Dit Clapper

Aubrey Victor "Dit" Clapper (February 9, 1907 – January 20, 1978) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who spent his entire NHL career with the Boston Bruins. In 1947, he became the first living person inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He was the first NHL player to log 20 seasons, the first non-goaltender to play at age 40, and remains one of only two players ever named an All-Star at both forward and defence. Clapper got his nickname as a child when he lisped his own name.

Early years

Born in Hastings, Ontario, he lived in Aurora and Oshawa before starting minor hockey at 13. He played junior hockey for Toronto Parkdale in 1925, scoring in their Memorial Cup run, and turned pro the next season with the Boston Tigers of the Canadian-American Hockey League. The Bruins bought his contract in 1927. Coach Art Ross moved him from defence to right wing, and Clapper scored his first NHL goal ten seconds into his first shift against the Chicago Black Hawks.

NHL career

The next season, Ross formed the "Dynamite Line" with Clapper, Cooney Weiland, and Dutch Gainor—one of hockey's first named forward lines. That year, the Bruins won their first Stanley Cup, with Clapper scoring the winning goal in the first game of their best-of-three series with the New York Rangers. In 1930, liberalized passing rules helped the Bruins shatter scoring records, posting the league's highest winning percentage (still unmatched as of 2024).

The Dynamite Line scored 102 of Boston's record 179 goals—as many as the last-place Pittsburgh team managed. Clapper finished third in league scoring with a career-high 61 points and 41 goals, then the third-highest total in NHL history. However, the Canadiens upset the Bruins in the Stanley Cup finals. Clapper married Lorraine Pratt in April 1931.

After Gainor's production dropped in 1931, the Dynamite Line disbanded. Clapper's 22 goals ranked eighth, earning him his first Second Team All-Star nod at right wing—the first season All-Stars were named. He became team captain in 1932, but an injury-riddled Bruins team finished last. After Weiland was traded, the Bruins acquired Nels Stewart, and Clapper and Stewart formed a potent offensive duo that won a division title.

Standing 6'2" and 200 pounds, Clapper was known for his peaceful nature but was involved in a notable incident during the 1937 playoffs.