Eric Carruthers

Eric Carruthers, like his brother Colin, was a Canadian who served as an officer in the British Army during World War One and eventually reached the rank of Major in the Royal Artillery. He was a forward with the British Army team which was the leading force in British ice hockey in the twenties. Carruthers scored twelve goals in the 1924 tournament and his hat-trick against Sweden, his third of the tournament, helped Britain clinch the bronze medal. He also scored seven goals in the 1928 Olympics and remains Britain’s top goalscorer at Olympic level, a record that is unlikely to be beaten in the foreseeable future. Eric Carruthers played in the 1931 European Championships but was dead by the end of the year at the age of just 36. He died following an operation for appendicitis at Tidworth Military Hospital.