Hockey Book Reviews.com

The Great Defender: My Unexpected Hockey Odyssey by Kevin Shea. Fenn/MS. Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Joe's Note: Hockey fans are so lucky to have Kevin Shea as part of our literature world. He has a real gift for finding his subject's voice and then presenting it to the reader in such a welcoming way. From the moment I cracked the spine of Larry Robinson's autobiography I was eager to read more and more. The pages turn so fast when Shea is writing. It is a breezy, fun read about one of the greatest hockey players of all time.     From The Publisher:   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 t...

Changing the Game: A History of NHL Expansion  by Stephen Laroche Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com From The Publisher: The complete history of the growth of the National Hockey League.  Changing the Game: A History of NHL Expansion  by Stephen Laroche celebrates an often-overlooked aspect of hockey history. The book provides comprehensive coverage of the NHL’s spread across the North American market in the 1920s along with the memorable expansions that began in 1967. Relive some great and painful moments from the debut seasons of forgotten teams such as the Montreal Maroons and California Seals along with fan favorites like the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers. Every first-year NHL roster is covered and nearly 100 players share their memories of playing for hard-luck clubs. Joe's Note:  The book surprised me a bit in that it focuses more on the original expansion rosters rather than the process and story behind the establishing...

Greg Oliver has been emerging as a new and prolific hockey book writer in the last couple of winters. Now he's got his young son writing hockey books, too. Here's a quip from the About The Author section: The life of author Greg Oliver and his wife Meredith changed dramatically once their son, Quinn, came along in November 2006 to mess up their Toronto home. Ever since he learned to read by age three, Quinn has wanted to write a book like his Dad. Well, here is the result. Dad and son have combined to create Duck with the Puck . I have been reading A LOT of children's books lately - hockey related and otherwise. Having two year old twin nephews allows you to enjoy such treasures in life. Duck With A Puck will definitely be in my nephews over-grown library the next time I see them. It's about a duck named B.D. who is happiest when winter arrives. Then he becomes the greatest hockey star in his wild world. He outskates raccoons, dekes snowmen and scores on bears...

The Hockey Saint  by Howard Shapiro Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com From The Publisher: The Hockey Saint is a graphic novel about friendship, fame and what we sacrifice for ambition and success. Twenty one year old Jeremiah Jacobson is the world's best hockey player, but he wasn't prepared for the frenzy and scrutiny that came with that title. Tom Leonard is an average college sophomore - just a guy trying to find his place in the world as he sorts through issues that are both very real and seemingly insurmountable. Through a chance meeting, these two strike up an unlikely friendship. Their bond is tested when Tom discovers that his idol isn't as perfect up close as he seems from afar. With Jeremiah living a little too much in the moment and with his past catching up to him, will Tom be able to help him before it's too late? Joe's Take - This is a neat project in that I don't think I've ever seen a hockey book in the form of ...

It's taken far too long, but freelance illustrator Rob Ullman is back with another edition 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. this time around he looks at Rocket Richard vs. Killer Dill, Gilles Gratton, Bill Masterton, Gerry Cheevers, Frank "Uclers" McCool, Barry Beck, Alfie Moore and the Miracle on Manchester. He keeps his biographies short and to the point, but somehow captures the legacies and legends of the said players perfectly. He combines that with expert illustration, making for a most unique project. Think of it as GreatestHockeyLegends.com meets the comic book pages. I'm a huge fan of his work and I'm glad he's catching on in the hockey literature world. He was also hired by The Hockey News to do illustrations for their new book, The Big Book of Hockey Fun Old Timey Hockey Tales is only available through his website ....

It's Our Game: Celebrating 100 Years of Hockey in Canada Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com From The Publisher: If every hockey player’s dream begins on a frozen pond, it reaches its pinnacle in a packed arena facing off against a bitter international rival. Could be the mighty Soviets. Could be the vainglorious Americans. Doesn’t matter, as long as the guys, and more recently, the women, who come from the farming villages, logging towns, and bustling cities of Canada show up to play the game the way we invented it to be played. That’s the way it’s been for a hundred years. No game matters more than the one that pits our best against the world’s best. From the earliest days of the past century, when milkmen still did their rounds in horse-drawn carts each morning, to the Sochi Olympics, where both the men and women stood on their blue lines with gold medals around their necks as the Canadian flag was raised. This beautiful book, with rare archival im...

Facing Wayne Gretzky: Players Recall the Greatest Hockey Player Who Ever Lived Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Joe's Take - There are a zillion hockey books out there on Wayne Gretzky, but author Brian Kennedy finds a new angle with his book Facing Wayne Gretzky. The author interviews Gretzky's peers - players, some are superstars and some are role players, about what it was like to play against the greatest player of all time. It is fascinating to read the first hand stories and the various strategies and tactics attempted to stop Gretzky. The author essentially just transcribes all the various interviews, and does not attempt to present the book in any sort of organization of themes. The interviews, at times a bit raw, are just there for your consumption and it is up to the reader to search for conclusions as to why this unlikeliest of superstars went on to become the greatest player ever. Still, there is a lot to like about this book. The strat...

Save by Roy: Patrick Roy and the Return of the Colorado Avalanche Buy The Book - Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com From The Publisher: In 2013, the Colorado Avalanche announced that Joe Sakic, a franchise legend and Hall of Fame center, would be promoted to become the new executive VP of hockey operations. Soon, Sakic was instrumental in the hiring of Patrick Roy, the greatest goaltender in NHL history, a man crucial to the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victories in 1996 and 2001, as Colorado’s new coach. This book, a collaborative effort between seasoned sports writers and authors Terry Frei and Adrian Dater, is an opinionated, interpretive, and in-depth look at Patrick Roy’s first season as a National Hockey League coach, and the Avalanche’s surprising 2013–2014 season.

Boy On Ice: The Life And Death Of Derek Boogaard Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com Joe's Take - This is just a fantastic read. John Branch brilliantly tells the story of a shy, unsure prairie boy who doubles as the National Hockey League's scariest monster. While everyone loves "The Boogeyman" he struggles trying to balance everyone's expectations and his own simple wants in life. Boogaard desperately trying to salvage what he can from the great Canadian hockey dream, while fighting the many monsters he endures while he tries to be what everyone wants from him - the NHL's toughest fighter. Unfortunately the monsters he faces are not so much the puck punchers on other teams, but the disturbing physical and mental toll he pays for doing it. It leads to a painkiller addiction that claims his life way too soon. It's heartbreaking tale that really will make you think twice about those NHL tough guys we cheer as if they are just super...