Dit Clapper.html



Position	Defence
Shot	Right
Height Weight	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 200 lb (91 kg/14 st 4 lb)
Pro clubs	Boston Bruins
Nationality	Canada
Born	February 9, 1907, Newmarket, ON, CAN
Died	January 20, 1978 (aged 70), Newmarket, ON, CAN
Pro career	1927 – 1947
Hall of Fame, 1947

Aubrey Victor "Dit" Clapper (February 9, 1907 in Newmarket, Ontario – January 20, 1978¹ in Newmarket, Ontario) was a Canadian Hall of Fame ice hockey player.

Clapper was given the nickname "Dit" at an early age when he would lisp his name "Vic." It came out "Dit." The name stuck.

Athletic career

As a member of the Boston Bruins, he became the first player to play in the National Hockey League for twenty seasons. He was a great player both as a forward and defenceman, being named to All-Star squads at both right wing and on defence.

A lifelong member of the Bruins, in 1947 the team retired his number 5 sweater and the Hall of Fame selection committee waived the customary three-year waiting period, and immediately inducted him into the Hockey Hall of Fame upon the night of his retirement. His used jersey from that night's game was donated to the Hall of Fame by Clapper himself during an on-ice presentation that night announcing his retirement and induction into the Hall. The jersey is currently on display in the International Hockey Hall of Fame's museum in Kingston, Ontario. Until he was named as coach, he had served as team captain for longer than any NHL player until Ray Bourque and Steve Yzerman.

Coaching

Clapper coached the Bruins for two seasons as a player-coach and for two more seasons after his retirement. He became the first player in NHL history to play for 20 seasons, and the last active player that played during the 1920s.

He is mentioned in the hockey cult movie Slap Shot with Toe Blake, and Eddie Shore as prime examples of old time hockey - the way hockey is supposed to be played.

Retired NHL defenceman Greg Theberge is Dit's grandson.

Clapper died of complications from a stroke January 20, 1978. He is buried in Trent Valley Cemetery, Hastings, Ontario.

In 1998, he was ranked number 41 on The Hockey News' list of the 100 Greatest Hockey Players.

Awards

• Stanley Cup Champion (1929 as the player-coach, 1939, 1941 as a player)
• First All-Star Team: (1939, 1940, 1941)
• Second All-Star Team: (1944) as a defenceman.
• Second All-Star Team: (1931, 1935) as a right wing.

References

External links

• Freeman, Bill. "NHL legend lives on in Hastings" (newspaper article), Shieldmedia, February 16, 2007
• Dit Clapper's biography at Legends of Hockey