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Frank J. Coddy Winters

Frank J. Coddy Winters

Frank (Coddy) Winters January 29, 1884 (Duluth) - November 17, 1944 (Cleveland) started out as an ice polo player in his home town of Duluth.  As ice polo gave way to hockey Winters took up the game being placed at rover where his great speed could be utilized to the best advantage.  Winters played with the Duluth Northern Hardware team through the 1904 season during which the Duluth team played a series of games with a Cleveland All-Star team at the new Elysium Rink there Winters starred in the series and fell in love with Cleveland.  That summer Winters moved to Cleveland and played the rest of his career for various Cleveland amateur teams.

Through 1909, 1910 and 1911 Winters played at rover and then switched to defense in 1912.  There he proved to be just as good in checking opponents as he has been in carrying the puck down the ice.  During Winter’s seventeen year career in Cleveland he played on three championship teams: 1911-1912, 1913-1914 and 1921-1922.  Winter’s had tremendous speed and contemporary accounts of games he played in recounts this vividly: “Coddy rushed the chunk of rubber up and down the ice and across the back with his old daring and recklessness and he hurdled and twisted with small ceremony although with much éclat.”

While playing in Cleveland Winters coached the Case Tech teams and made several trips to Philadelphia to coach the University of Pennsylvania team.  Though having the opportunity to turn professional he preferred to remain an amateur.  There were many whom felt Winters was equal in talent to both Hobey Baker and Frank (Moose) Goheen, both of whom were regarded as one of the greatest American bred hockey players and are both enshrined in the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Following Winter’s retirement from the game Coddy remained in Cleveland working in the sporting goods business.