Hockey History Books

[seventieslord]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this but does anyone know where to get a copy of the book that came out in 2009
Goaltenders: The Expansion Years (1967-1979) by Sebastien Tremblay

I know of two copies that exist... I have one, and Joe Pelletier @Habsfan18 has the other. No trace of the author's sites online. Although I do believe I found him before on Facebook. No idea if it was the right guy, but hockey was listed as a hobby.

I'm sure glad I bought this in 2009 when it came out because I'd be driving myself crazy right now trying to find a copy, too.

 

[Habsfan18]

Yeah, I was lucky enough to have Joe Pelletier sell me his personal copy. I only became aware of its existence a few months ago (thanks to @seventieslord) and knew I had to have it.

Surely there has to be other copies out there somewhere, but my guess is that is was a very limited release. If we could somehow get ahold of the author, perhaps there’s a chance he still has a few unsold copies lying around.

 

[Habsfan18]

https://www.amazon.ca/Bernie-Nichol...16&sprefix=bernie+nocholls+book,aps,70&sr=8-1

Bernie Nicholls will be releasing an autobiography, written with Kevin Allen. It’s slated for a November release.

 

[Habsfan18]

Bryan Trottier is working with Stephen Brunt on his memoir, set to be published in October.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Just finishing "Puck Struck" by Stephen Smith. (2014)

Wondering how others (especially Canadians) viewed it.

I've been enjoying it immensely.

 

[Habsfan18]

Behind the Lens: The World Hockey Association 50 Years Later: Babineau, Steve, Codagnone, Brian: 9781770417007: Books - Amazon.ca

Behind the Lens: The World Hockey Association 50 Years Later: Babineau, Steve, Codagnone, Brian: 9781770417007: Books - Amazon.ca

www.amazon.ca

 

[Habsfan18]

Just finishing "Puck Struck" by Stephen Smith. (2014)

Wondering how others (especially Canadians) viewed it.

I've been enjoying it immensely.

It’s one of my favorites. I included it as one of my top 10 “unappreciated” hockey books for a piece I wrote for Stan Fischler last year.

I’ll add the post here:

My “top 10 unappreciated and overlooked” hockey books - written a little while back for The Fischler Report. I’d love to hear your thoughts!

1. Win, Tie, or Wrangle: The Inside Story of the Old Ottawa Senators - by Paul Kitchen

A lesser known book released to hardly any fanfare back in 2008, this features a treasure trove of historical details for those seeking an in-depth story on the formation and overall history of the original Ottawa Senators. Written by a former president of the Society for International Hockey Research (SIHR), Paul Kitchen scoured through as much material as the city of Ottawa could provide, spending a number of years combing through the city's archives. The end result is a thoroughly researched historical account of an era and team that has been somewhat lost to time.

2. Empire of Ice: The Rise and Fall of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, 1911-1926 - by Craig Bowlsby

This brilliant, self-published work details the incredible legacy of Lester & Frank Patrick's brainchild: the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. A league which many modern fans have never heard of, it undoubtedly left its mark on the game of hockey. The Patricks' PCHA innovations to the game of hockey included introducing the forward pass, penalty shots, the goal crease, blue line, goalies being allowed to drop to the ice to make a save, and the concept of playoffs & farm system. They even introduced the concept of their players wearing numbers on the back of the sweaters in hopes of selling programs which listed each name and number - another first in hockey. The Patrick brothers, Cyclone Taylor, Frank Foyston, Smokey Harris, Eddie Oatman, Frank Fredrickson, Hugh Lehman, Ernie "Moose" Johnson and Mickey MacKay are just some of the names you'll read about. Highly recommended.

3. Sawchuk: The Trouble and Triumphs of the World’s Greatest Goalie - by David Dupuis

Brutally honest and informative, this heartbreaking account of a troubled man and an incredible goaltender is required reading for anyone wishing to learn more about the Hall of Fame goaltender. Terry Sawchuk had a difficult life filled with personal tragedy, but in it, he still managed to become a hockey hero and champion. This is a definitive account of his life on and off the ice.

4. Cowboy on Ice: The Howie Young Story - by Phil Loranger

More than a hockey book, Cowboy on Ice details Howie Young's struggle with alcoholism and his attempts to overcome the disease. Tough, charismatic, wild, and troubled, Howie Young came into the league in the early 1960's as a promising and punishing young defender for the Detroit Red Wings before his drinking and lack of discipline - both on and especially off the ice - got the better of him, and ultimately derailed his career. Fairly hard to find, and probably why it has been so overlooked, it is certainly worth hunting down a copy.

5. Golden Ice: The Greatest Teams in Hockey History, A Personal Ranking - by Stan Fischler

What do the Habs of the late 50's & late 70's, the Islanders of the early 80's, the Leafs of the late 40's to '50-'51, and the Oilers of the mid to late 80's all have in common? They comprise 5 of the top spots on the Maven's top 20 list of hockey's all-time greatest teams. Published in 1990, Golden Ice features informative chapters on each of the selected clubs (along with a few honorable mentions) - showcasing the legendary players and the moments that made them shine.

6. Before The Echoes Fade: The Story of Charlie Gardiner -by Antonia Chambers

Charlie Gardiner's biography chronicles the life and career of a goaltender who tragically passed away at 29 years of age, just two months after leading the Chicago Blackhawks to a Stanley Cup victory during declining health. Many believe he sacrificed his life to win a Stanley Cup.

7. We Did Everything But Win: Former New York Rangers Remember the Emile Francis Era - by George Grimm

Recognized as a great book by reviewers, but one I believe still doesn't receive the full credit it deserves, this oral history of an unforgettable era in Rangers history is sure to bring back fond memories for those who experienced it as a fan. The most entertaining parts of the book are the recollections from Emile Francis himself, offering great insight into many important moments throughout his career. An impressive debut effort by George Grimm, all hockey historians and Ranger fans should add it to their library.

8. Puckstruck: Distracted, Delighted and Distressed by Canada's Hockey Obsession - by Stephen Smith

The best way I can describe Puckstruck to someone is as follows..It's a hockey book, written about hockey books. Confusing? It's actually a wonderful read. Hockey fan and writer Stephen Smith took it upon himself to read every hockey book he could get his hands on. The result is a unique and fascinating look into hockey literature and culture which helps give us an understanding as to why hockey is so ingrained in Canada's identity. For those looking for an outside the box hockey read, look no further.

9. From Behind The Red Line: A North American Hockey Player In Russia - by Tod Hartje

The story of the very first North American-trained player to play in the Soviet league. There had been stories and accounts of Soviet players coming over to play in North America and the NHL, but never before had there been a story written on a North American's experience of playing in the Soviet league. In 1990, Winnipeg Jets general manager Mike Smith decided to send prospect Tod Hartje, coming off four seasons playing at Harvard, to the Soviet Union to help hone his game. The book offers interesting insights into the lifestyle of the hockey players, how the Soviet hockey system functioned at the time, and of the day to day life and challenges of a young hockey player playing the game he loved in an unfamiliar land.

10. Puck is a Four Letter Word - by Frank Orr

A work of hockey fiction, this novel is my personal all-time favorite in that category. Published in 1982, it tells the story of NHL stars Willie Mulligan and Hartley Laidlaw, then of the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs respectively, ending up on the roster of the expansion Cleveland Big Green, much to their dismay. The reason? The pair - best friends - had recently led the NHL players into a strike and as punishment from the owners and general managers, were "banished" to Cleveland. This has an obvious 70's feel to it, and I've described it as a bit of a novel version of Slap Shot. Oftentimes hilarious, the legendary Frank Orr paints a picture of this wild and crazy era in hockey history. It's a real shame we never re-visited this entertaining fictitious hockey timeline Orr created.

 

[stephenlaroche]

Just finishing "Puck Struck" by Stephen Smith. (2014)

Wondering how others (especially Canadians) viewed it.

I've been enjoying it immensely.

It's excellent. I would consider it one of the best hockey books in recent years.

There really needs to be a sequel. I'd be all over that!

 

[Habsfan18]

Here’s a list I’ve put together of upcoming and recently released hockey books for 2022:

I figured it was that time again to send out a list of upcoming hockey books set to be published during 2022. I sent out a similar list a year ago for 2021, and hopefully at least one member found it to be useful.

I’ve tried to track down all of the announced titles, but of course it’s likely I’ve missed a few. For those I did miss, please let us know.

Dates are, as always, subject to change.

- Vlad The Impaler: More Epic Tales From Detroit’s ‘97 Stanley Cup Conquest (Keith Gave) .. April 5th

- Ice War Diplomat: Hockey Meets Cold War Politics at the 1972 Summit Series (Gary J. Smith) .. April 16th

- A Storm in Carolina: The Sometimes Odd, Always Entertaining History of Pro Hockey in the Old North State (Jeb Bohn) .. April 23rd

- It Was All About Winning: Paul Fendley’s Story (Thomas Fendley) .. May 2nd

- 1972: The Series That Changed Hockey Forever (Scott Morrison) .. May 3rd

- Engraved in History: The Story of the Stanley Cup Champion Kenora Thistles (Eric Zweig) .. copies available now but it’s not seeing a full release until later in the Fall.

- A Slap Shot in Time: The Wild but True History of the Minnesota Fighting Saints (Dan Whenesota) .. July 17th

- When The NHL Invaded Japan: The Washington Capitals, The Kansas City Scouts and the Coco-Cola Bottlers’ Cup, 1975-1976 (Steve Currier) .. July 18th

- The Original: Living Life Through Hockey (Norm Beaudin with Kim Passante) .. July 19th

- The Series: What I Remember, What It Felt Like, What It Feels Like Now (Ken Dryden) .. August 23rd

- Montreal to Moscow: 1972 Summit Series - Cartoons & Anecdotes (Terry Mosher aka Aislin) .. late August

- Untitled Russian-POV Summit Series book *I believe it to be in the same format as the Canadian-POV “The Goal that United Canada Book” published in 2012, but with more of a focus on the Soviet side as well* (Alex Braverman, Paul Patskou & Sean Mitton)

- Business The NHL Way: Lessons From the Fastest Game on Ice (Norm O’Reilly & Rick Burton) .. September 25th

- Leading the Pack: 50 Years of Sudbury Wolves History (Scott Miller) .. September 25th

- The Greatest Comeback: How Team Canada Fought Back, Took the Summit Series, and Reinvented Hockey (John U. Bacon) .. September 27th

- Ed Snider: The Last Sports Mogul (Alan Bass) .. September 27th

- The Heaven & Hell of Playing in the NHL (Morris Lukowich with Geoff Kirbyson) .. October 10th

- The Save of My Life (Corey Hirsch with Sean Conboy) .. October 11th

- Conflicted Scars: An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL (Justin Davis) .. October 18th

- All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice (Bryan Trottier with Stephen Brunt) .. October 25th

- Road To Redemption (Chris Therien with Wayne Fish) .. October 25th

- Evolve or Die: Hard-Won Lessons from a Hockey Storyteller (John Shannon) .. October 25th

- Behind The Lens: The World Hockey Association 50 Years Later (Steve Babineau & Brian Codagnone) .. October 25th

- Odd Man In: Hockey’s Emergency Goalies and the Wildest One-Day Job in Sports (Stephen Whyno) .. October 25th

- Hockey Hall of Fame True Stories (Eric Zweig) .. November 1st

- From Flood Lights to Bright Lights (Bernie Nicholls with Kevin Allen & Ross McKeon) .. November 1st

- Marian Hossa autobiography (with Scott Powers) .. November 1st

- Rising from the Deep: The Seattle Kraken, a Tenacious Push for Expansion, and the Emerald City’s Sports Revival (Geoff Baker) .. November 1st

- Bleeding Green: A History of the Hartford Whalers (Christopher Price) .. November 1st

- Unfiltered (Matthew Barnaby with Kevin Shea) .. November 8th

Also:

- Triumph Books will be introducing a new series of books titled “On The Clock: Behind the Scenes at the NHL Draft” which will be team-specific. Announced so far are editions featuring the Leafs, Oilers, and Red Wings.

- Jeff Miclash is working on “Total Bruins” which may be published in 2022. Not sure if that’s set in stone yet.

- Paul Greenland is writing a book on the Chicago Blackhawks 1934 & 1938 Cup winning seasons. It’s slated for a possible fall release.

- Don Pillar is working on a Quaker Oats hockey promotions book, set for release later this year. It’ll make a nice companion to the previously released Bee Hive book.

- Sean Mitton will be publishing an updated version of 2012’s “The Goal That United Canada”.

- Roy MacSkimming will be publishing an updated and revised edition of his book “Cold War: The Amazing Canada-Soviet Series of 1972”.

- David Dupuis is publishing a 25th anniversary update of his book “Sawchuk: The Troubles and Triumphs of the World’s Greatest Goalie”. It’s tentatively set for a November release.

Support the authors and buy any books that interest you!

 

[kaiser matias]

Clipped

Definitely appreciate your updates like this. A few here I wasn't aware of (including a second Whalers book; interesting), and some that really caught my eye.

 

[SealsFan]

Not sure if this is the best place to post this but does anyone know where to get a copy of the book that came out in 2009
Goaltenders: The Expansion Years (1967-1979) by Sebastien Tremblay

Whoa, didn't know about this one, definitely interested

 

[Habsfan18]

And another:

From the Publisher:

The series you thought you knew: the first book written with the complete co-operation of the whole team

“They’ve stolen our beer and our steaks, and then to make it worse when we go back to the hotel after the game, they give us warm, skunky Russian beer and not the good, cold Labatt’s our sponsor sent. I remember thinking, ‘These pricks will never beat us again! They are not going to win another game.’”

—Rod Gilbert

The Summit Series took place in September 1972, when Cold War tensions could not have been higher. But that was the whole point of setting up this unprecedented hockey series. Team Canada, featuring the country’s best players—all NHL stars, half of them future Hall of Famers—would play an eight-game series, with four games played across Canada followed by four in Moscow. Team Canada was expected to crush their untried opponents eight games to zero, with backups playing the last four games.

But five games into the series, they had mustered only one win against a tie and three stunning losses. With just three games left, Team Canada had to win all three in Moscow—all while overcoming the years of animosity and mistrust for one another fostered during the Original Six era. They would also have to overcome the ridiculous Russian refereeing that resulted in stick-swinging fights involving the players, a Canadian agent and Soviet soldiers; surmount every obstacle the Soviets and even the KGB could throw at the players and their wives; invent a hybrid style of play combining the best of East and West, one that would change the sport more than any other factor before or since; and win all three games in the last minute.

And they did it all.

The Summit players asked Bacon to tell their story and provided unparalleled access and candour in dozens of interviews with almost every living player. The Greatest Comeback is a universal story about overcoming bitter feuds to forge a hard-earned team spirit and inspire heroics against long odds and almost inhuman pressure—an experience so unforgettable that every member of Team Canada considers those eight games to be the highlight of their storied careers.

 

[Davenport]

Has anyone mentioned the book Frank Boucher wrote with Trent Frayne, "When The Rangers Were Young"? Doing some research on Boucher, I just found out about this book. It was published in 1973.

 

[Habsfan18]

Has anyone mentioned the book Frank Boucher wrote with Trent Frayne, "When The Rangers Were Young"? Doing some research on Boucher, I just found out about this book. It was published in 1973.

It’s an all-time favorite of mine (behind only Ken Dryden’s “The Game”) and one that I think anyone with an interest in hockey’s history owes it to themselves to read. My copy is signed by Frank Boucher, so it holds a special place in my library.

 

[reckoning]

Finally got around to getting Puckstruck based on all the positive reviews on here, and because it made SIHRs top 30 list. I was skeptical, but really enjoyed it. With all the hockey books that have been written over the years, you'd think it had been covered by every angle, but Smith managed to find a new way to talk about the games history.

But the other book I bought from the list was even better: Deceptions and DoubleCross. A book about the business side of the NHL in the 1910s is probably not the flashiest topic, but I found it absolutely fascinating. And it's a lot more sympathetic towards Eddie Livingstone than most hockey history references about him.

Haven't received it yet, but I also ordered a used copy of Harry Sinden's Showdown diary about the Summit Series. I remember checking it out of the school library when I was about 9 or 10, knowing nothing the series before that since I was too young to remember it when it happened; so to me reading that book was learning about all the twists and drama of the series for the first time. But it was over 40 years ago and I've forgotten most of the details, so I'm looking forward to checking it out again. With the anniversary coming up, I'm surprised they didn't release a reissue of it.

 

[Bondurant]

Currently read Vlad the Impaler by Keith Gave. Not a deep read but I am enjoying it. Stories about the Wings directly from those that lived the history and Konstantinov is connecting theme.

 

[jam1jarv1]

This Hockey Book is about Finnish Hockey History from 1908 to 1933. 326 pages of texts, pictures and stats.
Jorma
Tampere, Finland.

 

[reckoning]

So I've been reading the old book I mentioned a few posts ago: Hockey Showdown, Harry Sinden's diary about the Summit Series. Oh my goodness, does he ever rip into the four players who left!

He calls them rats fleeing a sinking ship who left because it looked like Canada would lose, so they thought getting out early would save them from inevitable criticism that would fall on the whole team if they lost the series. Perreault was immature and always sulked, Hadfield did nothing but complain all the time, etc.

But the worst was when he said that poor Alan Eagleson might have to pay money out of his own pocket to get them on a flight back to North America. At this point I had to stop reading so I could grab a tissue to wipe away the tears.

 

[Sanf]

This Hockey Book is about Finnish Hockey History from 1908 to 1933. 326 pages of texts, pictures and stats.
Jorma
Tampere, Finland.

This is Great!

I have been doing something similar few years.

The question i'm most interested is does it cover The first ever game player in Finland. Did TaPa actually play against Pyrintö? What is the source of TaPa playing in it?

Also does it cover maakuntasarja? I'm curious because i have discovered that the commander of Finnish volunteers in SS troops Karl-Erik Ladau played on Ilves 2. His is linked to war crime made by the troops.

 

[member 83027]

Yeah, I was lucky enough to have Joe Pelletier sell me his personal copy. I only became aware of its existence a few months ago (thanks to @seventieslord) and knew I had to have it.

Surely there has to be other copies out there somewhere, but my guess is that is was a very limited release. If we could somehow get ahold of the author, perhaps there’s a chance he still has a few unsold copies lying around.

The book is available in PDF. Here is the Table of Contents.

 

[reckoning]

I just wanted to mention two other books I recently read: Too Many Men On The Ice by John G. Robertson, and The End Of The Montreal Jinx by K.P. Wee.

Both books are about the Boston-Montreal rivalry. The first one, as you can probably guess from the title, is about the classic 1979 series between the two clubs, and the second one covers the six series the Bruins and Habs played against each other between 1988 and 1994. Both books appeared to be very well-researched. You would think that the '79 series has been covered to death already, but there was a lot of stuff there that I didn't know about, or had only heard briefly mentioned before. Both books are aimed at Bruin fans, and come from a Boston point of view. But anybody who, like myself, was a hockey fan from the 70s to the mid-90s would enjoy them.

And finally, I should be receiving a copy of Behind The Moves by Jason Farris shortly. There was a lot of talk about this book when it was released, but the price tag scared me off so I put it out of my mind. Last week I saw a used copy available online for a reasonable price, so I ordered it. It should be arriving this week, so hopefully I can spend part of the long weekend seeing if it lives up to the hype.

 

[jam1jarv1]

This is Great!

I have been doing something similar few years.

The question i'm most interested is does it cover The first ever game player in Finland. Did TaPa actually play against Pyrintö? What is the source of TaPa playing in it?

Also does it cover maakuntasarja? I'm curious because i have discovered that the commander of Finnish volunteers in SS troops Karl-Erik Ladau played on Ilves 2. His is linked to war crime made by the troops.

Hi,
The first hockey game between two clubs was played Feb 5th, 1928 in Tampere. HPS Helsinki beat TaPa Tampere 3 goals to 1. The first game ever in Finland was played Jan. 29th, 1928. Sweden beat Finland 8 to 1 in Helsinki. Source: The Book.

 

[Sanf]

Hi,
The first hockey game between two clubs was played Feb 5th, 1928 in Tampere. HPS Helsinki beat TaPa Tampere 3 goals to 1. The first game ever in Finland was played Jan. 29th, 1928. Sweden beat Finland 8 to 1 in Helsinki. Source: The Book.

Thanks for that. I was pretty certain that this was the case. Nice to find someone who agrees. There was hockey exhibitoins in Tampere earlier, but it can´t be counted as actual hockey game between two different clubs. Decathlete Akilles Järvinen is only one I have been able to found out taking part of those exhibitions.

Thanks for correcting pretty glaring error in Finnish hockey history! I don´t have that much hockey books actually, but this is one I will get for certain.

 

[jam1jarv1]

I am selling this book.
Jorma Saukkokoski
Tampere email [email protected]

 

[jam1jarv1]

Thanks for that. I was pretty certain that this was the case. Nice to find someone who agrees. There was hockey exhibitoins in Tampere earlier, but it can´t be counted as actual hockey game between two different clubs. Decathlete Akilles Järvinen is only one I have been able to found out taking part of those exhibitions.

Thanks for correcting pretty glaring error in Finnish hockey history! I don´t have that much hockey books actually, but this is one I will get for certain.

Aki Järvinen played also in Pyrintö-team´s Finnish Championship games in 1929 and 1931. Source: The book (player register).
Jorma