And players complain today about bad ice!

I just had to share this newspaper account of a game played in Edmonton between the Edmonton Eskimos and the Victoria Cougars on December 9, 1923. The game was played on natural ice, and from the account, it was less than acceptable.

” Playing the first home game of the season by a sheet of ice in which the sawdust was showing through in twice as many holes as they are in the municipal golf course, the Eskimos lost to the Victoria Cougars last night by a score of 3-1, and are still at the bottom of the Western Canada League. Not within the memory of the oldest inhabitant of Edmonton, has a hockey game being played here under such poor conditions, and in consequence, the fans did not look for anything approaching a high class exhibition. In many parts of the rink, the sawdust was barely covered with ice and before the contest was well underway, the players had cut through it and had to perform all kinds of maneuvers to keep on their feet.”