Editing Dit Clapper (section)

==Early years==
Aubrey Clapper, son of Bill Clapper, a lacrosse and factory labourer.<ref>https://trentvalleyarchives.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ISN-1206-May-2010-b.pdf</ref> He was raised in [[Hastings, Ontario]] after relocated several years to [[Aurora, Ontario]] (1915-1920) and [[Oshawa, Ontario]] (1920-1923).<ref name=Northwest>{{cite news|url=http://www.emcnorthwest.ca/20120112/news/Dit+Clapper+story+needs+to+be+told+says+local+writer|title=Dit Clapper story needs to be told says local writer|access-date=12 January 2012|work=Northwest EMC|first=Bill|last=Freeman|date=12 January 2012}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Clapper was given his nickname at an early age when he would lisp his name, the result coming out "Dit."<ref name="Pelletier">{{cite web |url=http://bruinslegends.blogspot.com/2007/03/dit-clapper.html |title=Dit Clapper |last1=Pelletier |first1=Joe |date=March 2007 |publisher=Greatest Hockey Legends.com |access-date=5 April 2012}}</ref>

Clapper was related to [[Ed Broadbent]], who’s grandmother was cousins with father Bill.
Clapper started his hockey career at age 13, playing minor hockey in [[Oshawa]],<ref name="DiaRom">{{cite book |title=Hockey Hall Of Fame: The Official History Of The Game And Its Greatest Stars |author=Dan Diamond |author2=Joseph Romain |year=1988 |publisher=Doubleday |location=New York |isbn=0-385-24830-X |page=70 }}</ref> and going on to play with the junior league [[Toronto Parkdale]] club of the [[Ontario Hockey Association]] in 1925, scoring a goal in the team's [[Memorial Cup]] run that season. The following season he turned professional, playing for the [[Boston Tigers (CAHL)|Boston Tigers]] of the [[Canadian-American Hockey League]].