"Good hockey depends on natural ability plus experience; it's remarkable what teams American colleges turn out when most of the players have had such limited experience," Art Ross, manager of the Boston Bruins, said recently in an interview.

"Take George Ford," the Bruin's pilot continued. "He had very little experience before he came to Harvard, and he's plenty good now. Of course, he was a natural, but his development speaks well for the coaching over there."

"It looks as if Harvard's got another real club this year," he added.

Non-committal about the Bruin's chances, Ross said, "All the teams in the league are so evenly matched, you can't tell what's going to happen."

"Up in Canada," he continued, "every kid plays hockey from the time he can walk. That's why the Leafs can profitably have such a quick turnover; there's always a stream of fresh material coming up. Why, hockey's their national game, just as baseball is ours.

"Our trouble is that we don't have enough ice; thousands of kids want to play hockey--look at them now, on every pond. But when there's no ice, they don't get a break. Even the Garden isn't used exclusively for hockey.