Eric Zweig - Art Ross: The Hockey Legend Who Built the Bruins

T he vast majority of information used in writing this book was obtained from old newspapers searched via the Internet. Many sources are noted directly in the text, and often when they are not, its because the same information can be found in many different newspapers.

Among the newspapers that proved most valuable are the following (listed alphabetically): Brandon Daily Sun , Boston Globe, Globe and Mail and the Globe (Toronto), Kenora Miner and News , Lethbridge Herald, Lewiston Journal, Manitoba Free Press (Winnipeg), Montreal Gazette, Montreal Daily Mail, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Journal, Pittsburgh Press, Toronto Star, Toronto World, Vancouver Sun, Vancouver World, Westmount News, Winnipeg Free Press, Winnipeg Telegram, Winnipeg Tribune.

Certain articles were so useful, I feel I must list them individually:

• An eight-part series written by Frank Patrick for the Boston Sunday Globe between January 27 and March 17, 1935;
• a seven-page autobiography by Lester Patrick for sportswriter Andy Lytle circa 1947, generously shared by Jason Beck of the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame;
• Sprague Cleghorn with Frederick Edwards, Its a Tough Game, Macleans Magazine (four-part series beginning December 1, 1934);
• Arthur Siegel, A Visit with Art Ross, (undated article, likely from a Boston Bruins program, found in the Hockey Hall of Fames Art Ross folder). The article originally appeared as Art Ross Sees Local Boys Making the Bruins, Daily Boston Globe , March 13, 1960, A7;
• Arthur Siegel Built Game, Title Team in Boston Ross Dies Hockey Genius, Boston Globe , August 6, 1964, 1;
• John Gillooly, The Man Who Made Hockey Part 1 Life of Art Ross, Boston Sunday Advertiser , December 4, 1949; and
• Playing the Field by Dink Carroll, A Story About Art Ross, Montreal Gazette , September 13, 1951, 16.
• Arthur S. Ross, Jr. and Bob Considine, God Said Bail Out, Cosmopolitan Magazine, February, 1945.

Quotations by, and information about, Art Ross and Walter Smaill in Cobalt come mainly from Great Hockey Plays and Players No. 2 Art Ross, Montreal Standard , January 3, 1914, found in the Art Ross folder at Hockey Hall of Fame; Real Puck War Staged In Canadian Silver Camps Was Toughest Game Art Ross, Now With Bruins, Ever Played In, Lewiston Daily Sun , December 24, 1924, 9; John Gillooly, The Man Who Made Hockey Part 2 Life of Art Ross, Boston Daily Record , December 5, 1949, 68; Speaking on Sports by Milt Dunnell, Bet At Rate of $2,000 Per Minute, The Toronto Daily Star , February 11, 1950, 12; Bruising contest recalled by old-time hockey star, The Leader-Post (Regina), February 5, 1963, 18; and from other sources noted in the text.

Stories about Rosss defensive scoring system are from Gordon Walker, Ross Invents Point Plan As Defensive Rewards, Toronto Star , January 11, 1947; Bobby Hewitson, Give Defensive Player Credit That Is Due Him, The Evening Telegram (Toronto), January 11, 1947; Leo MacDonell, Art Ross Proposes New Hockey Plan Bruin Boss Would Reward Defensive Play, Detroit Times , January 13, 1947; and The Passing Sport Show by Baz OMeara, Montreal Daily Star , February 14, 1947. All are from the Art Ross file at the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Art Ross III and his uncle, John Ross (who died in 2002), made a series of audio recording circa 2000 that are both valuable and entertaining. Most quotes attributed to John Ross in this book come from these recordings. Art Ross III also provided an audio recording of the WEEI interview between Art Ross and Fred Cusick. The exact date has not been preserved but it is from 1960, during the playoffs after the 195960 NHL regular season.

James Andrew Ross generously provided a copy of his 2008 Ph.D. thesis from Londons University of Western Ontario Hockey Capital: Commerce Culture, and the National Hockey League, 19171967 . This provided me with much information on Thomas Duggan, the birth of the Bruins, and the teams economic troubles in the early 1950s. Andrew also provided bits and pieces of other research, including Charles Adams quote about Ross being lukewarm on Boston (found in a Lionel Hitchman scrapbook at Library and Archives Canada) and Michael Roddens quote about Eddie Shore wanting to sign with the St. Patricks (found in the Michael Rodden fonds at Queens University Archives).

All references to Montreal street addresses come from Lovells Montreal city directories. Hendersons street directories of Brandon, Manitoba, 1906 and 1907, were also valuable.