean, to the point that the average players didn't play really...just randomly, I looked at the 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates...three players scored two-thirds of the team's goals for the year. Meanwhile, they had six of their seven defensemen that combined for 139 games and eight total points...

So identifying strong and weak players should be fairly pronounced at this point, especially when you duck into international play...it's a good indication of the level of play in domestic leagues as well and how much that should be weighted. I don't see us counting one thin cent from Euro domestic league play before like 1955 or 1960 or so, which is probably right...we also might not have much data, which is fair too...

Goaltenders who are playing third defensemen, I'd be wary of...there's a difference between being a playmaker (like Benedict said) and being just relegated to being a legit third d-man because of weak skating or conditioning or what have you...we're probably right around the time where we can start taking goaltending really serious here...maybe a touch earlier...

I'm also very curious as to how they got that shot when those Rangers players crash into the net in one of the videos...it's at ice level and extremely close...I don't know how you recorded things in 1928, but I'm guessing it was heavy and/or hot and probably had its own steam valve or smoke stack or something...

 

[tarheelhockey]

Very interesting footage. It'd be interesting to know if any coaches took anything from tennis doubles...I don't know much about tennis tactically, but the body position that many of these defensemen show makes a little more sense to me than sometimes I see in doubles tennis...I don't understand defending doubles alley in exchange for disadvantaged shots in the middle. Looks like a lot of d-men are sticks out, and are looking for body blows in the interior - sandwich hits even, as tarheel pointed out...

It's interesting, too, what an interesting double disadvantage is at play here...these are two more modern concepts I believe, in fact, when I teach them, I still get some looks haha

Let's start with the easy one, defending the line. There's no line to defend at this point. There's no offside rule. I tell my players that the blueline is a bonus defender and to use it accordingly. Players that sit inside the line forfeit that bonus player.

Quick little instances just for the visuals here. Both Brian Dumoulin (PIT 8, LHS) and Kristopher Letang (PIT 58, RHS) are really good line holders. I legit found these on the second and third shifts that I watched, which is great for the sake of time. Note the stick blade pointed at the puck, inside-out, get moving lateral (breaks speed, more on that later) and then eventually the play just kind of dies. Secretly, Dumoulin and Letang utilize another "half" a player, and that's the offside rule. Not in play here. So the advantage of being up higher is not gleaned in this case...but I'm not so sure about my second case - after the video.



The other thing that's lost here is a concept I refer to as "speed matching" and this is where I sort of stumble with some of this footage we have here...I'm guessing this is a limitation of equipment thing...forwards being unable to cut inside and defensemen unable to pivot/transition skate as well creates this product I imagine...

The best example I can find, for the sake of time, is at 0:13 of this video but even then, it's not exactly what I want to show...one thing that I've really gone to in the last few years is speed matching, but with another element to it. There's a pressure/lateral force that comes along with it.

When the puck changes hands and a rush is beginning, I want my defensemen to take it head on, the first step is forward, not backward. not a c-cut back...really, I consider it a "j-cut" forward...you slide up and inside, and start dumping some sand on this speed...force the attacker to take a stride that isn't straight at you...the last thing you want as a defenseman is to inherit a bunch of speed, especially if that speed is good. I don't care if Michael Grabner is fast because, well, what's gonna happen...? Nothin' probably. But if that speed as some skill with it, like McDavid or MacKinnon are right now, those hyper-speed superstars, I don't want to be in a position where I'm absorbing all of that...

Again, not my favorite example, Duncan Keith used to do it a lot too in the NZ, now he's not effective any more because his wheels aren't the same and he never really adapted a new defensive game...anyhow, check out Adam Fox (NYR 23, RHS) in the clip below...



He sort of takes that initial step, tries to dull things out a bit, and then he recovers back because he's now taken some control over the pace of play. If you've ever heard anyone say "control the pace of play", this is a fairly advanced interpretation and utilization of the term. Typically, you have the puck when you're controlling things, right? Well, the really special players can control the pace without the puck too.

Jump back to 100 years ago, we see no such mechanism for that. Plays that create depth seem a little feckless because of forward passing limitations too, so that plays a factor. But these defensemen have to absorb speed. They aren't even usually churning their feet that much to absorb these rushes, they're just bouncers without supervision it seems like...it'll be interesting to note the progression of the positioning and skating techniques employed as defensemen evolve...

I haven’t spent a lot of time on this answer, but the thing that jumps immediately to mind is that these guys are not on rockered skates. They’re riding rails out there.

Can you skate backwards on them, most certainly. Can you skate backwards while also shadowing a forward’s shifty moves from the red line all the way back to the goal crease, without getting your ankles broken in the NBA sense? Ehhhhhh

 

[Theokritos]

I haven’t spent a lot of time on this answer, but the thing that jumps immediately to mind is that these guys are not on rockered skates. They’re riding rails out there.

Can you skate backwards on them, most certainly. Can you skate backwards while also shadowing a forward’s shifty moves from the red line all the way back to the goal crease, without getting your ankles broken in the NBA sense? Ehhhhhh

Is there any mention of backward skating in the 1926 book by Thomas Knight Fisher?

 

[Michael Farkas]

The biggest thing that stuck out to me as different from today, and also the more recent past (Original 6 and beyond):

Forwards jumping over defensive sticks like they're avoiding a soccer tackle.

I just realized that as a New Yorker now, I'm privy to the New York Times archive. My very first search found this...

There is little doubt that Howie Morenz is the shooting star of the hockey campaign. ...One reason why Morenz is so hard to "take out" as he comes down the ice is because he is a high hurdler as well as a fancy skater. When the defense men close in perform their "hoisting" operations on Howie, he shoves the disk past them somewhere in the clear and literally takes the air. And he goes through or over the defendants fairly often.

...

About a year ago there was a speed contest for hockey players held in Montreal. The skaters were sent around a course measuring 190 yards and Howie Morenz and Babe Siebert tied for first honors. Their time for the course was 17 seconds, and they made this time while stick-handling the rubber disk within six feet of their bodies all around the course.

In other words, these speedy skaters can carry the disk along a straightaway or around curves at a rate faster than 20 miles per hour. Or better than 10 yards per second, when going at full speed.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Is there any mention of backward skating in the 1926 book by Thomas Knight Fisher?

Regrettably, it's not treated as a topic in its own right, as compared to lengthy passages about general skating and shooting. The only real detail on backward skating is helpfully in a section about defensive gap control, quoted section below under "Normal Defense Play". I'm giving much a longer quote, but I think it's all quite helpful in understanding what defensemen were trying to accomplish circa 1926 and earlier. Many of these principles could be lifted, unedited, into a modern training manual.
------------------------------------
p. 60

TECHNIC OF PLAY OF THE BACKS [edit: read "defensemen"]

The interval between backs may perhaps be better gauged by saying that they must be near enough to close the gap instantly should any opponent carrying the puck attempt to skate between them. Their distance up the rink, of course, is constantly changing, the general idea never to go beyond centre rink while your own line [edit: read "forward line"] is ahead of you and never to back up to your goal without breaking up the attack at least fifteen feet from the goal. A statement of general principles for the defense players follows.

PRINCIPLES

1. Never let the opponent skate between the backs.
2. Force the play to the side-boards as soon as possible.
3. One defense player eternally cover in centre ice. [edit: there should always be at least one D in the middle lane]
4. Intercept the pass if you can. (Poke Check.)
5. If pass has gone to wing, follow out fast and cut off opponent along the boards.
6. Spoil attempted shots with stick or shins as they start.
7. Never stand around and let opponent shoot.
8. Yell "shot" to wake up your goal-guard. [edit: later clarified, this means one should yell "shot" in case the goalie's sight of the puck is blocked]
9. Give goal-guard clear vision.
10. Use your body in blocking off.
11. Catch high shots from a distance.
12. In bringing puck out from behind your goal, never cut in front of your goal.
13. Lift opponent's stick, get your body in front of him, and take away the puck rather than slash at it.
14. Clear away long rebounds.

STOPPING OPPONENT FROM GOING BETWEEN BACKS

Perhaps the most important principle of defensive play for the back is never to let an opponent carry the puck between them. The back nearest to the opponent should always block off such an attempt with his body, at the same time turning in front of him and lifting his stick, while the other should cut off the opponent with his body by turning in front and to the rear, and then picking up the puck with his stick as it slides to the rear out of the opponent's control. If there is space enough, the back who has recovered the puck should make an immediate turn and sprint to the front; otherwise, he should take his time skating to the rear and around his goal while his line gets back into position.

NORMAL DEFENSE PLAY OF BACKS

[edit: for clarity, take care not to confuse the terms "middle ice" (halfway up the rink, far from either net) and "centre ice" (the middle lane, far from the boards)]

When the defense players are at middle ice and the opposing line breaks clear away and starts forward to the attack, the two backs should skate slowly backward, retaining their interval in centre ice. As the approaching line gets closer, the backs should increase their backward speed, forcing the play to the side boards as soon as possible. On the supposition that the opposing centre is carrying the puck, both backs must first see to it that they give him no chance to skate between them and second, that they intercept if possible his pass to one of his wings. If the opposing centre completes his pass to, say, the left, the right defense as he skates backward should quickly cross his left foot over the right, and sprint to the wing on a curve to the rear.

If his speed is sufficient, he will be able to at least spoil the wing's shot by laying his own stick alongside his opponent's blade and puck, and then skating ahead of his opponent to recover the puck. This back should, if possible, lift the wing's stick with his own, at the same time blocking off said wing by crossing left shoulder and left leg in front, thus recovering the puck before any shot is started.

[edit: the passage concludes with a paragraph describing basic back-side coverage, and that the two D must switch roles if the puck goes the other wing]

--------------------


Re-watching the clips on the first page, I find this technique easier to identify in the Oxford/Cambridge and Oxford/Berlin clips than in the games involving Canadian teams. This might be a Canadian versus European thing, but it also might be a college versus pro thing, and it might just be reading too much into a small sample. But it looks like the Oxford team plays its D closer to true "middle ice" and has them retreat actively back as the attackers approach, as compared to the other clips where the D sits much further back in a static position.

Notably, in the 1933 clip the Rangers appear to be using something closer to the Oxford/college style, in the context of modern offside. The D are pinched up to the blue line, and retreat while receiving the attack. That could be explained by the rule changes alone, of course, but it's still striking how much those Rangers defensemen behave like the Oxford defensemen of 7 years earlier.

 

[Theokritos]

Notably, in the 1933 clip the Rangers appear to be using something closer to the Oxford/college style, in the context of modern offside. The D are pinched up to the blue line, and retreat while receiving the attack. That could be explained by the rule changes alone, of course, but it's still striking how much those Rangers defensemen behave like the Oxford defensemen of 7 years earlier.

Sanf and Mr. Smith aka Puckstruck have determined that the clip labeled as 1933 is actually from around 1927, so it fits in very well chronologically with the Oxford footage.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Sanf and Mr. Smith aka Puckstruck have determined that the clip labeled as 1933 is actually from around 1927, so it fits in very well chronologically with the Oxford footage.

Ah, I forgot about that (and it was right there below the embedded video too!).

Hard to know what to make of the differences. It could be philosophical, could be a scoreboard situation, could have to do with the personnel on the ice at the time. Certainly both styles were known to the players and coaches. One of the things I really like about the mid/late 1920s is that these past and future concepts briefly coexisted in a very fast-developing atmosphere.

 

[Michael Farkas]

I know it's tough...but have we identified any known substitutes in these videos...? There's clearly a divide between players who play and players who don't at this time, for all intents and purposes...

 

[seventieslord]

Sanf and Mr. Smith aka Puckstruck have determined that the clip labeled as 1933 is actually from around 1927, so it fits in very well chronologically with the Oxford footage.

Regrettably, it's not treated as a topic in its own right, as compared to lengthy passages about general skating and shooting. The only real detail on backward skating is helpfully in a section about defensive gap control, quoted section below under "Normal Defense Play". I'm giving much a longer quote, but I think it's all quite helpful in understanding what defensemen were trying to accomplish circa 1926 and earlier. Many of these principles could be lifted, unedited, into a modern training manual.
------------------------------------
p. 60

TECHNIC OF PLAY OF THE BACKS [edit: read "defensemen"]

The interval between backs may perhaps be better gauged by saying that they must be near enough to close the gap instantly should any opponent carrying the puck attempt to skate between them. Their distance up the rink, of course, is constantly changing, the general idea never to go beyond centre rink while your own line [edit: read "forward line"] is ahead of you and never to back up to your goal without breaking up the attack at least fifteen feet from the goal. A statement of general principles for the defense players follows.

PRINCIPLES

1. Never let the opponent skate between the backs.
2. Force the play to the side-boards as soon as possible.
3. One defense player eternally cover in centre ice. [edit: there should always be at least one D in the middle lane]
4. Intercept the pass if you can. (Poke Check.)
5. If pass has gone to wing, follow out fast and cut off opponent along the boards.
6. Spoil attempted shots with stick or shins as they start.
7. Never stand around and let opponent shoot.
8. Yell "shot" to wake up your goal-guard. [edit: later clarified, this means one should yell "shot" in case the goalie's sight of the puck is blocked]
9. Give goal-guard clear vision.
10. Use your body in blocking off.
11. Catch high shots from a distance.
12. In bringing puck out from behind your goal, never cut in front of your goal.
13. Lift opponent's stick, get your body in front of him, and take away the puck rather than slash at it.
14. Clear away long rebounds.

STOPPING OPPONENT FROM GOING BETWEEN BACKS

Perhaps the most important principle of defensive play for the back is never to let an opponent carry the puck between them. The back nearest to the opponent should always block off such an attempt with his body, at the same time turning in front of him and lifting his stick, while the other should cut off the opponent with his body by turning in front and to the rear, and then picking up the puck with his stick as it slides to the rear out of the opponent's control. If there is space enough, the back who has recovered the puck should make an immediate turn and sprint to the front; otherwise, he should take his time skating to the rear and around his goal while his line gets back into position.

NORMAL DEFENSE PLAY OF BACKS

[edit: for clarity, take care not to confuse the terms "middle ice" (halfway up the rink, far from either net) and "centre ice" (the middle lane, far from the boards)]

When the defense players are at middle ice and the opposing line breaks clear away and starts forward to the attack, the two backs should skate slowly backward, retaining their interval in centre ice. As the approaching line gets closer, the backs should increase their backward speed, forcing the play to the side boards as soon as possible. On the supposition that the opposing centre is carrying the puck, both backs must first see to it that they give him no chance to skate between them and second, that they intercept if possible his pass to one of his wings. If the opposing centre completes his pass to, say, the left, the right defense as he skates backward should quickly cross his left foot over the right, and sprint to the wing on a curve to the rear.

If his speed is sufficient, he will be able to at least spoil the wing's shot by laying his own stick alongside his opponent's blade and puck, and then skating ahead of his opponent to recover the puck. This back should, if possible, lift the wing's stick with his own, at the same time blocking off said wing by crossing left shoulder and left leg in front, thus recovering the puck before any shot is started.

[edit: the passage concludes with a paragraph describing basic back-side coverage, and that the two D must switch roles if the puck goes the other wing]

--------------------


Re-watching the clips on the first page, I find this technique easier to identify in the Oxford/Cambridge and Oxford/Berlin clips than in the games involving Canadian teams. This might be a Canadian versus European thing, but it also might be a college versus pro thing, and it might just be reading too much into a small sample. But it looks like the Oxford team plays its D closer to true "middle ice" and has them retreat actively back as the attackers approach, as compared to the other clips where the D sits much further back in a static position.

Notably, in the 1933 clip the Rangers appear to be using something closer to the Oxford/college style, in the context of modern offside. The D are pinched up to the blue line, and retreat while receiving the attack. That could be explained by the rule changes alone, of course, but it's still striking how much those Rangers defensemen behave like the Oxford defensemen of 7 years earlier.

Wow, so much of this is still relevant today.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Just noticed a moment in the Habs/Americans game where we can clearly see the players reading and reacting to the "floating" offside concept. It happens so fast at around 1:11-1:13 that you almost can't even follow it in real time... I recommend setting video playback at the lowest speed possible, which was how I noticed it.



In the diagrams below:

• Red dot is the puck, dashes are where the puck is being passed
• Blue lines are where the players are moving
• Positional labels are based entirely on the lanes they occupy when they first appeared... of course I can't even tell who the players are, let alone what their actual positions were at the instant of this clip.

Ok, here's our setup. LW is carrying the puck directly toward a defender, baiting him to step up with a poke check. The intent here is to dish it off to RW at the last second, potentially creating a 2-on-1 from the blue line in because of that over-aggressive defender. But the other defenseman sniffs it out, stepping up and disrupting the pass just before RW gets to it.

As a result of the defense holding that line, RW has to swerve over and control the puck before he can continue. In the meantime, LW is having an "oh ****" moment as he has now completely overskated the play -- putting himself offside.

RW is now forced to turn back and re-set the play.

NOTE: This is the point where our modern brains begin to diverge from what these players are thinking. To us, RW needs to sprint back (all but taking himself out of the play in the other direction) so that LW and C can quickly salvage a second rush from just behind the blue line. As you will see below, this is not at all where the play is going. Remember, the blue line is irrelevant here -- it only exists if the Americans have the puck.

So the rush re-sets, but now (foreign to us) RW has circled back with the puck which puts C offside! He may have seemed like a natural passing option at first, but the backward motion of the puck has turned him into a decoy. The real play here is a pass all the way back to LW at center ice (remember there is no red line... he is literally at center ice in this image) with a full head of steam. RW has now effectively transitioned to C's original role, floating back to cover for a counter-attack.

And here's where we finish... C, having been a momentary decoy at the blue line, has floated right back into the play in time to receive a pass with momentum. LW has effectively run a giant circle, charging down the middle lane on both rushes.

It's easy to imagine where the play could have gone from here. C now has the puck in a position where he could make a move to the center lane while LW occupies the defense. RW could be wide open as a trailer if the defense clusters up in the middle. In reality, the pass in the final frame either went wide or was poked away, sending the play back in the other direction.

 

[Theokritos]

Just noticed a moment in the Habs/Americans game where we can clearly see the players reading and reacting to the "floating" offside concept. It happens so fast at around 1:11-1:13 that you almost can't even follow it in real time... I recommend setting video playback at the lowest speed possible, which was how I noticed it.
(...)
This is the point where our modern brains begin to diverge from what these players are thinking. To us, RW needs to sprint back (all but taking himself out of the play in the other direction) so that LW and C can quickly salvage a second rush from just behind the blue line. As you will see below, this is not at all where the play is going. Remember, the blue line is irrelevant here -- it only exists if the Americans have the puck.
(...)
So the rush re-sets, but now (foreign to us) RW has circled back with the puck which puts C offside!

Great catch. A very different game for sure.

For what it's worth, early Russian accounts emphasize that bandy (soccer-sized rice ink, 11 players a side, forward passing allowed) is much more of a team game than Canadian hockey due to bigger rink/higher number of players but also due to the different offside rule.

A 1932 review of an exhibition game (Canadian hockey) in Moscow:

"The game is very poor in combinations and in this regard doesn't stand any comparison with “bandy”. The only team play is the pass of the disc to the partner who is in a proper position and then either takes a run toward the opposing goal and hits it himself or passes the disc back to a position from where it can be driven into the goal. There are no other combinations in the game. Canada (the bourgeois world champion of hockey) almost exclusively plays for the breakthrough. From a technical point of view, the game is primitive."

(Note the ideological connotation of this review.)

A 1936 write-up (still referring to the no-forward passing era; word of the new rules had not yet reached Moscow):

"In Canadian hockey, individual play develops based on the application of the “off-side” rule. This does not mean that combinations are completely excluded. Still, tactically, Canadian hockey is poorer than bandy or football."

The latter text is by Mikhail Kozlov, a teacher at the Institute of Physical Culture where Anatoli Tarasov and Arkadi Chernyshov studied. Kozlov also saw some positive sides though:

"The main advantage of Canadian hockey is that it does require greater mobility from the players. The Canadians have created a game in which each participant has to move continuously and intensively, a game in which breaks and pauses are brought to a minimum. Due to the distinct “off-side” rule, every player is forced to backtrack quickly if he loses the disc."

 

[The Panther]

Canada (the bourgeois world champion of hockey)

 

[tarheelhockey]

Taking a closer look at the Swiss goalie from the 1928 Olympics clip on Page 1.

Now, bear in mind... Switzerland was crushed 13-0 in this game by the vastly superior Canadians, including Dave Trottier. Focusing on the Swiss goalie might not actually be a very good measure of top-class goaltending of the era, but it at least gives us some general insight into their techniques.

1. Here we see the off-center setup described in the manual above. The puck carrier is coming down the ice dead center. Goalie is giving absolutely zero opportunity to shoot to his non-stick side, relying 100% on his ability to get across with his stick or pads.

2. Note how far wide the puck carrier skates before the goalie begins a two-step shuffle to the near post. Again I'm not sure whether to read this as standard goaltending or not. Intuitively, it seems like bad form.

3. Anchoring to his post with the open right glove. This is not possible for a modern goalie.

4. Here's his posture for playing a puck out of the corner. Note the stick held in his left hand, denying a pass across the crease. We see in later footage that if necessary, he will "poke check" with his skates rather than move his stick out of that passing lane. Note his open 5-hole, which I believe contemporary observers would have seen as bad form.

5. In this instance, a shallow-angle shot gets through his 5-hole and goes wide of the net.

 

[hacksaw7]

Taking a closer look at the Swiss goalie from the 1928 Olympics clip on Page 1.

Now, bear in mind... Switzerland was crushed 13-0 in this game by the vastly superior Canadians, including Dave Trottier. Focusing on the Swiss goalie might not actually be a very good measure of top-class goaltending of the era, but it at least gives us some general insight into their techniques.

1. Here we see the off-center setup described in the manual above. The puck carrier is coming down the ice dead center. Goalie is giving absolutely zero opportunity to shoot to his non-stick side, relying 100% on his ability to get across with his stick or pads.

2. Note how far wide the puck carrier skates before the goalie begins a two-step shuffle to the near post. Again I'm not sure whether to read this as standard goaltending or not. Intuitively, it seems like bad form.

3. Anchoring to his post with the open right glove. This is not possible for a modern goalie.

4. Here's his posture for playing a puck out of the corner. Note the stick held in his left hand, denying a pass across the crease. We see in later footage that if necessary, he will "poke check" with his skates rather than move his stick out of that passing lane. Note his open 5-hole, which I believe contemporary observers would have seen as bad form.

5. In this instance, a shallow-angle shot gets through his 5-hole and goes wide of the net.

Would love to see this but all I see is a bunch of dead links

 

[tarheelhockey]

Two more interesting sequences from the Swiss goalie.

1. Note that with a single forward coming out of the corner, he flips his stick into a modern posture. No need to protect the passing lane here.

2. His save selection is a proto-butterfly slide. Of course it's not a true butterfly, with the pads down and heels together, but the concept is the same. He has picked out the point where the shot will come from, and launched forward to cut off the angle while presenting a solid block in front of the puck.

1. It's hard to see here, but he's holding the stick with both hands to start. As the play approaches, he again flips it into a modern one-handed hold.

2. His approach here is strikingly similar to the way a modern goalie might approach this play. He starts by protecting the post until he's reasonably sure the shooter is going to make a move to the middle.

3. Once he thinks the shot has been locked in, he launches forward with that proto-butterfly (note the knees splayed wide apart... he's visibly off balance) forcing a pass.

4. And when the puck gets moved over for an easy slam-dunk on the back side, he goes for the Carey Price glove save. Makes you realize that at some point, a much better goalie must have been successful at doing this 100 years ago.

A couple more isolated frames to show what form he was using for different save selections.

Glove and leg providing a column of coverage. This was a glove save but not a complete catch:

Stick save on a high shot:

Presumably, this type of save would be the goal of standing off-center and giving the shooter so much net on that side.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Would love to see this but all I see is a bunch of dead links

Weird... they're showing up on my browser. Anyone else seeing dead links?

 

[tarheelhockey]

Canadian goalie for comparison.

1. Squares up his pads for an initial shot. Note the stick held free in preparation for a "clear out" once the puck drops back to the ice.

2. Realizing that the play is set up for a rebound attempt, he makes one smooth push into an almost identical posture to block the followup shot on the other side. Note that his pads and stick form a solid wall relative to the puck's angle on net.

The shadows bless us with a beautiful visual aid. It appears the sun was coming from directly behind the net, so the shadow creates a perfect "crease" and the goalie is standing precisely at the upper corner of that crease.

 

[Michael Farkas]

Weird... they're showing up on my browser. Anyone else seeing dead links?

Nope, they're good...

 

[Michael Farkas]

Maybe not new insight into the style at the time...

There is a cry in the hockey galleries for more scoring. The low-score games and the scoreless ties are becoming monotonous to the spectators, and all sorts of changes in the rules have been proposed. One of the suggested changes is the abolition of the poke-check and the sweep-check, those being legal tactics that break up at least half of the attacks before they got over the blueline.

It goes on to mention Frank Boucher, Frank Nighbor, Bill Burch, and Nels Stewart as this rule being particularly negatively affected by this proposed change...it also mentions that even two-man advantages are "held off" by the three-man defense...

As soon as a team scores, it plays "Kitty bar the door" hockey for the remainder...

Other proposals include cutting down the goalie's pads and widening the net...