TBH, I wasn't the biggest fan of "The Game". Heard a lot of hype for it on here, so I guess I built it up too much. Good book for sure, but not my favourite hockey book. I've read Playing with Fire, which was almost terrifyingly honest, Bob McKenzie's book is funny and a pretty light read. My all time favourite though, which I'm re-reading right now, is Future Greats and Heartbreaks, by Gare Joyce. He spends a year as a scout for the Blue Jackets in 2006-7, and documents EVERYTHING. its excellent, and very well written.
As for fiction, since I was a kid I've loved Scott Young's books: Scrubs on Skates, Boy on Defense, and Boy at the Leafs Camp. Trilogy about a high school team in Winnipeg in the 50's I think, with a focus on a few particular players. Excellent books. I haven't read them in years, but I'm sure I'd still enjoy them
Net Worth
The Power of Two (Carl Brewer)
Game Misconduct; Alan Eagleson & the Corruption of Hockey
Offside; The Battle for Control of Maple Leaf Gardens
Gross Misconduct; The Spinner Spencer Story
Remembering Tim Horton; A Celebration
Heaven & Hell in the NHL (Imlach)
If You Cant Beat em' in the Alley (Conn Smythe)
Eddie Shore & that Old Time Hockey
The Doug Harvey Story
and for a brilliant bit of fiction using real names & players; Salvage King, Ya
I found some info on a book on this site that some people might find interesting. It's called Accessed Denied: Forgotten and Future Heroes Of Hockey's Hall of Fame. Doesn't seem like a deep read and not sold in-stores yet so I might pick it up at the library or browse in a bookstore if it's worth being a keeper. This post has some info on it:
I bought a book called Stanley Cup Fever by McFarlane which I'm enjoying, kinda general though. Atm looking online to find his 50 yrs of hockey book to see what that one's like.
Read "The Game" by Dryden on my honeymoon. It was just awesome
I'd go so far as to say it's one of the two best sports books I've ever read, along with Vince Lombardi's "Run To Daylight". I can't recommend "The Game" enough.
mY favorite is The Game of OUr Lives by Peter Gzowski.
For fun, fast reads, the Esposito Book, the Tiger Williams one, etc are a good time. Some of the Gretzky books are okay, the Tim Horton one was pretty good. Cracked Ice was pretty good and I can't normally stomach Fishcler. I read one on Brian Spencer that was pretty good. Roy MacGregor wrote one about fathers and sons in hockey, that was engaging.
I will go off the mainline view on Dryden's The Game. I have said this before, but will say it again. It is the most self-absorbed piece of melancholia I have ever read. It tries so hard to be cereberal and poignant that it misses the story of one of hockey's great clubs that its bright goaltender could have spun..
I think (and I'm not trying to be obnoxious) that readers have heard for so long what a great book it is and what a smart guy Kend Dryden is, that they convince themselves it was some sort of revelation, when really it's just a bunch of hockey stuff turned into marshmallow when he tried to make it so damned smart. Just tell the story, folks. It's hockey.
Found an ebook online called a "The Official Illustrated NHL History" by Pincus from 2010. If anyone wants it then PM me, I'd put the link up but not sure if it's allowed. Nice general hockey history, just what I was looking for.
I must say I was impressed with Dave King's book : King of Russia ! Great recap of his one and half year in Russia with Russian powerhouse Magnitogorsk, diffirences in hockey and culture between NA and post-communist Russia. Great read !
Haven't read a ton of hockey books but these are the ones I've enjoyed:
1. The Game by ken Dryden The best of the lot.
2. Open Net: A Professional Amateur in the World of Big-Time Hockey by George Plimpton Written back during his participatory journalism days; it's freaking hilarious. Those who have been to a game with me understand why I'm always yelling "STAND UP!" to the goalies after reading this. One of the most informative and funniest books I've ever read.
3.Cold War : The Amazing Canada-Soviet Hockey Series of 1972 by Roy MacSkimming. Great insight into the game and the politics of the era.
mY favorite is The Game of OUr Lives by Peter Gzowski.
For fun, fast reads, the Esposito Book, the Tiger Williams one, etc are a good time. Some of the Gretzky books are okay, the Tim Horton one was pretty good. Cracked Ice was pretty good and I can't normally stomach Fishcler. I read one on Brian Spencer that was pretty good. Roy MacGregor wrote one about fathers and sons in hockey, that was engaging.
I will go off the mainline view on Dryden's The Game. I have said this before, but will say it again. It is the most self-absorbed piece of melancholia I have ever read. It tries so hard to be cereberal and poignant that it misses the story of one of hockey's great clubs that its bright goaltender could have spun..
I think (and I'm not trying to be obnoxious) that readers have heard for so long what a great book it is and what a smart guy Kend Dryden is, that they convince themselves it was some sort of revelation, when really it's just a bunch of hockey stuff turned into marshmallow when he tried to make it so damned smart. Just tell the story, folks. It's hockey.
The bolded is awesome. Definitely worth reading.
The Game by Dryden is good but I agree that it is overrated.
Not a book, a movie. The Gordie Howe Story airing on Hallmark Channel May 4th. Appears to be a dramatisation focusing in on his return to hockey at 45 in order to play with his sons in Houston.
Haven't read a ton of hockey books but these are the ones I've enjoyed:
1. The Game by ken Dryden The best of the lot.
2. Open Net: A Professional Amateur in the World of Big-Time Hockey by George Plimpton Written back during his participatory journalism days; it's freaking hilarious. Those who have been to a game with me understand why I'm always yelling "STAND UP!" to the goalies after reading this. One of the most informative and funniest books I've ever read.
3.Cold War : The Amazing Canada-Soviet Hockey Series of 1972 by Roy MacSkimming. Great insight into the game and the politics of the era.
I have "The Game" book stored out in my barn somewhere, may dig it up and re-read it. Got it for xmas about 1980
Not a book, a movie. The Gordie Howe Story airing on Hallmark Channel May 4th. Appears to be a dramatisation focusing in on his return to hockey at 45 in order to play with his sons in Houston.
Speaking of movies like this: anyone see that movie put out years ago about the NHPLA and Ted Linsey? How Ted was punished and what they did to him while trying to form the NHLPA?
Speaking of movies like this: anyone see that movie put out years ago about the NHPLA...Anyone remember the name?
Sounds like your talking about the CBC movie Net WorthBamBam. Stars Aidan Devine as Ted Lindsay. Actually very well done. I love watching stuff like that. The old gear. No helmets. Tube skates. Wooden sticks. No rink board or on-ice ads. Made about 1995 and based on the book of the same name by Cruise & Griffiths and an excellent one btw. Must read. Traces the history of the NHL, players association etc. You can find clips of it on youtube, possibly the entire full length version. The Rocket another. The Don Cherry Story. The Summit Series.
Sounds like your talking about the CBC movie Net WorthBamBam. Stars Aidan Devine as Ted Lindsay. Actually very well done. I love watching stuff like that. The old gear. No helmets. Tube skates. Wooden sticks. No rink board or on-ice ads. Made about 1995 and based on the book of the same name by Cruise & Griffiths and an excellent one btw. Must read. Traces the history of the NHL, players association etc. You can find clips of it on youtube, possibly the entire full length version. The Rocket another. The Don Cherry Story. The Summit Series.
That was it, they put it on US tv very late night one night. And ye, it was very well done. Thanks for the name!
That was it, they put it on US tv very late night one night. And ye, it was very well done. Thanks for the name!
Welcome. A lot of movies available on youtube, though I couldnt seem to find this one when I went looking for it awhile back. Clips only. I know you can buy the dvd on-line but I dont generally "collect" movies... like, what for? Seen it, move on. But ya, would be nice to see it again.
"Battle on the Hudson" by Tim Sullivan, which provides an in-depth look at the classic 1994 Eastern Conference Finals series between the Rangers and Devils, is a very good read IMO.
True fact - I still have a copy of the famous 5/25/94 edition of the New York Post with Mark Messier's "We'll Win Tonight" guarantee. I grew up about 80 miles from NYC in eastern Pennsylvania, so the Post was (and is) readily available in the stores where I lived.
Messier's guarantee was THE sports guarantee for fans of my generation (people roughly 30-50 years old currently) IMO.
Went to a couple used book stores (aka Value Village and Goodwill) to find some Hardy Boys books, picked up:
The Best of Original Six (Brian McFarlane book)
Don Cherry Hockey Stories and Stuff
Gretzky's Tears: Hockey, Canada, and the Day Everything Changed
(Stephen Brunt)
I think the Best of Original Six book is gonna be the one I go through first though I have a back log of hockey ebooks and another McFarlane book but I like those type because they're general hockey history books without focusing on a single player or team.
