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Marcel Pronovost
By Marcel Pronovost, Bob Duff. 2012
"Marcel was the most underrated defenceman ever to play in the league. When he hit you, you were hit. He…
was a tremendous skater and defensively, he was as good as anyone. He might have been overlooked by the press, but he was never overlooked by his teammates. Years later, I brought him back to Detroit as a coach. He is very knowledgeable and a very astute observer of the game."-Hall of Fame left-winger Ted Lindsay (Pronovost's teammate from 1949-57 and 1964-65)In the spring of 1950, Marcel Pronovost was called up from the minor leagues to play for the Detroit Red Wings during the Stanley Cup playoffs. The 18-year-old defenceman had never seen NHL ice time before, but his performance in the playoffs was so impressive that he took regular turns in the final series against the New York Rangers. That year, Marcel Provonost became the ninth player in history to win a Stanley Cup before playing a single regular-season NHL game.So began Pronovost's 65-year career in pro hockey. As a Red Wing he became a star defenceman in Detroit's golden age, winning three more Stanley Cups between 1952 and 1955, and skating side-by-side with Gordie Howe, Ted Lindsay, and Terry Sawchuk (who became a lifelong friend). He played a pivotal role in the Toronto Maple Leafs' last Stanley Cup win in 1967. He earned recognition on the NHL's First and Second All-Star Teams. And he has continued to serve the game for decades, becoming one of the few NHLers to have success as a player, a coach, and as a scout.Now, with Marcel Pronovost: A Life in Hockey, this legendary defenceman and Hockey Hall of Famer tells these and other stories for the first time. With over 125 photos and with on-the-ice recollections from the most exciting Original Six Era games ever played, A Life in Hockey is a hard-hitting memoir, and an insider's take on playing, coaching, and scouting that spans seven decades, and surveys one of the longest hockey careers of all time. A must-have autobiography for Red Wings fans, Leafs fans, and hockey buffs everywhere.Cold-Cocked
By Lorna Jackson. 2007
Cold-cocked is the first book to explore a woman's way of watching the game poet Al Purdy called a "combination…
of ballet and murder." Written by author and born-again hockey aficionado Lorna Jackson, Cold-cocked looks at hockey through a woman's eyes and heart but is written with a sportswriter's energy and rigor and a hip cultural critic's cynicism and wit.A Great Game: The Forgotten Leafs & the Rise of Professional Hockey
By Stephen J. Harper. 1912
Drawing on extensive archival records and illustrations, histories of the sport, and newspaper files, Canada's Prime Minister delves into the…
fascinating early years of ice hockey.In the tumultuous beginnings of hockey, the fights were as much off the ice as on it. This engaging new book is about the hockey heroes and hard-boiled businessmen who built the game, and the rise and fall of legendary teams pursuing the Stanley Cup. With a historian's perspective and fan's passion, Stephen Harper presents a riveting and often-surprising portrait, capturing everything from the physical contests on the rinks to the battles behind the scenes.Stephen Harper shows that many things have stayed the same. Rough play, fervent hometown loyalties, owner-player contract disputes, dubious news coverage, and big money were issues from the get-go. Most important in these early years was the question: Was hockey to be a game of obsessed amateurs playing for the love of the sport, or was it a game for paid professionals who would give fans what they wanted? Who should be responsible for the sport--including its bouts of violence--both on and off the ice.A century ago, rinks could melt, and by halftime the blades screwed to the players' shoes could be sinking in mud. It was during this time that the unsuccessful Toronto Professionals of 1908 and the victorious Toronto Blue Shirts of 1914 battled for the city's very first Stanley Cup. Against the fanatical opposition of amateur hockey leaders, these "forgotten Leafs" would lay the groundwork for the world's most profitable hockey franchise.In paying tribute to these hockey pioneers and the contagious loyalty of their fans, Harper resurrects the history of hockey's first decades. Lavishly illustrated with photographs of the game's greatest arenas and earliest star players, this entertaining and original book will captivate you from start to finish.Jacques Plante
By Todd Denault. 2009
The first full-scale biography of a legendary and award-winning NHL goalie who transformed the game."There are a lot of very…
good goalies, there are even a fair number of great goalies. But there aren't many important goalies. And Jacques Plante was an important goalie." Ken DrydenOn and off the ice Jacques Plante was a true original; he was extremely talented, boastful, defiant, mysterious, and complex. Throughout his tumultuous career as a goalie, he played for Montreal, New York, St. Louis, Toronto, Boston, and Edmonton. His contributions to and impact on the game were extensive and are reflected in today's rules, equipment, and style of play. Thoroughly investigated through archival and primary research, and including interviews with figures such as Jean Béliveau, Henri Richard, Dickie Moore, and Scotty Bowman, this biography sheds light on one of the most pivotal figures in the history of hockey.From the Hardcover edition.The Greatest Game
By Todd Denault. 2010
This game wasn't about money, points, or trophies. Instead it was played for pride, both personal and national. It was…
a confrontation twenty years in the making and it marked a turning point in the history of hockey.On December 31, 1975, the Montreal Canadiens, the most successful franchise in the NHL, hosted the touring Central Red Army, the dominant team in the Soviet Union. For three hours millions of people in both Canada and the Soviet Union were glued to their television sets. What transpired that evening was a game that surpassed all the hype and was subsequently referred to as "the greatest game ever played." Held at the height of the Cold War, this remarkable contest transcended sports and took on serious cultural, sociological, and political overtones. And while the final result was a 3-3 tie, no one who saw the game was left disappointed. This exhibition of skill was hockey at its finest, and it set the bar for what was to follow as the sport began its global expansion.From the Hardcover edition.Go to the Net
By Al Strachan. 2005
Players and coaches of genius come along; rules and tactics and strategies evolve; careers ebb and flow. And the best…
way to see how the game changes is to look at the goals, the events that led up to them, and the way they change hockey history. From Canada's ultimate hockey insider comes the lowdown on the personalities, the dressing-room banter, the chalk-talk, the sweat-stained passion behind eight of the goals that changed the game.There are moments in hockey history that matter even more than the question of who won or lost, when a single goal can tell us about the game itself.Among the most famous and stirring in hockey lore was Paul Coffey's dramatic counter-attack in the 1984 Canada Cup against the USSR. Canadian fans were terrified of the dazzling Soviets, and were nervous about another drubbing like the 8-1 loss Canada had suffered the last time the two teams had played. Coffey's pass interception and rush up-ice is now the stuff of legend, but it was not only the defenceman's skill that won the day.Glen Sather was as mindful of the vaunted Soviet attack as any Canadian fan, and he put together a game plan with one objective: to keep the puck away from the Russians. Once Coffey got the puck into the Soviet zone, it was Tonelli's spadework along the boards and Bossy's refusal to budge from the crease that allowed Coffey's point shot to eventually find its way to the net. That goal beat the Soviets and changed the way the game was played forever.Other goals were equally shaped by their time. Think of Guy Lafleur's notorious "too- many- men- on- the- ice" goal in 1979, which effectively ended Don Cherry's career as a coach. Or Wayne Gretzky's overtime goal in Game Two of the Smythe Division finals in 1988 against the Calgary Flames, arguably the goal that marked the pinnacle of his career. Or Mario Lemieux's 1987 Canada Cup-winning goal. Or Brett Hull's disputed 1999 Stanley Cup-winner.Al Strachan, whose insider hockey connections are second to none, was witness to all these goals. He has been writing about the game we love for more than three decades. Chummy with the players, respected by coaches, and friends with the broadcasters and journalists, he knows what is going on in the dressing rooms and the board rooms, and he understands what is evolving on the ice. He has talked to the men who made the decisions, as well as to those who made the plays. In Go to the Net, he passes on, in the trenchant style of his famous columns, insights into the goals that tell us not only about the way the game has changed but also about the gritty soul of hockey that will never change.From the Hardcover edition.Ice Storm
By Bruce Dowbiggin. 2014
In 2008, the Vancouver Canucks were Team Modern, revolutionizing the NHL under their new GM, former player agent Mike Gillis.…
Cool, calculating, and unsparing with the media, the onetime number one draft pick of the old Colorado Rockies swept away the tangled psychological past of the Canucks with bold innovation, remodeling Vancouver as a destination city for NHL star players. To do so, he built the Canucks from a non-playoff team in 2008 to the best in hockey from 2010-2012. He modernized the players' diets and psychological approach, he rebuilt the dressing room, and he sought sleep consultants to help with the Canucks' punishing travel schedule. More than that, his winning team lifted Vancouver from eighth overall in NHL revenues to second by 2013. When the team took to the ice for Game 7 of the 2011 Cup Final, it seemed there was nothing the Canucks couldn't overcome with their "Canucktivity" approach. The hockey world was at their feet.But things changed in Game 7. Physically exhausted and bullied by the Bruins, the Canucks succumbed 4-0. To cap the greatest season in team history, Vancouver rioted. Gillis tried a number of aggressive moves to get back to the Final, from switching Luongo for Schneider to trading players, but nothing worked. From there, the dominoes fell: Alain Vigneault was dismissed, John Tortorella hired; Tortorella raged, fans bayed for Gillis' head; and finally, Gillis and Tortorella were both fired. In spring 2014, tried-and-true Canuck hero Trevor Linden was installed as president, with former teammate Jim Benning by his side as GM. No one was quite sure if this was an improvement, but at least the hysterical screaming had stopped.How did it happen? Ice Storm follows the journey that led the Canucks from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the abyss in six short years.The Great Defender
By Larry Robinson, Kevin Shea. 2014
Legendary Canadien and Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Larry Robinson takes readers rink-side in this highly anticipated and poignantly told…
memoir. Larry Robinson spent 20 seasons playing in the NHL -- seventeen with the Montreal Canadiens and retiring from the game after his final 3 seasons with the LA Kings. His great size gave his teams an incredible presence on the blue line and a tremendous defender in front of their net. But he was more than just big. He was agile, he could score and he played a style that provided both offensive and defensive strengths. For his effort, Robinson was twice recognized as the NHL's top defencemen and his contribution helped the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup six times during his tenure with the team. Never afraid to drop his gloves and play a physical game, Robinson is and will forever be regarded as one of the NHL's greatest defencemen. In The Great Defender, Robinson relives his road to the NHL and the unexpected NHL journey that has lasted over 4 decades. He has enjoyed the good fortune of playing with greats, including Ken Dryden and Guy Lafleur to coaching the greatest of all--Wayne Gretzky. His successes as a player and coach are well-documented and in his memoir, hockey fans will now enjoy the opportunity to experience the odyssey of this legendary player as seen through his eyes, lived through his emotions, and told through his voice. Robinson's story is one of triumph and will leave readers cheering for the man fondly nicknamed "Big Bird." In the process of writing this book, bestselling sports writer Kevin Shea interviewed many of Robinson's teammates, colleagues, players and family members and spent countless hours with Larry himself to capture a fascinating picture of one of hockey's greatest careers.Hockey in Dayton (Images of Sports)
By Chuck Gabringer. 2015
In the 1950s, crowds that equaled half the city of Troy's population filled the newly constructed 3,900-seat Hobart Arena to…
watch the area's first hockey team, the Troy Bruins, take the ice. In the 1960s and 1970s, fans packed one of hockey's great "barns," Hara Arena, to watch the Dayton Gems become one of the more well-known and successful franchises in all of professional hockey. In the 1990s and 2000s, it was the Dayton Bombers that reignited the area's love for hockey. Hockey in Dayton tells the story of the teams, players, people, and events that have permanently frozen hockey's place in the history of Dayton area sports.Philadelphia Flyers, The (Images of Sports)
By Joe Del Tufo, Bruce Scoop Cooper, Russ Cohen, Mike Del Tufo. 2016
The Philadelphia Flyers joined the National Hockey League (NHL) in 1967, along with five other teams, to double the league…
from six to twelve teams. They have enjoyed a lot of success since, including being the first expansion team to win the Stanley Cup. They won back-to-back cups in 1973-1974 and 1974-1975 and would qualify for the Stanley Cup Final six more times. The Flyboys have left their mark on the NHL through their physicality, which helped them garner the nickname "Broad Street Bullies." This book is a pictorial history of the Flyers that examines their modern history and looks back at their legend.Hockey in Syracuse (Images of Sports)
By Jim Mancuso. 2005
Hockey in Syracuse retraces the history of the eight professional teams that have taken the ice in Syracuse in six…
different leagues since 1930. Each team has its own colorful story, beginning with the Syracuse Stars of the International Hockey League. The "Twinklers" have the distinction of capturing the first Calder Cup ever awarded. Other teams included the Warriors (1951-1954), the Braves (1962-1963), the Blazers (1967-1977), the Eagles (1974-1975), the Firebirds (1979-1980), and the Hornets (1980-1981). The present-day Crunch brought hockey back in 1994 and have provided Syracuse fans with thrills on theice ever since. Salt City teams have won four playoffchampionships and have set several all-time professional hockey records that still stand today. Hockey Hall of Famers from these teams include Keith "Bingo" Allen, Gord Drillon, Phil Esposito, Syd Howe, and Dave "Sweeney" Schriner. Syracuse truly has a rich hockey heritage.Thirty Years Of The Game At Its Best
By Gare Joyce. 2011
The season's must-have gift book Some sports seem to have a natural home. Soccer in Brazil, rugby in New Zealand,…
cricket in India. And Canada's game? Why hockey, of course. But it wasn't always that way. By 1982, the Soviets had won every World Junior Hockey Championship except one, while Canada had earned only a single bronze medal. And then Hockey Canada launched the Programme of Excellence, a national development system designed to help put together teams that would be able to square off against the Soviets. The result was immediate. To everyone's surprise, when Canada took gold in 1982 the American hosts didn't even have a copy of "O Canada" to play during the championship ceremony. But after that, no one would be surprised by a Canadian win. This Boxing Day will mark the thirtieth anniversary of the program that brought hockey fans many glorious memories and made household names of several of our players. Richly illustrated, Thirty Years of the Game at Its Best takes readers on a year by-year retrospective, with each tournament's story told from the perspectives of the players, coaches, and journalists who were there. This book is an extraordinary keepsake, published just in time for the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships. Contributors include Mike Babcock, Brendan Bell, Murray Costello, Damien Cox, Sheldon Ferguson, Gare Joyce, Terry Koshan, Roy MacGregor, Steven Milton, Frank Orr, Donna Spencer, Jesse Wallin, Tim Wharnsby and Ed Willes.A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut
By Brian Cazeneuve, John Scott. 2016
The John Scott story is the ultimate underdog narrative in sports during 2016 when Scott—in the twilight of his career—went…
from a joke All-Star fan-voted nominee to scoring two goals and winning the All-Star Game’s MVP title. This is his heartwarming story about an average Joe who became a sports superhero overnight.Known as a willing-and-able fighter and bruiser in the league, John Scott was a surprising and tongue-and-cheek nominee for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. He’d been in the league for over eight NHL seasons, playing for teams such as the Wild, Blackhawks, Rangers, Sabres, and the Sharks. Scott’s best attribute as an NHL player was dropping his gloves—never the best player, the 260 pounder did become the most feared fighter in the NHL, racking up extensive penalty minutes. In order to prevent him from playing in the game, his current team—the Phoenix Coyotes—traded Scott to the Montreal Canadians, who demoted him to the AHL team in an attempt to disqualify him from playing in the All-Star Game. Fans were outraged and Scott was devastated. He’d been downgraded in his job—forced to relocate while his wife was pregnant with twin girls. But the fans wouldn’t back down and insisted the NHL let Scott play in the game. The league relented, and Scott not only was invited to attend the NHL game in Nashville, but was nominated a team captain. The media and sports fans at large fell in love with the giant six-foot-eight player who by all means, was just a normal guy and no superstar player. In a true Cinderella story, Scott scored two goals and was the All-Star Game’s MVP. This is his personal memoir—detailing his life growing up and how he was able to keep his sense of humor and become the ultimate Cinderella-Story of hockey.An insider's guide to NYC for the hockey-obsessed—fans and players, alike. Attention Big Apple hockey heads: Want to know where…
to join a league, play a pick-up game, or get your blades sharpened? Where to grab some grub before heading to the rink or where to find a post-skate brew? In The Hockey Addict’s Guide New York City, Brooklyn-based beer leaguer Evan Gubernick highlights NYC’s best hockey hubs, along with the go-to spots nearby. The local hockey community chimes in, from rink rats to pros, and takes readers beyond Madison Square Garden to discover the best sports memorabilia, pro shops, sneaker boutiques, and more. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a tourist, this is a top-shelf guide to the five boroughs—on the ice and off.A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut
By John Scott, Brian Cazeneuve. 2016
The John Scott story is the ultimate underdog narrative in sports during 2016 when Scott—in the twilight of his career—went…
from a joke All-Star fan-voted nominee to scoring two goals and winning the All-Star Game’s MVP title. This is his heartwarming story about an average Joe who became a sports superhero overnight.Known as a willing-and-able fighter and bruiser in the league, John Scott was a surprising and tongue-and-cheek nominee for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game. He’d been in the league for over eight NHL seasons, playing for teams such as the Wild, Blackhawks, Rangers, Sabres, and the Sharks. Scott’s best attribute as an NHL player was dropping his gloves—never the best player, the 260 pounder did become the most feared fighter in the NHL, racking up extensive penalty minutes. In order to prevent him from playing in the game, his current team—the Phoenix Coyotes—traded Scott to the Montreal Canadians, who demoted him to the AHL team in an attempt to disqualify him from playing in the All-Star Game. Fans were outraged and Scott was devastated. He’d been downgraded in his job—forced to relocate while his wife was pregnant with twin girls. But the fans wouldn’t back down and insisted the NHL let Scott play in the game. The league relented, and Scott not only was invited to attend the NHL game in Nashville, but was nominated a team captain. The media and sports fans at large fell in love with the giant six-foot-eight player who by all means, was just a normal guy and no superstar player. In a true Cinderella story, Scott scored two goals and was the All-Star Game’s MVP. This is his personal memoir—detailing his life growing up and how he was able to keep his sense of humor and become the ultimate Cinderella-Story of hockey.Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey
By Jack Canfield, Mark Hansen, Laura Robinson. 2012
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey is full of fun, heartwarming and inspiring stories for hockey fans and…
families. Family-oriented stories from everyday hockey players and fans, as well as revealing personal stories from NHLers and hockey insiders, will captivate readers.Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey
By Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen, Laura Robinson. 2012
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey is full of fun, heartwarming and inspiring stories for hockey fans and…
families. Family-oriented stories from everyday hockey players and fans, as well as revealing personal stories from NHLers and hockey insiders, will captivate readers.Titans of '72: Team Canada's Summit Series Heroes
By Roy Macgregor, Mike Leonetti, Harold Barkley. 2012
In September 1972 Team Canada’s heroes triumphed over the Soviet Union in the greatest hockey battle of all time. Phil…
and Tony Esposito, Paul Henderson, Ken Dryden, Frank and Peter Mahovlich, Ron Ellis, Yvan Cournoyer, Rod Gilbert, Bobby Clarke, Guy Lapointe, Stan Mikita, Brad Park - these are some of the Team Canada heroes who struggled mightily to defeat the Soviet Union’s formidable superstars. For most of September 1972, Canadians were riveted to their television screens in what became one of the most-watched events in Canadian history.At first, in Canada, the Canadians floundered so badly, losing two games and tying one, that it seemed impossible to overcome the embarrassment of total defeat. But in Moscow, after losing another match, Team Canada turned the tables on the Soviets, winning an amazing three games in a row to take the Summit Series.Now, in Titans of ’72, bestselling author Mike Leonetti tells the stories behind each Canadian on that fabled Team Canada, including those like Bobby Orr who didn’t actually play. Accompanying Leonetti’s portraits of these genuine Canadian heroes are superb pictures by Harold Barkley, a photographer who pioneered the use of stop-action colour photography in hockey.Titans of '72: Team Canada's Summit Series Heroes
By Roy Macgregor, Mike Leonetti, Harold Barkley. 2012
In September 1972 Team Canada’s heroes triumphed over the Soviet Union in the greatest hockey battle of all time. Phil…
and Tony Esposito, Paul Henderson, Ken Dryden, Frank and Peter Mahovlich, Ron Ellis, Yvan Cournoyer, Rod Gilbert, Bobby Clarke, Guy Lapointe, Stan Mikita, Brad Park - these are some of the Team Canada heroes who struggled mightily to defeat the Soviet Union’s formidable superstars. For most of September 1972, Canadians were riveted to their television screens in what became one of the most-watched events in Canadian history.At first, in Canada, the Canadians floundered so badly, losing two games and tying one, that it seemed impossible to overcome the embarrassment of total defeat. But in Moscow, after losing another match, Team Canada turned the tables on the Soviets, winning an amazing three games in a row to take the Summit Series.Now, in Titans of ’72, bestselling author Mike Leonetti tells the stories behind each Canadian on that fabled Team Canada, including those like Bobby Orr who didn’t actually play. Accompanying Leonetti’s portraits of these genuine Canadian heroes are superb pictures by Harold Barkley, a photographer who pioneered the use of stop-action colour photography in hockey.Hockey Tonk
By Craig Leipold. 2000
Hard-hitting, nonstop action (and that's just what happens off the ice).Hockey is the fastest of all team sports?an emotional, exhilarating,…
and highly entertaining blend of speed, finesse, intensity, and bone-crunching physical impact. And the NHL's Nashville Predators are, in every respect, a team to watch. But the story leading up to, and through, the Predators' triumphant first season is every bit as exciting as the game itself.Hockey Tonk tells of one man's dream of bringing a pro team to a city best known for its music industry. The journey from that dream to its fulfillment in an arena filled with 17,000 screaming fans is a story of vision, passion, hard work, perseverance, and commitment to long-term success. It's a story of teamwork and hard-nosed competition, both on and off the ice.Just a few short years ago, the majority of Nashville, Tennessee, didn't know the difference between a blue line and a line dance. But now Music City has become a pro sports town, thanks to a fiercely competitive hockey team, its business-and community-minded front office, and fan support that, according to USA Today, is second to none.