"Puck" (hockey puck) from the verb (bat)

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6 March 1890, Ohio Democrat (New Philadelphia, PA), pg. 4, col. 2:
ALL ABOUT HURLING
An Interesting Game That Was Played in
Ireland Centuries Ago.
(...)
But it can be caught when off the ground, and then the hurler can bat it,  or 
as it is termed, "puck" it, in any direction. When the ball is driven over  
the goal line outside the "points" a free "puck" is allowed.
(...)
--N. Y. Mail and Express.
...
...
...
(OED)
puck, v.
 
Hence puck  n.4 (dial.), a stroke; a  stroke at the ball in the Irish game of 
hurling; pucking vbl.  n. and ppl. a.  
1900  19th Cent. XLVIII. 306 The rival  hurlers..meet together in wild 
rivalry for a puck at the ever flying ball. 1906  _SOMERVILLE_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-s3.html#somerville)   & _ROSS_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-r2.html#ross)  Irish Yesterdays 95, I gave  William a puck in 
the chest. 1922  _JOYCE_ (http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-j.html#joyce)  
Ulysses 247 One puck in the  wind..would knock you into the middle of next 
week. 1934  _J.  O'HARA_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-o.html#j-ohara)  Appointment in Samarra (1935) iii. 80 What he should of done was give you a 
puck in the mouth when you  threw the drink at him. 1961  _‘F.  O'BRIEN’_ 
(http://dictionary.oed.com/help/bib/oed2-o.html#f-obrien)   Hard Life ii. 18 
Many a good  puck I had myself in the quondam days of my nonage. 1979  N. SMYTHE 
in E. Berman Ten of Best Brit. Short Plays 120 I'll give you a puck in the gob 
in short order,  mate.

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