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Keddy / Axemen
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Windsor’s Doctor O.B. Keddy –
Scored For Acadia Axemen
by Dr. Garth Vaughan
Acadia Axemen 1902
As a youth growing up in Windsor, I had not yet developed an interest
in either surgery or Ice Hockey History! However, I did know that the
town surgeon was Dr. Owen B. Keddy who was also Mayor of the town for
13 years, the last six by acclamation. When I came to join the medical
ranks as a young surgeon in Windsor in 1960, the highly respected Dr.
Keddy had retired and I considered myself fortunate to become his attending
doctor in the last two years of his life. During home visits, our conversations
centred mainly around the hospital and modern surgery. It was then that
I learned that he had practiced in Windsor from 1908, and had also been
Superintendant of Payzant Memorial Hospital. Not until last year, while
attending a game at Acadia Arena did I learn that he had been a hockey
and football player for Acadia. For there in the Arena Hockey Program,
I spied a small photo of the 1902 Acadia Hockey Team and recognized his
face as the Centreman for the team. I also noted that his name was burned
into the handle of his stick as was the custom in those times. The fact
that none of the players wore gloves was not really a surprise to me because
I realized that Hockey Gauntlets had not been invented for another two
years, in 1904.
Research at the "Vaughan Library" at Acadia University proved
that he had done his basic science studies at Acadia before studying Medicine
at McGill University and that he had later become Vice-Chairman of the
Board of Governors of Acadia University from 1930- 1957. A photo of the
1901 football team revealed that he was a member of that squad as well.
As seen in the accompanying hockey photo, Maroon and Blue striped jersies
were the outfit of the day and central parts of the hair were the custom.
The only player in the photo with shin pads was the Goal Tender. His skates
have a "Puck Stop" invented by Starr Mfg. Co.Ltd. of Dartmouth
which also invented ‘Hockey Skates’, used by players all across the nation
as Nova Scotia’s Ice Hockey developed into Canada’s great winter game.
Over the knee jodphurs were the trousers of choice then, as short pants
only became necessary to accommodate "shin guards" which gained
popularity in the next few years as the game got rougher. The hand-made
one-piece hard wood sticks, carved from hornbeam trees, were made locally
by the Pirate Hockey Stick Company of Wolfville which employed Mi’Kmaq
carvers and was situated near the Wolfville DAR Railway Station which
is now the town Library. Absence of all protective equipment tells the
story of the difference in the nature of Ice Hockey in 1901-02 season
compared with the present 2001-02 season. My, what a difference a hundred
years can make!
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