It should come as no surprise that the HockeyBookReviews.com 2009 Hockey Book Of The Year is Theoren Fleury's tell-all autobiography Playing With Fire . Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Tell-all is right. Fleury talks about all of his demons - the drugs, the alcohol, the gambling, the promiscuity - and finally reveals the sad truth behind it all. He was sexually abused by infamous junior coach Graham James. In a weak year for hockey books, nothing really came close to Fleury's book. It has been a Canadian best seller for weeks, drawing the most attention from media across North America. No book rivaled that attention. Fleury has won over fans all around the world, which was not easy given he was one of the most hated hockey players of his era. He has earned everyone's respect for the bravery he has shown with this book, and with the progress he has made in his life. Once again we are all cheering for the little underdog in the biggest fight in his life. Co
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Bruce Boudreau's autobiography Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer is full of entertaining and engaging stories about a minor leaguer who finally makes it to the NHL. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - chapters.indigo.ca - Amazon.com Boudreau of course was a minor league hockey player who never could stick in the NHL, largely because he was not (or did not know how to be) dedicated enough to do what it takes. He eventually figured it out, becoming a very good minor league coach. With a little luck, he was in the right situation at the right time when he was asked coach Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Boudreau has never looked back. He is now known as the very likeable Caps coach, an overnight success story 50 years in the making. Bottom line - it's a typical hockey biography. If you are a fan of Bruce Boudreau or of the Washington Capitals (who he talks about with the greatest affection) or of the minor leagues, you will find some interesting stories here. It's
Looking for an instructional book for the aspiring player or perhaps his or her parents or even coaches on your Christmas shopping list? You will want to consider HB Fenn's Making It in Hockey: What You Should Know from the Experts and Pros . Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com The book is written by Mark Moore, a Harvard graduate known the "smartest man in hockey" as suggested by his almost perfect SAT score (1590 out of 1600). He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins though injuries ended his career before he really got started. Oh yeah. He also happens to be the brother of well known NHL names Steve Moore and Dominic Moore. It sounds like the perfect person to write a book on making it in hockey. Moore does go into all of your typical drills of skating, puck control, passing, shooting and checking, all brilliantly illustrated. He goes into the expected training exercises, both on the ice and off, and both physically and mentally. But what sets this book
I recently had the opportunity to sit down and chat with author Todd Denault about his fantastic biography called Jacques Plante: Man Who Changed Face of Hockey . In addition to reading the interview below, you can read my full book review and read an exclusive book excerpt , courtesy of McClelland & Stewart. What drew you to write a biography on Jacques Plante? A little over two year's ago, I was watching a hockey game one night on TSN. After the opening introduction, the camera zoomed in on that night's panel and there sitting right in the middle of the commentators was this little, brittle-looking mask. The host quickly mentioned that this was the 48th anniversary of the night that Jacques Plante first donned the mask and there sitting on the desk was the actual mask. Later that night they discussed Plante and the mask and it occurred to me that I would like to read a book on Plante. As a long-time fan of the Canadiens I've always been aware of Plante, but what I fo
Chuck Gormley's Orange, Black & Blue: The Greatest Philadelphia Flyers Stories Never Told represents a life time of work. Award-winning beat reporter Chuck Gormley has been following the Philadelphia Flyers for over two decades, and has followed them for as long as he can remember. Now he's put the best of the best into his new book. He takes you down Broad Street for the Flyers’ victory parades; guides you through the tumultuous Mike Keenan Era; and allows you to be the judge and jury in the heated confrontations between Eric Lindros and Bob Clarke. All the while, he takes you into the hearts, minds and souls of some of the most colorful characters in NHL history. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Author's Website - http://www.chuckspuck.com What a fantastic book! Gormley pieces together the Flyers' colorful history through countless short stories from each era. Some of the stories you may have heard before, many you definitely will not have, and
Christmas is coming, and we all have some hockey crazed youth on our shopping list. So why not get him or her a hockey themed book? Give them the gift of hockey and reading, usually in the $10 range. Here's my recommended list, based on entertainment value, readability and message. Just One Goal by Robert Munsch, Illustrated by Michael Martchenko. HockeyBookReviews.com Full Review Perhaps the world's most prolific children's author has dreamed up an amazing story about a little girl who loves hockey. She builds the community a rink on the frozen river, but her team never wins. She's determined to score her team a victory, even as the thawing rink presents great danger It does not get better than this - Hockey and Robert Munsch! Amazon.ca - chapters.indigo.ca - Amazon.com The Hockey Tree By David Ward, Illustrated by Brian Deines HockeyBookReviews.com Full Review This highly acclaimed book from 2006 makes it's paperback debut in 2008. The Hockey Tree is a great
I received a pleasant surprise in the mail today. Leslie at Orca Book Publishers sent me a package of hockey themed children's titles you should be made aware of before you complete your Christmas shopping. Orca Book Publishers is a Canadian children's book publisher out of Victoria, putting out approximately 60 new books each year, including some great hockey series. Perhaps the most successful line is The Howling Timberwolves series by best selling author Sigmund Brouwer . The books are all early chapter books for beginning readers, ages 7 through 9. The plots all revolve around the Timberwolves hockey team in the tiny town of Howling. The series is perfect for the hockey loving youth in your life, especially if they are reluctant readers. The books are easy to read and fun and full of humour that kids will love, but also full of positive messages parents will love. There have been two new additions to the series in 2009. Book 6, Timberwolf Tracks , was released in the spri
Attention all young fans of the Edmonton Oil Kings! Orca Book Publishers Orca Sports series has a new book aimed at you: Oil King Courage by best selling author Sigmund Brouwer . The book is written in a fast-paced style and at a comfortable reading level that will attract even the most reluctant readers. This is a story about Edmonton Oil Kings popular player Reuben Reuben. It is soon revealed that he has a hockey game as unforgettable as his name and his Inuit heritage. Life changes in a hurry for him and his best friend Gear when a wealthy businessman sponsors a three-on-three pond-hockey tour across the western Arctic. Reuben and Gear find out more than they ever bargained for about teamwork, about the North and about a dangerous family secret. The Orca Sports series is aimed a youth ages 10 and up. This is Brouwer's 15th title in the entertaining mystery series, and his 9th focusing on hockey. Each of his hockey titles feature fictional characters on actual WHL teams. Previ
Don Reddick is an award-winning author of historical fiction, whose books include Dawson City Seven and Killing Frank McGee . In his new book he returns to the famous story of the famous Stanley Cup challenge from the Yukon, more specifically the re-enactment nearly 100 years later, in The Trail Less Traveled . On December 18, 1904, the upstart Dawson City Klondikers began their 4,000-mile trek to wrest the Stanley Cup from the Ottawa Silver Seven. Twenty-four days later, after trudging 350 miles behind their dog teams, lurching and rolling down the inside passage, and whiling away endless days on the CPR, the rubber-legged, travel-worn players staggered into Ottawa’s Union Station. In less than thirty-six hours they would meet their fate against the greatest hockey team ever assembled, creating the most enduring legend in hockey history. Ninety-two years later a team of oldtimer hockey players from Dawson City re-created that epic journey, inviting Don Reddick to accompany them. As
The Canadian Olympic hockey team dominates hockey discussion in this country (well, at least outside of Toronto), and that is going to into overdrive with 2010 Winter Olympics coming to Vancouver in February 2010. Publishers and authors are all over this, knowing Team Canada and Olympic titles will be hot sellers this Christmas season. HB Fenn and veteran author Lorna Schultz Nicholson are offering a solid title for kids and young adult hockey fans with Home Ice: Canada's 2010 Men's Olympic Hockey Team Guide . Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Officially licensed by Hockey Canada complete with a foreword by Steve Yzerman and an introduction by Bob Nicholson, the book features profiles of all 46 NHL players invited to Team Canada's Olympic orientation camp back in August 2009. 23 of those players will comprise Canada's Olympic team. The other 23 will be after-thoughts, making this title a bit unnecessary. A book of this quality featuring only the 23 playe
If I told you one of the best books of 2009 was about a fascinating goaltender with his distinctive mask, you would no doubt think of Todd Denault's excellent title Jacques Plante: Man Who Changed Face of Hockey . Well 2009 has at least two such books, because Thomas Tynander's excellent book Pelle Lindbergh: Behind the White Mask has been translated into English by Bill Meltzer. Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Lindbergh was on the fast track to NHL superstardom, leading the NHL with 40 wins, winning the Vezina trophy, and leading his Flyers to the Stanley Cup finals in just his second full NHL season. With his bright white Bernie Parent style mask, he was easily one of the league's most popular players on both sides of the Atlantic ocean. Unfortunately he was also on the fast track of life, and then death. Early in the 1985-86 season Lindbergh died after crashing his Porsche 930 Turbo in a drinking and driving accident. He was kept on life support only
I had a good chuckle when I saw this Twitter conversation : The best unpublished NHL hockey books.
I spend a lot of time reviewing hockey books here at HockeyBookReviews.com . Making your online purchases via my links offsets costs of running my free websites. Look at it this way: If you like my work, and you think it's worth buying me a cup of coffee, then shop Amazon or Chapters via my links. I'm going to keep doing my work for free because I love doing this, but I'd greatly appreciate your support! Here's a look at the class of 2009 hockey books. 100 Rangers Greats Biggest Book of Hockey Trivia Blue Ice Canada's Game: Hockey and Identity Canada's Olympic Hockey History, 1920-2010 Coast to Coast: Hockey & WWII From The Broadcast Booth : Brian McFarlane Gabby: Bruce Boudreau Goaltenders: The Expansion Years Good, Bad, Ugly: Detroit Red Wings Gretzky's Tears : Stephen Brunt Hat Trick: Harley Hotchkiss Hockey Dad: Bob McKenzie I'd Trade Him Again : Pocklington Jacques Plante: Man Who Changed Face of Hockey Leafs Abomination Le Québec mis en échec L
There is a pretty charming pair of hockey books that will melt the heart of any parent. Especially hockey parents. Jason Howell is the head coach of the Flyers Novice AE Team. With the help of teacher/hockey mom Jennifer Sutoski, he had his group of seven and eight year olds write down why they loved their hockey dad and hockey mom, complete with an accompanying crayon-drawn picture. The results were compiled into two similar books - Thanks to My Hockey Dad and I Love My Hockey Mom . None other than Don Cherry even writes the book's foreword. The reasons are varied, all touching and honest, some surprising and some down right hilarious. The drawings are equally telling and entertaining. This would be an excellent book for one hockey parent to give to the other hockey parent under the Christmas tree on behalf of the child. Perhaps an idea for future editions would be to leave a couple of blank pages for our children to personalize the book with their own note and drawing.
Folks, I've finally found a true contender for the 2009 Hockey Book of the Year award. Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey by Todd Denault is worthy of mention in the sentence as Theo Fleury's autobiography Playing With Fire . Stephen Brunt's Gretzky's Tears and Bob McKenzie's Hockey Dad will also get consideration. Read An Jacques Plante Exclusive Excerpt Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Todd Denault has penned an amazing biography of Jacques Plante, the man I have long considered to be the greatest goalie in hockey history. Moreover, I would easily rank him as the most important and influential goalie, perhaps player of any kind, in the game's long history. Plante is obviously one of the greatest goalies of all time. The seven time all star won six Stanley Cups, seven Vezina trophies as top goalie and one Hart trophy, a true rarity for a goalie, as league MVP. He still ranks as the 6th winningest goalie in NHL histor
I was snooping around the book section in a local pharmacy this morning and I discovered a kid's hockey book I guarantee the young hockey fan on your Christmas list will enjoy. What do all kids love? Dinosaurs! So what will your little puckster enjoy reading? Dino-Hockey ! Buy the book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Written by veteran children's book author Lisa Wheeler and beautifully illustrated by Barry Gott, this book, aimed at ages 4 to 9, is a fun read that can be enjoyed by both kids and parents. The rhyming text had me chuckling, aided nicely colorful paintings of exaggerated expressions of dinosaurs trying to play hockey. The premise of the book is of a a hockey game played between opposing dinosaur teams: the Meat-Eaters and the Veggiesaurs. The scowling T. Rex redefines intimidation on ice, while the slap stick humor of the pterodactyl twins keep things light. My favorite characters are the overlooked Dodo bird referee, and the concession stand operator sellin