Rat Westwick

Harry "Rat" Westwick (April 22, 1876 in Ottawa, Ontario - April 3, 1957) was a Canadian amateur ice hockey forward who played for the Ottawa Senators.

Westwick, affectionately known as "Rat" due to his quick, elusive skating style, was a key contributor to the Silver Seven teams that won the Stanley Cup three times in the first decade of the 1900s. In the early part of his career Westwick was a goaltender, but was advised by one of his coaches, who noticed Westwick's superior skating and puckhandling skills, to switch to the more demanding role of rover. Westwick's scrappiness led opponents to resort to aggressive (and somewhat violent) tactics in order to derail his tenacious playing style. After more than a dozen years on the "Silver Seven", Westwick played briefly for the Kenora Thistles in 1907, helping them retain the cup over Brandon, before losing it back to Montreal Wanderes. After returning to Ottawa for one last season, Westwick retired. Along with Harvey Pulford, Russell Bowie and Alf Smith, Westwick was one of the final active players who had played in the 19th century.

Westwick later served as a referee in the National Hockey Association. He died in Ottawa on April 3, 1957.

He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1962.

External links

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* [http://www.geocities.com/kinhobo/westwick.html Online biography of Harry Westwick]