Bruce Mather (ice hockey)
Encyclopedia
Bruce Mather was an American ice hockey
player. He was born in Belmont, Massachusetts
. Mather was a member of the American 1948 Winter Olympics
ice hockey team. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
in 1998.
. Possessing a quick shot and deceptive speed Mather earned the nickname of “Little Poison” during his time at Belmont High. His strong play during his high school career would allow him to go on and play for Dartmouth College
, while there Mather would center future Olympic teammates Bruce Cunliffe and Ralph Warburton
. This line would prove to be highly successful as it would lead Dartmouth in scoring for two seasons and with the aid of his two wingers Mather would record a minimum of 6 points in a game an amazing 7 times including a 10 point game vs. Middlebury College
on February, 2 1944. The trio would also be a big component in helping Dartmouth achieve an astonishing 46 game unbeaten streak (45-0-1) from 1941-42 to 1944-45. In 1947 Mather would lead Dartmouth in scoring tallying 56 points and helping them to a 16-2-2 record. The ’47 season would also see one of Mather’s career highlights as he scored a crucial game winning goal to help Dartmouth defeat Michigan
in Ann Arbor
. The win would clinch the number one ranking in the country, which was significant given there was no NCAA Tournament during this time.
held in Stockholm, Sweden, winning a Bronze Medal.
in the Eastern Hockey League
. Where Mather gained notoriety as one of the best Americans on a team that not only played Eastern powers but against Canadian powers from the Quebec Senior Leagues
, Mather was even selected as an All-League Center. In 1950 Mather signed with the Boston Bruins
; unfortunately he would never play a game for the B’s. However he would make frequent appearances in benefit games with the "old time Bruins".
After his playing days Mather shared his knowledge of the game, becoming a coach for youth hockey.
Mather died suddenly in 1975 at age 49.
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player. He was born in Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont, Massachusetts
Belmont is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. The population was 24,729 at the 2010 census.- History :Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from the bordering towns of Watertown, to the south; Waltham, to the west; and Arlington, then...
. Mather was a member of the American 1948 Winter Olympics
1948 Winter Olympics
The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The Games were the first to be celebrated after World War II; it had been twelve years since the last Winter Games in 1936...
ice hockey team. He was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame
United States Hockey Hall of Fame
The United States Hockey Hall of Fame was established in 1973 with the goal of preserving the rich history of the game in the United States while recognizing the extraordinary contributions of select players, coaches, administrators, officials and teams....
in 1998.
Early years
Mather’s career started in Belmont where he played for his hometown Belmont High SchoolBelmont High School (Belmont, Massachusetts)
Belmont High School is a four-year public high school in Belmont, Massachusetts. It was built in 1970 at a cost of $9 million. The school had 1,170 students enrolled and a student/teacher ratio of 16:1 in the 2004-05 school year....
. Possessing a quick shot and deceptive speed Mather earned the nickname of “Little Poison” during his time at Belmont High. His strong play during his high school career would allow him to go on and play for Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, while there Mather would center future Olympic teammates Bruce Cunliffe and Ralph Warburton
Ralph Warburton
Ralph Warburton is a retired American ice hockey right wing, and was a member of the United States national team at the 1948 Winter Olympics.- College career :...
. This line would prove to be highly successful as it would lead Dartmouth in scoring for two seasons and with the aid of his two wingers Mather would record a minimum of 6 points in a game an amazing 7 times including a 10 point game vs. Middlebury College
Middlebury College
Middlebury College is a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA. Founded in 1800, it is one of the oldest liberal arts colleges in the United States. Drawing 2,400 undergraduates from all 50 United States and over 70 countries, Middlebury offers 44 majors in the arts,...
on February, 2 1944. The trio would also be a big component in helping Dartmouth achieve an astonishing 46 game unbeaten streak (45-0-1) from 1941-42 to 1944-45. In 1947 Mather would lead Dartmouth in scoring tallying 56 points and helping them to a 16-2-2 record. The ’47 season would also see one of Mather’s career highlights as he scored a crucial game winning goal to help Dartmouth defeat Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
in Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2010 census places the population at 113,934, making it the sixth largest city in Michigan. The Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 344,791 as of 2010...
. The win would clinch the number one ranking in the country, which was significant given there was no NCAA Tournament during this time.
International career
Mather’s strong play, along with that of his line mates at Dartmouth, led to an invitation to play on the United States Olympic team for the whole line. The 1948 Winter Olympics held in St. Moritz, Switzerland, however, were not without their share of controversy. Due to a dispute with the Olympic Committee, the US team was allowed to compete and have the results of their games count in the standings, but they were not eligible to win a medal. This did not slow Mather as he played in all eight US games, leading them in scoring with 16 goals and 27 points. The tournament was also witness to another of Mather’s career highlights when he scored an impressive five goals against Austria. Overall, his strong play helped the United States finish the tournament in what would have been 4th place, had they not essentially been disqualified. Mather also represented the United States in the 1949 World Championships1949 World Ice Hockey Championships
The 16th Ice Hockey World Championships and 27th European Hockey Championships was held from February 12 to 20, 1949, in Stockholm, Sweden. In the initial round, the ten teams participating were divided into three groups: two groups of three and one of four...
held in Stockholm, Sweden, winning a Bronze Medal.
Later career
Mather continued his Hockey career playing for the Boston OlympicsBoston Olympics
The Boston Olympics are a defunct farm team for the Boston Bruins. They began play during the 1940–41 Eastern Amateur Hockey League season. The Olympics were often referred to by the shortened name the ‘Pics and the franchise remained active until the 1951–52 season.- Franchise History :Founded by...
in the Eastern Hockey League
Eastern Hockey League
-Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972...
. Where Mather gained notoriety as one of the best Americans on a team that not only played Eastern powers but against Canadian powers from the Quebec Senior Leagues
Quebec Senior Hockey League
The Quebec Senior Hockey League was an ice hockey league that operated between 1941 and 1959 in Québec, Canada. From 1941, it operated on an amateur basis, before becoming the semi-professional Quebec Hockey League in 1953...
, Mather was even selected as an All-League Center. In 1950 Mather signed with the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins
The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The team has been in existence since 1924, and is the league's third-oldest team and its oldest in the...
; unfortunately he would never play a game for the B’s. However he would make frequent appearances in benefit games with the "old time Bruins".
After his playing days Mather shared his knowledge of the game, becoming a coach for youth hockey.
Mather died suddenly in 1975 at age 49.
Career statistics
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G Goal (ice hockey) In ice hockey, a goal is scored when the puck completely crosses the goal line between the two goal posts and below the goal crossbar. A goal awards one point to the team attacking the goal scored upon, regardless of which team the player who actually deflected the puck into the goal belongs to... |
A Assist (ice hockey) In ice hockey, an assist is attributed to up to two players of the scoring team who shot, passed or deflected the puck towards the scoring teammate, or touched it in any other way which enabled the goal, meaning that they were "assisting" in the goal. There can be a maximum of two assists per goal... |
Pts Point (ice hockey) Point in ice hockey has three official meanings:* A point is awarded to a player for each goal scored or assist earned. The total number of goals plus assists equals total points. In some European leagues, a goal counts as two points, and an assist counts as one... |
PIM Penalty (ice hockey) A penalty in ice hockey is a punishment for inappropriate behavior. Most penalties are enforced by detaining the offending player within a penalty box for a set number of minutes, during which, the player can not participate in play. The offending team usually may not replace the player on the ice,... |
GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1943–1947 | Dartmouth College Dartmouth College Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences... |
NCAA | 33 | 55 | 66 | 121 | ? | N/A | ||||||
| 1948 | U.S. National Team | Oly Ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics In Ice hockey at the 1948 Winter Olympics, Team Canada returned to its dominance, winning their fourth Gold Medal out of the first five Olympic Games.-Rival United States teams:... |
8 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 8 | N/A | ||||||
| 1948-49 | Boston Olympics Boston Olympics The Boston Olympics are a defunct farm team for the Boston Bruins. They began play during the 1940–41 Eastern Amateur Hockey League season. The Olympics were often referred to by the shortened name the ‘Pics and the franchise remained active until the 1951–52 season.- Franchise History :Founded by... |
QSHL | 18 | 6 | 10 | 16 | 4 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| 1948-49 | U.S. National Team | International | 42 | 65 | 48 | 113 | 0 | N/A | ||||||
| 1949-50 | Boston Olympics Boston Olympics The Boston Olympics are a defunct farm team for the Boston Bruins. They began play during the 1940–41 Eastern Amateur Hockey League season. The Olympics were often referred to by the shortened name the ‘Pics and the franchise remained active until the 1951–52 season.- Franchise History :Founded by... |
EHL Eastern Hockey League -Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972... |
41 | 32 | 24 | 56 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | ||
| 1950-51 | Boston Olympics Boston Olympics The Boston Olympics are a defunct farm team for the Boston Bruins. They began play during the 1940–41 Eastern Amateur Hockey League season. The Olympics were often referred to by the shortened name the ‘Pics and the franchise remained active until the 1951–52 season.- Franchise History :Founded by... |
EHL Eastern Hockey League -Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972... |
52 | 26 | 36 | 62 | 17 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | ||
| 1954-55 | Worcester Warriors | EHL Eastern Hockey League -Eastern Amateur Hockey League :The league was founded in 1933 as the Eastern Amateur Hockey League . The league was founded by Thomas Lockhart, who served as its commissioner from 1933 to 1972... |
3 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 0 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | ||
| EHL totals | 96 | 61 | 62 | 123 | 26 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 8 | 0 | ||||