Seventeen lettermen from the unofficial second best hockey team in the east were among the 35 candidates who reported for the first varsity practice at Watson Rink yesterday.

But Coach Cooney Weiland will have no easy task in selecting the team that will seek the Crimson's fifth consecutive Ivy League championship as there is fine hockey talent at least three men deep at all positions.

Leading the returning lettermen at yesterday's practice were captain Bob McVey, who was voted to the all-star second team at the NCAA tournament in Colorado last March, and Senior Bob Cleary, the Ivy League's leading scorer last year.

Other returning regulars are Lyle Guttu, Dan Ullyot, Dick Fischer and Dave Vietze. Football players John Copeland and Dick McLaughlin are expected to join the squad later.

The only varsity starter to be lost through graduation was captain and goalie Jim Bailey, and Weiland has a choice of four candidates to fill his position.

A six game Christmas trip through the midwestern states will highlight a regular season schedule of twenty-eight games. However the toughest part of the schedule may be the first four games of the season against B.U., B.C., Clarkson and St. Lawrence. The opening game with B.U. will be played Dec. 7 at the Boston Arena.