Page:Hockey, Canada's Royal Winter Game.djvu/92



Mr. Hugh Baird, captain and cover-point of the Montreal Hockey team, contributes the following in connection with the position, in which he has risen to such high distinction:

"The cover-point is a combination of a defence man and a forward, and is allowed, in virtue of the fact, more latitude with respect to leaving his position, than any man on the team, except the rover.

"In his capacity of a defence player he should linger around his goals as long as the puck is near, and be very careful when he secures it in front of the poles. When the play is at the other end of the rink, the cover-point should advance to about the middle, so that when the puck is lifted down, he may return it without loss of time, in order to keep the game centered around his opponents’ goals, and to save his forwards the trouble of skating up to him so that they may again "get into play." It is by playing far up under these circumstances that a clever cover-point can shine to the advantage of his team. If he has a good opening he should shoot well for the goals, but if he has not, he should, as I have said, return the puck instantaneously.

When in this position, far from his goals, a cover-point is suddenly confronted by an