By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277 @AmesburyMaples
On December 31st, 1924, the Amesbury Maples hockey team traveled to the Frog Pond (Bartlet Mall) in Newburyport, Massachusetts, to face the Crescents Sports Club. This was the first official game for the Maples organization as former managers Armand Hudon and Emilien “Mickey” Jutras assembled the best players from the Amesbury, Massachusetts area.
The road game vs. Newburyport was described as fast, rough, and interesting as this border war for sports dominance continued with the addition of this winter sports activity. After skating to a 5-5 tie in regulation, the visiting Maples and Crescents needed overtime to settle the score on the cold New Year’s Eve near the Newburyport Superior Court.
The Maples came away with a 6-5 victory over the host Newburyport Crescents, setting the tone for the Amesbury hockey organization to move forward, seeking competitive competition at home or taking their talents on the road. The Maples roster for this game featured center Eddie Nichols, right-wing Aurel Picard, left-wing Armand Roy, right-defenseman Gerard Proulx, left-defenseman Exie Martel, and goaltender Issie Lessard.
Great research Mark. Phil Blake who lived on High Street in NBPT and played with us at Stuart’s rink talked about Newburyport hockey teams of the 20s and 30’s. Some of your readers may recall that Phil had a small rink in his yard where many people skated, including his sister Sally (Blake) Lavery.