My first cousin, Oren Claude Frood, in the years before his service in the Great War, had an interesting, if short-lived, career in professional hockey.

In the years around 1910, the Stanley Cup was awarded to the top hockey team. Any team that won its league championship could challenge the team currently holding the Cup.

In 1910, the Berlin Dutchmen (the town of Berlin is now known as Kitchener) were the champions of the Ontario Professional Hockey League, and challenged the Montreal Wanderers for the Cup.

Oren played left wing, and scored one of the goals in what would eventually be a 3-7 loss to Montreal. The Ottawa Citizen reported on the game, and included a photo of Oren — the only photo I have of him! — in a photo spread labelled “Pembroke Hockey Stars Who Played For Berlin For Stanley Cup.” Beside his picture was one of Hugh Lehman in his Dutchmen hockey uniform — Lehman went on to have a career as both professional player and, for one year, as a head coach with the Chicago Black Hawks.

On his 1916 enlistment papers Oren lists his occupation as “accountant,” apparently finishing his hockey career when the Ontario Professional Hockey League folded.