DCHP-3

midget

DCHP-2 (Jul 2016)
1n. — Sports, Hockey

a division or level of youth sports, usually ages 16-17; often in a compound, as in midget league.

Type: 4. Culturally Significant — Midget has been appropriated for its use to denote something small to refer to a youth sports age group. It is also in use in the US. It is possible that midget in the US used to refer to the youngest category of players, as W-3 describes it as "for children who are usu. the youngest eligible to belong or the smallest or lightest eligible to participate" (see W-3, s.v. "midget" (2.b)), but this is no longer the case. In the hockey context, the term carries cultural salience, like many other hockey terms. In this case, salience derives from the importance of this age group as usually the make or break towards an NHL career, which is still the goal of disproportionally many competitive youth hockey players in Canada (see Hockey Canada reference).
See also COD-2, s.v. "midget" (3a), which is marked "Cdn", and OED-3, s.v. "midget" (B2), which is marked "N. Amer. (chiefly Canad.)".

Quotations

1899
The Beechgrove Hockey Club has taken a step upwards. As a "midget" club it has had a record of nearly fifty matches, with but one defeat, and that but by one goal.
1913
The St. Andrew's Playground won both junior and midget championships yesterday morning at Bayside by defending Elizabeth and O'Neil by the scores of 7-3 and 11-10 respectively.
1935
By taking the final game in a two-out-of-three series against Glen Mawr by the score of 4 to 1, Acadians won the right to enter the final play-offs in the midget series of the Toronto Hockey League.
1957
There is no doubt in my mind that with 2,000 boys now playing midget, juvenile, junior and High School football in the Province the standard of U.B.C football will gradually improve, and that eventually our team will be able to compete on equal terms with the Evergreen and Pacific Northwest Conference Teams.
1979
Kim Zdunich, unattached, won the midget woman's shot put and set a Canadian record with a toss of 9.05 metres, better than the former mark of 8.76.
1992
The expectations were based on Savage's record in minor hockey. He grew up in St. Hubert and scored 82 goals in 42 games in his final year of midget.
2000
Today's midget boys action saw N.W.T. take on Nunavut at 11 a.m. at Stan McCowan.
2013
"Even when we played midget together, we'd come to each other's sides when there was a scuffle," said Jeremy Johnson who, at 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, is smaller than his "little" brother (Dylan is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds).
2n. — Sports, Hockey

a player in such a division.

Type: 4. Culturally Significant — See meaning 1.
See also COD-2, s.v. "midget" (3b), which is marked "Cdn".

Quotations

1899
This year some of the former small boys had become too large for the remaining midgets, so two teams had been organized. The Seniors have added several victories to their credit, and the Juniors are playing the "same old combination" with the dash of the original Beechgroves.
1917
There is plenty of action among the bantams but a woeful lack of good form. None of the midgets stands out from his fellows unless it is the veteran Frankie Burns, who has come back to life with a series of knockouts.
1931
A preliminary game between the Midgets and the Juniors of the High School was played while the crowd gathered which was refereed by Gray Kirkham.
1955
Skating schedules are on the make, hockey is being arranged for midgets, high school and we understand Didsbury will have a team in the Chinook League [...].
1977
We believe a player should be able to play wherever he wants, according to his ability. We accept that minor players such as peewees and midgets should stay at home, but when they reach the senior level, they should be allowed to move.
1999
By the time he was a midget, Murphy was helping the Don Mills Flyers to the Canadian title and a trip to Russia.
2013
Brayden Mayea will play for the pee wee team while Noah Bushnell and Patrick Kaschalk will suit up for the midgets.

References