Hockey Book Reviews.com

The book: Ice Warriors , Paperback, 240 pages The Author: Jon C. Stott The Publisher: Heritage House Release Date: October, 2008 Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters Book Description Ice Warriors tells the story of the Western Hockey League (known as the Pacific Coast Hockey League before 1952), a determined, ambitious league that at its height aspired to establish itself as a second major league, a western counterpart to the eastern NHL. Between 1948 and 1974, more than 2,500 minor-league professional hockey players skated for the 23 teams that made up the Western Hockey League. A small percentage of these players went on to enjoy substantial careers in the National Hockey League; others were former NHLers who chose to end their pro careers in the minors. Most of them, however, were minor-league "lifers" who played many seasons in the WHL and other minor pro leagues. Ice Warriors traces the league's origins,...

The book: The Road to Hockeytown *, hardcover, 320 pages The Author: Roger Lajoie, Jimmy Devellano The Publisher: Wiley Release Date: August 18, 2008 Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters * The book is listed as The Road to Hockeytown: Jimmy Devellano's Forty Years in the NHL , but the publisher's own description hints that the final title will be From Cabbage Town To Hockeytown . We'll have to wait a bit longer on the final title, apparently. Book Description The architect of 13 championship teams, six of them Stanley Cup winners, Jimmy D. has left his indelible mark on the game of hockey everywhere he has gone, from Cabbagetown to Hockeytown USA. Born in the working-class Cabbagetown neighbourhood of 1940s Toronto, Devellano has risen to become one of the most respected and accomplished executives in hockey and in sports in general. He never did play hockey, but has always had an excellent eye for talent. As a scout and assistant general manager with the New York Islanders, he h...

The book: Honoured Canadiens , hardcover, 256 pages The Author: Andrew Podnieks The Publisher: HB Fenn Release Date: October 1st, 2008 Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters Book Description The beginning of the 2008/2009 NHL season marks a significant date in hockey history, for it celebrates the centenary of one of the leagues most storied franchises the Montreal Canadiens. Through their hundred years, the Montreal Canadiens have demonstrated their will to succeed by capturing more Stanley Cups than any other team in hockey history (24) . The Stanley Cup is the most recognized trophy in sport and the most coveted trophy in the hockey world. Montreal's ability to win as many times as their history shows would not have been possible without the contributions made by their many talented members and this book is dedicated to them. The Montreal Canadiens have sent 62 Players and Builders on to the Hockey Hall of Fame. From coaching and managerial legends including Sam Pollock and Scotty Bowma...

The book: Reflections 2008: The NHL Hockey Year in Photographs , Paperback, 160 pages The Author: The National Hockey League The Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre Release Date: October 3rd, 2008 Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters Book Description Reflections 2008: The NHL Hockey Year in Photographs gathers together the highlights of a year’s worth of hockey memories, offering a spectacular pictorial chronicle of the 2007–08 NHL season. With this photographic yearbook, fans will relive the season by poring over images of Sidney Crosby, Nicklas Lidstrom, Jarome Iginla, Vincent Lecavalier, Martin Brodeur, Roberto Luongo, Mats Sundin, and many other stars of the NHLl. They’ll recall the great outdoor game where snow fell quietly as the “boys of winter” played before seventy thousand fans. From the first drop of the puck to the hoisting of the Stanley Cup, it’s all here. The National Hockey League and the NHL Players’ Association are proud supporters of Hockey Fights Cancer, and a share of pro...

The book: Hockey's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records , Paperback, 160 pages The Author: Don Weekes, Kerry Banks The Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre Release Date: August 15, 2008 Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters Two best selling authors join forces to take a fresh look at hockey's most memorable moments in Hockey's Top 100: The Game's Greatest Records Sports fans revel in records—the longest and shortest, the oldest and the youngest, the largest and the smallest. But what makes a record truly great? In Hockey’s Top 100, two of the best hockey minds in the world present their picks and explain, in mini record biographies, why they made the cut. To compile their honor roll, celebrated hockey authors Don Weekes and Kerry Banks evaluated hundreds of hockey achievements according to their historical importance, degree of dominance, uniqueness, and longevity. Those that made the final cut represent the crown jewels in nearly a century of competition. Richly illustrated...

One of my favorite hockey books of all time is Wayne Coffey's The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team , a New York Times best seller. | Buy at chapters.indigo.ca or at Amazon | It is billed as the story of, according Sports Illustrated nonetheless, the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Coffey goes a bit deeper and looks at how a bunch of introverted US college kids and one brooding, obsessed coach that made up the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team won gold on Lake Placid home ice, knocking off the powerful Soviets in the process. It is now known to Americans, whether they know what a puck is or not, as the “Miracle on Ice.” It has become an American fairy tale, a miracle in itself for a hockey moment. Wayne Coffey's story is almost as remarkable. The game against the Soviets is front and center in Coffey's retelling. He precisely and grippingly describes it period by period -- even play by play sometimes -...

I am pleased to announce that Hockey Book Reviews.com is now affiliated with chapters.indigo.ca - Canada's largest book seller. There is FREE Shipping on orders over $39 at chapters.indigo.ca . Be sure to check out the bargain books section, where you can Save up to 80% at Indigo Books and Music . Also Check Out the 10 Top 10 Lists from the Chapters.Indigo.ca Community! Hockey Book Reviews.com remains a loyal associate with Amazon . The same free shipping offer for purchases over $39 exists there, too. And they have a great digital Gift Certificates Program.

Margaret Atwood. Pierre Berton. Lucy Maud Montgomery. Farley Mowatt. These authors are easily recognized as Canada's best. We can include in that group Howie Meeker. I kid you not. In November, 2005, the magazine Literary Review of Canada commissioned the ultimate list of Canadian literature. The top 100 titles were recognized for "Canadian importance and influence" rather than literary quality. The titles were ranked chronologically. Howie Meeker's Hockey Basics, published in 1973, was included by the panel, the only hockey book to make the list. Here's what the LRC had to say about Meeker's text: Meeker’s book was hugely influential in shaping the way Canadians play hockey today. A former NHL player, Meeker was a commentator for Hockey Night in Canada in the early 1970s—a sort of anti–Don Cherry who decried the goonery in the game and the lack of basic playing skills. When Meeker was a commentator for the 1972 summit series with the Soviets, his argumen...

So on a recent trip to Kamloops, BC, I walk into a thrift store. Why? Because I'm cheap. But also because I love hunting for hockey book. Trust me, thrift stores are a great place to find some unexpected treasures, and at the cheapest of prices. In this store I found a copy of Eric Whitehead's 1977 book Cyclone Taylor: A Hockey Legend. I think the book cost $5, but thinking I already had the title in paperback back home, I put the book back on the shelf. But at at the last minute I decided hey why not and picked it up. It's a good thing I did, because it turned out to be a gold mine. On the inside title page is the following inscription: "Jan 22, 78. For Denome + John Kerr Fred W (Cyclone) Taylor" Yep. Autographed by Cyclone Taylor himself. I would not have the foggiest idea on how to verify if the signature is authentic. Assuming it is legit, I would have no idea how much such an item might be worth in the collectibles market. I suspect a tad more than five bucks...

Are you looking for a good, short, hockey book to read to your kids? Then you definitely have to consider Howard Shapiro's Hockey Days . They say don't judge a book by the its cover. That would be good advice for Hockey Days . That sounds mean I know. But the cover illustrations greatly pale to quality graphics inside the book. This is a highly professional project and it deserves a better first impression. I asked several kids and they all concurred, with thoughts ranging from indifferent to turned off. Which is unfortunate because Shapiro's heartwarming story shares an important message for juvenile readers, and adult readers will enjoy reading the title with them. Like so many families, a young street hockey-crazed boy named Tom and his father are brought together by sport. Through his father's reminiscing Tom learns the values of teamwork, friendship and always giving it your all. Though the book is about hockey, he is really talking about the grander stage called l...

Freelance illustrator Robert Ullman contacted me in the spring of 2008 about his inaugural issue of " Old-Timey Hockey Tales ." Hockey Tales is a brilliant concept. Ullman tells the story of hockey legends, but presents it it in comic strip-style print. In issue one he looks at the tragic legends of Bill Barilko, Terry Sawchuk and the Rocket Richard riot. He keeps his biographies short and to the point, but somehow captures the legacies of the said players perfectly. He combines that with expert illustration, making for a most unique project. Where Mr. Ullman is an accomplished cartoonist, and has found success with this cartoon format in other genres, notably bikini clad cartoon-cuties . Yet I can't help but think he's missing a golden opportunity here. He is issuing Hockey Tales as a slight comic book (issue one has only 8 pages, 12 if you include bonus illustrations on the cover pages), almost newsletter style. What he needs to do is build up a variety of hocke...