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Dit Clapper

Born:February 9, 1907Draft:Undrafted
Hometown:Newmarket, OntarioPosition:Right Wing/Defense
Known For:First Player to Play 20 SeasonsShoots:Right
National Team:N/ACurrent Team:N/A

Aubrey Victor “Dit” Clapper (February 9, 1907 – January 20, 1978) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. Clapper played his entire professional career for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1947, the first Honoured Member to be living at the time of his induction.

Clapper was the first NHL player to play 20 seasons, and one of only two to be an All-Star at both forward and defense. The right wing on the powerful “Dynamite Line”—one of the first forward combinations to receive a nickname in hockey history—along with linemates Cooney Weiland and Dutch Gainor, he contributed to the breaking of several scoring records in the 1930s. Towards the end of his career, he was named player-coach of the Bruins, and held the coaching position after his retirement as a player.

Dit Clapper
Dit Clapper (THW Media Archives)

Dit Clapper Statistics

Deeper Dive

Staff History

  • NHL Boston Bruins (Head Coach) 1945-1949
  • AHL Buffalo Bisons (Head Coach) 1959-1960

Achievements

  • Stanley Cup Winner (1929, 1939, 1941)
  • NHL First All-Star Team (1939, 1940, 1941)
  • NHL Second All-Star Team (1931, 1935, 1944)
  • Hockey Hall of Fame (1947)
  • First NHL Player to Play 20 Seasons

Sources