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Showing posts from September, 2012

The Goal That United Canada: 72 Amazing Stories

A moment in time. It's rare for a person to remember exactly where he or she was at a single moment in time, some four decades later. It's rarer still for an entire nation to hold a collective memory of such a moment. This kind of hardwired retention usually results from group trauma -- the shock of assassination, large scale tragedy, or natural disaster. Occasionally, the event that galvanizes a population is a happy one. Such was the case when Paul Henderson scored the memorable goal in '72, that won the game and united Canada. The Goal that United Canada contains 72 stories that revolve around the '72 Summit Series between Canada and the Soviet Union. Viewed separately, they are very personal, even intimate in nature. When they are strung together they begin to tell a larger story, a uniquely Canadian story of love for our country and its game. Buy The Book: Amazon.com Hockey is often the focal point of the Canadian narrative. Author Sean Mitton foun

Jaw Dropping Hockey Trivia by Don Weekes

Hockey trivia king Don Weekes is back with another action packed trivia book.  Jaw Dropping Hockey Trivia  the latest title from Weekes, who has released more than twenty books on hockey now. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Here's more from the publisher: Hockey drama ripped from the latest headlines. Awesome achievements immortalized in the record books. The exploits of superstar greats from Alex Ovechkin to Gordie Howe. This explosive trivia collection will test the knowledge and stoke the passion of hockey fans everywhere. Hockey trivia maverick Don Weekes takes the reader on a colourful journey through hockey lore and legend. Eight must-read chapters of multiple-choice Q and ;A and seven thrilling games and quizzes cover every angle of the sport, including the wild 2011 Boston-Vancouver Stanley Cup final and the on-ice thrills at the 2010 Olympic Games. From great victories to notorious hits to uproarious interview quotes, the world's most exci

Hockey's Home by Martin Jones

Originally published in 2002, author Martin Jones and Nimbus Publishing are re-releasing their text that claims hockey's birth place is Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  Hockey's Home  includes a wealth of information about the origins of the great game of hockey in Nova Scotia with particular emphasis on the role that the community of Dartmouth has played in forming the game. The book includes a foreword by Paul Henderson. Buy The Book: Chapters

Titans of '72: Team Canada's Summit Series Heroes

Mike Leonetti combines his love for hockey history with the Harold Barkley photo archives to bring us Titans of '72: Team Canada's Summit Series Heroes Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Here's more from the publisher: 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 Sum

The World Hockey Association Hall of Fame: A Photographic History of the Rebel League, 1972-1979

Attention all you WHA fans. Timothy Gassen, the league's leading historian, is back with a new book. The World Hockey Association Hall of Fame: A Photographic History of the Rebel League, 1972-1979 is available now. The large-format 128-page hardcover book features scores of newly discovered and unpublished color photos, rare league promotional materials and official vintage WHA team portraits. The book hit book store shelves in October 2012, in time for the WHA Hall of Fame's 40th anniversary celebrations.  The book is authored by longtime hockey journalist and filmmaker Timothy Gassen, also president of the WHA Hall of Fame. It follows Gassen's 2007 book on Wayne Gretzky's start in the WHA, and his recent 6-DVD, 12-hour video documentary series on the WHA. A revised edition of his Gassen's first WHA book and a new WHA HOF DVD set is also slated for release soon.  "The WHA Hall of Fame has discovered and acquired so many exciting images during its year

100 Ways To Become Your Personal Best by former NHLer Mike Hartman

Former National Hockey League grinder Mike Hartman has released his own book. And it's not exactly the type of book you might expect from him.  100 Ways to Become Your Personal Best: A Motivational Life Coaching Blueprint is Hartman's list of 100 guiding principles that helped him attain my dream. And he wants you to help develop your own 100 Ways and achieve your dreams, too. Here's more from Mike Hartman himself: Throughout my career as a professional hockey player, I benefited from having great coaches and mentors. Combined with my strong drive to improve my game no matter what it took, these coaches and mentors were able to make me a better hockey player and a better man. In my book, I tell my story and how I distilled those years of coaching and mentoring down to an essential list I call my  100 Ways to Become Your Personal Best . Combining lessons learned from mentors, coaches and players, along with observations and insight gained through just talking wi

Gold Mine To Gold Medal by Ivan McLelland

I got this message from hockey historian Ernie Bies via the Society For International Hockey Research discussion forum: Ivan McLelland, who back stopped the Penticton Vs by beating Russia 5-0 in the 1955 World Championship, has just published a book. Don't have a lot of details but I think it is his life story and done as a fundraiser for Dementia Patients out in Penticton where Ivan is still going strong. Sells for $30. I think they only printed about 500 limited edition copies which are almost sold out and he plans to put it out in ebook later. Update: The ebook is now available for $9.99 at Smashwords.com   For those who do not know who Ivan McLelland is: He was the goaltender who backstopped the Penticton Vees to the 1955 World Ice Hockey Championships in Germany, blanking the Soviets 5-0 in the final game. He had four shutouts and gave up only five goals in the entire tournament as he and his teammates restored Canadian pride in international hockey.  The prev

The Hockey News Top Ten

The Hockey News is back with another paper back book release. This time it is Hockey News Top 10: Counting Down the Game's Wonderful, Wild, Weird and Wacky! Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com In the past I have found THN book releases to be a bit hit and miss. But they tend to be great stocking stuffers or gifts for the younger hockey fan on your shopping list. Here's more from the publisher, Transcontinental: By nature, sports fans must compare their favourite player or team against all others to see where they rank among the best. It''s in that spirit we present The Hockey News Top 10s, a compilation of countdowns stretching from the incredible (all-time by position, clutch player, playoff run) to the comical (hockey names, haircuts, quotes). The Top 10s are a mix of the present and past and the NHL and beyond, giving fans of all ages and from all corners a reason to join the debate. The Hockey News Top 10s is certain to stir the pot. W

NHL 13 Hits Stores On September 11th

Gamers need no reminder that Electronic Arts popular NHL 13 is coming out on September 11th, 2012. What's new in this game? All-New GM Connected - The franchise's most popular mode connects you and friends with the real world of hockey, allowing you to manage, play, or coach in a 30-team, human-controlled league. You can also take your GM Connected experience with you using the mobile companion app, ensuring that you'll never miss a single moment.  All-New True Performance Skating - Driven by real-world physics and more than 1,000 new gameplay animations, True Performance Skating authentically replicates the explosiveness, momentum, and top-end speed of today's NHL players. With a new layer of creativity added in-game, combined with control offered by the Skill Stick, you now have the entire toolset of an NHL player at your fingertips.  EA SPORTS Hockey I.Q. - With a completely overhauled A.I. system players are now fully aware of others on the ice, resultin

37 Stories About Karlis: Karlis Skrastins Book Available In Latvia

I came across this tweet from @GirtsMataleao  about a new hockey book in Latvia about the late Karlis Skrastins. The book is called 37 Stories About Karlis and appears to only be available in Latvian. I have no idea if an English release is in the works or if this book will ever make it's way to North America. Skrastins of course is a former NHL defenseman who lost his life along with the rest of his teammates and coaches when the plane carrying Russian hockey league team Lokomotiv Yaroslavl crashed a year ago. The book's website is also in Latvian. Using Google Translate here is what I've learned about the book. Journalist Guntis Keisels compiled by legendary hockey Charles Skrastiņa family and friends telling stories of the book "37 stories of Karl." Karlis Skrastins will remain eternally 37 years old, which he had filled with great events, emotions, loved ones and, of course, his great love - hockey. This book has many authors. Both the Charles f

1972 Summit Series on DVD

There are several great options for 1972 Summit Series fans when it comes to DVD shopping. The best all inclusive package is  '72 Complete   gift set is the second major dvd set about the 1972 Summit Series. The first,  Canada's Team of the Century: The Best of '72 , was a huge success.  '72 Complete  will cater more to the hard core fans, as the 8 games in the series have already been released and are already in many people's collection.  '72 Complete  does feature a bonus exhibition game against the Swedes, as well as many new features such as interviews, Hall of Fame coverage, an original documentary, reunion dinner coverage and a feature called Where Were You in '72?. Judging by early results,  '72 Complete is going to be another unqualified success. The 1972 Summit Series will never die. That being said, my favorite 1972 Summit Series DVD is a little known documentary entitled Summit on Ice . It expertly captures the thrill and emotions in a very