About Dit Clapper
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, one of only two to be an All-Star at both forward and defence, and the first non-goaltender to play at the age of 40. 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. == Early years == Aubrey Clapper was the son of Bill Clapper, a lacrosse player and factory labourer. He was raised in Hastings, Ontario after relocated several years to Aurora, Ontario (1915–1920) and Oshawa, Ontario (1920–1923). Clapper was given his nickname at an early age when he would lisp his name, the result coming out "Dit." Clapper was related to Ed Broadbent, whose grandmother was cousins with father Bill. Clapper started his hockey career at age 13, playing minor hockey in Oshawa, and going on to play with the junior league Toronto Parkdale club of the Ontario Hockey Association in 1925, scoring a goal in the team's Memorial Cup run that season.
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