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Hockey has had its share of bizarre tales over the years, but none compares to the fascinating story of the…
California Golden Seals, a team that remains the benchmark for how not to run a sports franchise. From 1967 to 1978, a revolving door of players, apathetic owners, and ridiculous marketing decisions turned the Seals, originally based in Oakland, into hockey’s traveling circus. The team lost tons of money and games, cheated death more often than Evel Knievel, and left behind a long trail of broken dreams. Live seals were used as mascots, players wore skates that were painted white on an almost-daily basis, and draft picks were dealt away nonchalantly like cards at a poker game. One general manager was hauled in for questioning by mysterious men because he’d mismanaged a player contract, while one of the team’s goaltenders regularly spat tobacco juice at the feet of referees.The California Golden Seals examines the franchise’s entire mismanaged—but always interesting—history, from its ballyhooed beginnings as a minor-league champion in the 1960s to its steep slide into oblivion in the late 1970s after moving to Cleveland. Through a comprehensive season-by-season narrative and a section of definitive statistics, Currier brings to life the Seals’ entire history with lighthearted anecdotes, personal interviews, and statistics about hockey’s most infamous losing team.The Final Call: Hockey Stories from a Legend in Stripes
By Wayne Gretzky, Kerry Fraser. 2010
After almost two thousand games and thirty years of wearing the Stripes, legendary NHL official Fraser dropped his final puck…
at the end of the 2009/2010 season and relieves his colourful career officiating hockey in his candid book.After thirty years in the NHL, legendary referee Kerry Fraser has decided to hang up his skates and enjoy the game from the other side of the boards. Never shy about offering his opinion, nor afraid to step in and separate an on-ice fight, the diminutive Fraser is without question one of the most respected officials in today's NHL. Fraser entered officiating after recognizing that his size would limit his chances as a player. Over the course of the almost two thousand NHL contests, he has shown himself to be an exemplary referee. In The Final Call, Fraser uses the seventy two games he is officiating in his farewell season as the centre piece of his story. He relives candid memories from each city he visits, such as the night he was pulled from the ice by the Boston police after a threat was made that if he skated out for the second period he would be shot. Fraser offers a colourful, behind-the-scenes portrait of our national game, recounting stories of pulling apart enraged 250-lb men in on-ice battles and divulging the politics behind which games are assigned to which refs. Although a referee's job and story may not appear as glamorous as that of a superstar player, it is every bit as entertaining!From the Trade Paperback edition.Unbreakable: Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record
By Mike Brophy, Todd Denault. 2016
In only his 3rd NHL season, Wayne Gretzky set the unbeatable NHL record - scoring 50 goals in just 39…
games. A book for the devoted Gretzky fans, and books like 99 by Al Strachan.Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record sets out to chronicle that unforgettable streak of 39 games in the fall of 1981, when a 20-year-old wunderkind from the town of Brantford, Ontario, captured the imagination of not just the hockey world but the world at large and emerged as both the game's biggest star and it's most recognizable face. Published on the 35th anniversary of this remarkable feat, the story of this unforgettable season is chronicled by renowned hockey authors Mike Brophy and Todd Denault. Based on new interviews with Wayne Gretzky and with those who surrounded him during his magical run at hockey's greatest record, Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record will detail on a game-by-game basis Gretzky's stellar run towards hockey immortality, through extensive research and the reminiscences of those who were there, including teammates, and players from opposing teams.Quinn
By Dan Robson. 2015
A tribute to the larger than life story of a hockey icon and hero. The hockey world mourned when Pat…
Quinn died in November 2014. Tough guys sobbed. Networks carried montages of Quinn's rugged hits, his steely-eyed glare, and his famous victories. Quinn made a few enemies over the years, but there was no one who didn't respect the tough working-class kid who had fought his way to the very top of the hockey world. He had butted heads with superstars, with management, and with the league itself. And he had also succeeded at every level, finishing his journeyman's career as the captain of an NHL team, then quickly emerged as one of the best coaches in the league. He gathered executive titles like hockey cards, and done things his own way, picking up a law degree along the way. He was brash, dour, and abrasive--and people loved him for his alloy of pugnacity and flair, his three-piece suits and cigars, his Churchillian heft and his scowl. In the end, the player who would never even have dreamed of being inducted into the Hall of Fame was the chair of the Hall's selection committee. That is Quinn's story: an underdog who succeeded so completely that his legacy has become the standard by which others are judged. Told by bestselling author Dan Robson, and supported by the Quinn family and network of friends, Quinn is the definitive account of one of the game's biggest personalities and most storied lives.From the Hardcover edition.Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey
By Michael Mckinley, Sean Avery. 2017
Controversial hockey star Sean Avery's no-holds-barred memoir of high living and bad behavior in the NHL—coupled with the behind-the-scenes glitter…
of celebrity and media nightlife in New York and LA. As one of the NHL’s most polarizing players, Sean Avery turned the rules of professional hockey on its head. For thirteen seasons, Avery played for some of the toughest, most storied franchises in the league, including the Detroit Red Wings, the Los Angeles Kings, and the New York Rangers, making his mark in each city as a player that was sometimes loved, often despised, but always controversial. In Ice Capades, Avery takes his trademark candidness about the world of pro hockey and does for it what Jim Bouton's game-changing Ball Four did for baseball. Avery goes deep inside the sport to reveal every aspect of an athlete’s life, from what they do with their money and nights off to how they stay sharp and competitive in the league. While playing the talented villain in the NHL, Avery broke far away from his on-ice character in the off-season, and Ice Capades takes the reader inside the other unexpected and unprecedented roles that Avery inhabited—Vogue intern, fashion model, advertising executive, restauranteur, gay rights advocate, and many more. Love him or hate him, Sean Avery changed the way professional hockey is played today. Rollickingly honest and compelling throughout, Ice Capades transcends the “sports book” genre and offers a rare, unvarnished glimpse into the world of 21st century hockey through the eyes of one of its most original and memorable players.The Toronto Maple Leafs: The Complete Oral History
By Eric Zweig. 2017
A complete history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as told by the players, coaches, and reporters. On December 19, 1917,…
the Toronto Arenas took to the ice for the first NHL game ever played. Over the next hundred years, the franchise changed names twice, home rinks twice, and won 13 Stanley Cups on its way to becoming one of the most successful and storied franchises in NHL history. The Toronto Maple Leafs: The Complete Oral History gives the most comprehensive record of the team from its formation to the present day. With first-hand accounts of some of the biggest names ever to play the game — Syl Apps, Darryl Sittler, Mats Sundin — as well as coaches, managers, and commentators, Eric Zweig gives readers the full insider history of Canada’s most iconic team.Canadian Hockey Literature
By Jason Blake. 2010
Hockey occupies a prominent place in the Canadian cultural lexicon, as evidenced by the wealth of hockey-centred stories and novels…
published within Canada. In this exciting new work, Jason Blake takes readers on a thematic journey through Canadian hockey literature, examining five common themes - nationhood, the hockey dream, violence, national identity, and family - as they appear in hockey fiction.Blake examines the work of such authors as Mordecai Richler, David Adams Richards, Paul Quarrington, and Richard B. Wright, arguing that a study of contemporary hockey fiction exposes a troubled relationship with the national sport. Rather than the storybook happy ending common in sports literature of previous generations, Blake finds that today's fiction portrays hockey as an often-glorified sport that in fact leads to broken lives and ironic outlooks. The first book to focus exclusively on hockey in print, Canadian Hockey Literature is an accessible work that challenges popular perceptions of a much-beloved national pastime.The Kid Who Missed Bus
By Matt Mccoy. 2013
In 1969, Lily and Nolan Doyle put the bombs and bastards of Belfast behind them and fled The Troubles in…
Northern Ireland to raise their family in the seclusion of small-town British Columbia, Canada. But firstborn son, Daniel, has troubles of his own… Danny Boy loves hockey but Danny Boy loves women too. And he can't seem to quit either. A tale that body-checks its way through Canada, Europe and the US, this is the story of the boy too big for his own skates, the teen with stars in his eyes and the man who discovers he is more than just a defenseman.Bleeding Blue: Giving My All for the Game
By Wendel Clark, Jim Lang. 2016
Funny, fierce, and gritty, Bleeding Blue recounts every struggle and success of Wendel Clark's rough-and-tumble journey to becoming one of…
hockey's greatest heroes.As a young boy growing up in Kelvington, Saskatchewan, Wendel Clark never dreamed of an NHL career. The pro league just seemed too far away from the young man's small-town life in the Prairies. But Wendel had a talent for hockey that was surpassed only by his love for the sport, and it wasn't long before he embarked on a path that would take him away from his hometown to a new life. Wendel honed his talents in cities across western Canada and earned a reputation as a force to be reckoned with on the ice. Drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs first overall in the 1985 NHL Entry Draft, Wendel burst onto the pro scene and immediately made an impact, all the while staying true to his roots. As he learned from the players around him, Wendel steadily matured into a respected leader. He soon assumed the mantle as the Leafs captain, and his willingness to lay it all on the line transformed him into a player who could inspire courage in his teammates and fear in his opponents in equal measure. The future seemed limitless for the young star. But just as Wendel's talents were set to peak, everything unraveled. Years of no-holds-barred, physical play were taking their toll, and soon his greatest competitor wasn't anyone on the ice, but his own body. Every movement brought agony, every shift was a challenge, and every game meant the decision to keep fighting. But as Wendel's body broke down, his resolve only grew. Determined to succeed no matter what the cost, Wendel set out on a course that would allow him to keep doing what he loved and that would turn him into one of the most beloved hockey players of all time. Emotional and uplifting, Bleeding Blue is the story of a man who refused to say no, who wore his heart on his sleeve, and who would do anything to keep going, even when everything told him to quit.The Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club: Official Centennial Publication
By Jason Wilson, Brendan Shanahan, Kevin Shea. 2016
Published in partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and officially licensed by the NHL, this is the one and only…
official Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial publication!The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in all of sport and without question -- the most recognized team in all of hockey. Through this journey of a hundred years of Maple Leaf hockey, fans will read of ups and downs, triumphs and tears, laughter and laments. This publication tells the Leafs' complete history and introduces fans to coaches, as well as such legends as: Apps and Armstrong, Kennedy and Keon, Broda and Bower, Salming and Sundin, but also players who wore the Blue and White and left far more modest legacies. It takes fans to Toronto's first game, the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens and subsequent move to the Air Canada Centre. It celebrates Toronto's Stanley Cups and Hall of Fame players and demonstrates that through each exciting season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have forever remained our team and enjoyed the incredibly loyal support of a nation of fans. Published in complete partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and scheduled to release as the Leafs enter their 100th season, this official centennial publication includes contributions from many of the biggest names in Leaf history. Author Kevin Shea gained unprecedented access to players -- past and present -- as well as team executives to offer this book the most compelling, informed, and accurate portrayal of Toronto's historic hockey team and their important place in both the world of hockey and the culture of Canada. Combined with incredible archival photographs and a truly incredible design, this is the definitive and must have book for fans of the Blue and White.Hockey Strong: Stories of Sacrifice from Inside the NHL
By Todd Smith. 2016
For the casual enthusiast and hockey fanatic alike comes a collection of essays and photographs celebrating the grit and dedication…
of hockey players to withstand injury and hardship to play the sport they love.Based on the author's interviews with key figures and capturing the inside stories of superstars old and new, Hockey Strong is one of a kind: an exploration of the long, dangerous, and often arduous journey of an NHL player. Packed with intimate interviews, exclusive photographs, and iconic moments, it's a beautifully designed celebration of one of the toughest sports in the world, and the hearts of the athletes who play it. Featuring figures like Kris Draper, Shjon Podein, Craig Berube, Joey Kocur, Rick Tocchet, Chris Nilan, and even the trainer for the 1980 Winter Olympics USA team, Todd Smith provides unprecedented access to the stories behind famous hits, injuries, and fights, while also revealing the human drive and brotherhood that propels such players forward. With a particular focus on the Original Six franchises of the NHL, Smith interviews players young and old from across North America, and illustrates hockey's broad appeal to new and lifelong fans. Unique in its content and design, and appealing to all generations of fans, this is the perfect gift for both the passionate fanatic and the casual follower of hockey.The Biggest Book of Hockey Trivia
By Don Weekes. 2009
Hockey trivia master Don Weekes has cherry-picked more than 800 of his most compelling trivia questions and records to create…
this authoritative collection. Who was the only player to captain Steve Yzerman in NHL play? When did a forward or defenseman last tend goal during an NHL game? What is the time of the fastest goal from the start of a season-opening game? Irreverent, captivating, and even bizarre, these entertaining stories, historic milestones, and informative stats capture the essence of the game, today and yesterday.Hockey Confidence: Train Your Brain to Win in Hockey and in Life
By Isabelle Hamptonstone MSc.. 2016
Confidence affects how we deal with stress and how we fulfill our potential to achieve the results we desire. In…
sports and in life, confidence is the underlying factor determining mental and physical performance, leading to overall success. This book by experienced mental performance specialist Isabelle Hamptonstone contains a collection of powerful techniques and tips to help hockey players overcome lack of confidence.Clear instructions and illustrative case studies show how training the brain to develop and sustain hockey confidence can upgrade results and help players make smarter, quicker decisions under pressure. Hamptonstone shares step-by-step guidelines gleaned from her years of research working with the giants in the game of hockey. Some of the greatest hockey players in the world have used these very same steps to change their game and their lives. Added to this base of personal knowledge, the book references inspiring moments of mental performance by Wayne Gretzky, Doug Lidster, Scott Niedermayer, Shane Doan, Darryl Sydor, Jarome Iginla, and Mark Recchi. This pragmatic and positive book is a game-changing guide and valuable resource for anyone interested in high-performance hockey, as well as a valuable tool for self-development.How We Did It: The Subban Plan for Success in Hockey, School and Life
By Karl Subban, Scott Colby. 2018
The ultimate hockey dad Karl Subban is a former school principal and father of five including three sons--P…
K Malcolm and Jordan--who have been drafted to the NHL Karl s inspirational and moving story follows the hockey journey from house league to the big leagues and shows how to grow the unlimited potential that is in every child In his thirty-plus years of coaching teaching and parenting Karl Subban has proved to be a leader with the gift of inspiring others He has dedicated his life to helping young people grow their potential--to be better at what they do and to be better people Originally from Jamaica Karl Subban along with his wife Maria have raised five accomplished children Their oldest son is P K Subban who won the Norris trophy for top defenceman in the NHL and whose trade from the Canadiens to the Nashville Predators shocked the hockey world Their two daughters are teachers one a university basketball star and the other a talented visual artist Their two youngest sons Malcolm and Jordan have been drafted and signed by the Bruins and the Canucks As a child Karl dreamed of being a star cricket player--but when he moved to Canada at age 12 hockey and basketball became his new passions At university when he realized his NBA hoop dreams would not come to be Subban found his true destiny as an educator devoting his life to bringing out the best in his students and his children From the backyard hockey rink to the nail-biting suspense of draft days Karl Subban shares tales of his family s unique hockey journey Mixing personal stories with lessons he learned as a coach and principal--lessons about goal-setting perseverance and accomplishment--How We Did It will allow other parents teachers coaches and mentors to apply the same principles as they help the young people in their lives to identify develop and live their dreamsHockey's Original 6: Great Players of the Golden Era
By Charles Barkley, Mike Leonetti, Jean Beliveau. 2011
The hockey stars of the 1950s and '60s-Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Tim…
Horton, and others-were some of the most passionate players in National Hockey League history. These skillful and often colorful athletes played exhilarating hockey and were national heroes in a time when only six teams and fewer than 150 players battled for the Stanley Cup.Hockey's Original Six celebrates the most dynamic players and exciting moments of the era in more than 120 photographs from the legendary Harold Barkley Archives, including a number of never - or rarely seen - images. From 1942 until the early '70s, Barkley was the Toronto Star's leading sports photographer. He pioneered the use of electronic flash to capture stop-action hockey, and his dramatic work-both black and white and vibrant color-define the pre-expansion period.Two informative essays by Mike Leonetti - hockey historian, archivist, and prolific sportswriter - set Barkley and the photos in context, and short image captions illuminate the players and their feats. Jean Béliveau - hockey legend and elder statesman - provides a personal and insightful foreword.The Hockey Dad Chronicles
By Ed Wenck. 2005
The sport of ice hockey is going through a transitional period, losing popularity in the United States even as it…
gains momentum in other countries. The Hockey Dad Chronicles is the touching and funny story of one season in the youth hockey career of Ed Wenck's son, Oliver, when he played for the Indianapolis Junior Ice. Hockey parents spend an inordinate amount of time and money on their child's sport of choice - considerably more than soccer, football, or basketball parents dish out. They get their children to the ice rink for 7 a.m. ice time, they travel with them to other states for games every other weekend - and if they're anything like Ed Wenck, they spend a lot of time sitting in bleachers wondering at the absurdity of it all. As youth hockey grows ever more popular, increasing numbers of parents are seeing their lives taken over by their children's hockey careers. The Hockey Dad Chronicles will be a familiar, amusing, and moving reminder to them - and to all parents who devote themselves to their children's extracurricular activities, whether they're sports, drama, or dance - of what it's all about.Open Net: A Professional Amateur in the World of Big-Time Hockey
By Denis Leary, George Plimpton. 2016
George Plimpton takes to the ice with the Boston Bruins in this memorable portrait of the rough-and-tumble world of professional…
hockey, repackaged and now featuring a foreword from Denis Leary and photographs from the Plimpton archives.In OPEN NET, George Plimpton takes to the ice as goalie for his beloved Boston Bruins. After signing a release holding the Bruins blameless if he should meet with injury or death, he survives a harrowing, seemingly eternal five minutes in an exhibition game against the always-tough Philadelphia Flyers. With reflections on such hockey greats as Wayne Gretzky, Bobby Orr, and Eddie Shore, OPEN NET is at once a celebration of the thrills and grace of the greatest sport on ice and a probing meditation into the hopes and fears of every man.Gretzky: An Autobiography
By Rick Reilly, Wayne Gretzky. 1990
"Fred Sasakamoose played in the NHL before First Nations people had the right to vote in Canada. This page turner…
will have you cheering for 'Fast Freddy' as he faces off against huge challenges both on and off the ice--a great gift to every proud hockey fan, Canadian, and Indigenous person."--Wab Kinew, Leader of the Manitoba NDP and author of The Reason You WalkTrailblazer. Residential school Survivor. First Treaty Indigenous player in the NHL. All of these descriptions are true--but none of them tell the whole story.Fred Sasakamoose, torn from his home at the age of seven, endured the horrors of residential school for a decade before becoming one of 120 players in the most elite hockey league in the world. He has been heralded as the first Indigenous player with Treaty status in the NHL, making his official debut as a 1954 Chicago Black Hawks player on Hockey Night in Canada and teaching Foster Hewitt how to pronounce his name. Sasakamoose played against such legends as Gordie Howe, Jean Beliveau, and Maurice Richard. After twelve games, he returned home.When people tell Sasakamoose's story, this is usually where they end it. They say he left the NHL to return to the family and culture that the Canadian government had ripped away from him. That returning to his family and home was more important to him than an NHL career. But there was much more to his decision than that. Understanding Sasakamoose's choice means acknowledging the dislocation and treatment of generations of Indigenous peoples. It means considering how a man who spent his childhood as a ward of the government would hear those supposedly golden words: "You are Black Hawks property."Sasakamoose's story was far from over once his NHL days concluded. He continued to play for another decade in leagues around Western Canada. He became a band councillor, served as Chief, and established athletic programs for kids. He paved a way for youth to find solace and meaning in sports for generations to come. Yet, threaded through these impressive accomplishments were periods of heartbreak and unimaginable tragedy--as well moments of passion and great joy.This isn't just a hockey story; Sasakamoose's groundbreaking memoir sheds piercing light on Canadian history and Indigenous politics, and follows this extraordinary man's journey to reclaim pride in an identity and a heritage that had previously been used against him.The series you thought you knew: the first book written with the complete co-operation of the whole team“They’ve stolen our…
beer and our steaks, and then to make it worse when we go back to the hotel after the game, they give us warm, skunky Russian beer and not the good, cold Labatt’s our sponsor sent. I remember thinking, ‘These pricks will never beat us again! They are not going to win another game.’” —Rod Gilbert The Summit Series took place in September 1972, when Cold War tensions could not have been higher. But that was the whole point of setting up this unprecedented hockey series. Team Canada, featuring the country’s best players—all NHL stars, half of them future Hall of Famers—would play an eight-game series, with four games played across Canada followed by four in Moscow. Team Canada was expected to crush their untried opponents eight games to zero, with backups playing the last four games.But five games into the series, they had mustered only one win against a tie and three stunning losses. With just three games left, Team Canada had to win all three in Moscow—all while overcoming the years of animosity and mistrust for one another fostered during the Original Six era. They would also have to overcome the ridiculous Russian refereeing that resulted in stick-swinging fights involving the players, a Canadian agent and Soviet soldiers; surmount every obstacle the Soviets and even the KGB could throw at the players and their wives; invent a hybrid style of play combining the best of East and West, one that would change the sport more than any other factor before or since; and win all three games in the last minute. And they did it all. The Summit players asked Bacon to tell their story and provided unparalleled access and candour in dozens of interviews with almost every living player. The Greatest Comeback is a universal story about overcoming bitter feuds to forge a hard-earned team spirit and inspire heroics against long odds and almost inhuman pressure—an experience so unforgettable that every member of Team Canada considers those eight games to be the highlight of their storied careers.