Hockey History Books

Sanf

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Sep 8, 2012
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Aki Järvinen played also in Pyrintö-team´s Finnish Championship games in 1929 and 1931. Source: The book (player register).
Jorma
Yep I was aware of that. I have compiled somesort of personal database, but its quite a mess and not entirely complete.

But its nice to get those early years in book... I´m genuinely excited about this. There are lot of fascinating players that has been totally forgotten. I believe Frans Karjagin also played in Finnish Championhip.

And if you go deeper there was HPV which played in Helsinki "district league". Which could be called the first "leftist" Finnish hockey team. It was compiled by the expelled TUL players. But that is already possibly too trivial. :)

Again out of curiosity have you find anything about Rolf Laurén playing in Germany? I have talked with one really hardcore historian in here in he had in his information that Laurén would have learned the game in Germany. And I have seen the old document where Tiitola brothers mention that he had played in Germany. But did he actually play in any organized hockey.
 

jam1jarv1

Registered User
May 28, 2022
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Yep I was aware of that. I have compiled somesort of personal database, but its quite a mess and not entirely complete.

But its nice to get those early years in book... I´m genuinely excited about this. There are lot of fascinating players that has been totally forgotten. I believe Frans Karjagin also played in Finnish Championhip.

And if you go deeper there was HPV which played in Helsinki "district league". Which could be called the first "leftist" Finnish hockey team. It was compiled by the expelled TUL players. But that is already possibly too trivial. :)

Again out of curiosity have you find anything about Rolf Laurén playing in Germany? I have talked with one really hardcore historian in here in he had in his information that Laurén would have learned the game in Germany. And I have seen the old document where Tiitola brothers mention that he had played in Germany. But did he actually play in any organized hockey.
Rolf Lauren played in Charlottenburg - team. There is a picture of R. Lauren in the book, when he was in Germany. Frans Karjagin played in Finnish Championships

Jorma
 
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kaiser matias

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Mar 22, 2004
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Scheduled for release in March, 2023:


71nsJRwf2DL.jpg


A classic David & Goliath tale, complete with colorful heroes, cold-hearted villains, and nail-biting games—with the hockey rink serving as an arena for a nation’s resistance.

During the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town young men would lead their underdog hockey team from the little country of Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport. As they battled on the ice, the young players would keep their people’s quest for freedom alive, and forge a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces that sought to crush them.

From the sudden invasion of Czechslovakia by an armada of tanks and 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers, to a hockey victory over the Soviets that inspired half a million furious citizens to take to the streets in an attempt to destroy all representations that they could find of their occupiers, Freedom to Win ranges from iconic moments in history to courageous individual stories. We will witness the fearless escape by three brothers who made up the core of the national team, thrilling world championship games and gold medal matches. We will watch as a one brave player takes a stand and leads ten thousand people in a tear-filled rendition of the Czechoslovak national anthem amid chants of “freedom!” while a revolution raged in the streets of Prague.

At the heart of Freedom to Win is the story of the Holíks, a Czechoslovak family whose resistance to the Communists embodied the deepest desires of the people of their country. Faced with life under the cruel and arbitrary regime that had stolen their family butcher shop, the Holík boys became national hockey icons and inspirations to their people. Filled with heart-pounding moments on the ice and unforgettable slices of history, Freedom to Win is the ultimate tale of why sports truly matter.
 

Sanf

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Sep 8, 2012
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Rolf Lauren played in Charlottenburg - team. There is a picture of R. Lauren in the book, when he was in Germany. Frans Karjagin played in Finnish Championships

Jorma
Also the book seem to cover the TYK "national team"which I did not know about. Really really fascinating. I did not know that hockey was in their program.

edit. Also did send you mail
 
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Davenport

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Dec 4, 2020
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Toronto
Speaking of hockey history or the history of hockey, has anyone ever actually seen and read the article Andy Bathgate contributed to entitled "Atrocities on Ice," in True Magazine?
 

Habsfan18

The Hockey Library
May 13, 2003
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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.

Not a deep read is an understatement. The entire book is complete filler material that didn’t make the cut on the Russian 5 book. I had high hopes for it, but that’s probably my own fault for having heightened expectations after reading the first book.

I’m glad I bought it though, as it’s supporting a great cause.
 

Sanf

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Sep 8, 2012
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I haven´t yet read the whole book, but even at this point I need to say if you are Finnish and want to know about the early years of Finnish hockey this is the book you need to get. It is really well written and researched.

The players who played in Europe early was really interesting. Few of the players I had no idea playing hockey in Europe.

Like I said I did not know about the TYK team. Not all that surprised about the players that were involved in it.

But really the most fascinating part was the chance that were given to Finland to participate to the 1920 Antwerpen Olympic tournament. I had no idea. It is very well argumented in the book that Finland could have done well in the tournament. I agree with that. Whatever the result would have been it really is kind of sad how some of the decisions made by then caused Finland to miss the train. And how long it eventually took Finland to catch the top European nations in hockey.

edit. failed to quote
 

Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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But really the most fascinating part was the chance that were given to Finland to participate to the 1920 Antwerpen Olympic tournament. I had no idea. It is very well argumented in the book that Finland could have done well in the tournament. I agree with that. Whatever the result would have been it really is kind of sad how some of the decisions made by then caused Finland to miss the train. And how long it eventually took Finland to catch the top European nations in hockey.

Do you think a successful participation in 1920 would have prompted a lasting acceleration of the development of Finnish hockey?
 

Sanf

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Sep 8, 2012
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Do you think a successful participation in 1920 would have prompted a lasting acceleration of the development of Finnish hockey?
Its obviously speculation. But as hockey gained more ground as international game than bandy... As a young nation sport success was regarded high... The gap between Bandy and Hockey wasn´t yet that big in Europe as examples of the Finnish bandy players playing hockey in Europe and the success of Swedish team in Antwerpen showed... And as the book shows there was interest towards hockey.

It would have been preasured by Bandy no doubt. But the smaller hockey rink did suit better for the skating rinks. Speed skating for example was a big thing in Finland back then.

But obviously its individual how the skills trasfer to the other sport. Ofcourse Finland was divided nation back then. And how well Finland would have faired in the move to indoors (or to artificial ice) in hockey.
 

Theokritos

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Apr 6, 2010
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A few interesting books that are in the pipeline:
  • A book on the 1934 and 1938 Chicago Black Hawks by Paul Greenland. The book is basically finished and should come out next year.

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

Update: this book should be available in mid-October.
 

Doctor No

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Oct 26, 2005
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I have Sebastien Tremblay's book - was invaluable when I was rebuilding the NHL goaltender game logs for that period (since he did the same damn thing and published it :D ). We were both working in the microfilm era, so even though I had his answer, I did my due diligence and only referred to his logs if/when I got stuck or couldn't get things to reconcile. Found a few discrepancies and a few places where we reasonably disagreed - since there were many cases where (for instance) not a single newspaper would print how shots faced were distributed between two goaltenders in a mid-period replacement situation.

That book teased a second edition of the late O6 era, which I wonder if he scuttled because the NHL published everything.
 

kaiser matias

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Mar 22, 2004
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@Eric Zweig:

My copy of the Thistles book arrived, and while I won't be able to read it for probably a week or so for various reasons, I took a quick flip through and really enjoyed seeing how solid it looks, and how many photos you were able to include. Will be sure to post a full review once I'm done reading it.
 
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Eric Zweig

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Dec 4, 2020
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@Eric Zweig:

My copy of the Thistles book arrived, and while I won't be able to read it for probably a week or so for various reasons, I took a quick flip through and really enjoyed seeing how solid it looks, and how many photos you were able to include. Will be sure to post a full review once I'm done reading it.
Sorry it took me so long to see this. I hope you like the book!
 
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Smirnov2Chistov

Fire Greg Cronin!
Jan 21, 2011
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Must have stumbled across this thread by accident, but my favorite hockey book has to be 'The Hockey Chronicle'. Just 1000+ pages on the history of the league. Awesome, awesome pick up for anyone.
 

Habsfan18

The Hockey Library
May 13, 2003
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Here’s an updated list I had previously put together for hockey books set to be published throughout the remainder of 2022.

- 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

- Minnesota Hockey Greats: Homegrown Talent in the NHL (Jeff Olson) .. August 22nd

- 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

Total Bruins: A game-by-game Illustrated Account of the Boston Bruins 1929-1939 (Jeff Miclash) .. late August

- When Canada Shut Down: 72 Amazing Untold Stories from a Canadian and Soviet Perspective (Sean Mitton, Paul Patskou, Alex Braverman) .. tentatively set for September

- 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

- Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game (Theresa Bailey and Terry Marcotte) .. 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

- My Journey from Trenčín to the Hall of Fame (Marian Hossa 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

Force of Natural: How the Colorado Avalanche Built a Stanley Cup Winner (Peter Baugh) .. November 29th

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.

- 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!
 
Last edited:

Chili

Ramble On!
Jun 10, 2004
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This thread goes way back although there was an even older one. Some good suggestions here (and I do now have a copy of 'Red's Story'):

 

The Panther

Registered User
Mar 25, 2014
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So, I read Mark Messier's book a few days ago.

It's quite good. As hockey books go (generally, not too far) I'd give it 4.5 stars out of 5.

It has the usual banalities and hockey-player modesty-isms that you expect, and has a couple of minor chronological errors (Mess remembers Glenn Anderson going on a trip to Hawaii with the guys before Anderson joined the team), but the fact-checking and attention to detail is generally solid.

Although you would think I of all people here would already know most of the things to know about Mess, there were a lot of things I didn't know. I was aware that much of his early childhood was spent in Oregon and the Pacific northwest, but I didn't know quite how much of an impact it had on him. I also was not aware that Mess's family had friends in Malibu, and that in summer 1980 Mess rented a condo in Malibu with his rookie NHL money and invited his entire family (and Grandma) to go down and spend six weeks there with him.

Some of his random memories of one-off events in his life were really interesting. The one that stands out to me is his trip on Magic Mushrooms in Barbados in 1982. He describes this in great detail, and makes clear that it had a profound and long-lasting effect on him. (Yes, I'm serious.)

I also did not know that Mess's smooth relationship with the Rangers lasted only until summer 1994 (just after the Cup). From then until summer 1997, he had a rough relationship with the NYR head office, and had lost his easy trust in them.

Actually, the second half of his NHL career is covered in surprisingly brief fashion compared to the first half. There is a chapter devoted to Vancouver, which was really interesting, but you can tell he played his cards close to the chest. He didn't want to throw anyone under the bus (though he clearly could have), but he also wanted to absolve himself of some charges.

There's almost nothing in his book about his personal relationships outside of a few early roommates and his family. There's nothing whatsoever about his romantic life or children until almost the last chapter.

A really good book. Highly recommended.
 

DeysArena

Registered User
Oct 5, 2020
804
909
Here’s an updated list I had previously put together for hockey books set to be published throughout the remainder of 2022.

- 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

- Hockey Moms: The Heart of the Game (Theresa Bailey and Terry Marcotte) .. 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

- My Journey from Trenčín to the Hall of Fame (Marian Hossa 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!
There aren't enough books about the Summit Series. I'm glad to see that more are being published.
 

Chili

Ramble On!
Jun 10, 2004
8,835
4,996
Here’s an updated list I had previously put together for hockey books set to be published throughout the remainder of 2022.

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

-

He confirmed on the radio the book is coming out in the next two weeks. He was covering the series at the time. Should be fun.

FU96Jd3XsAA7uaY.jpg
 

Habsfan18

The Hockey Library
May 13, 2003
31,056
9,916
Ontario
87053484-2F3C-48F9-9F76-2410B9E4B53B.jpeg


Another new book set to hit the market next week.

From the publisher:

A chronicle of Minnesota's hockey excellence in the world's top hockey league--the NHL

The years 1960 to 1982 were a watershed moment for Minnesota hockey, and the Land of 10,000 Lakes has enjoyed hockey success ever since. In that time, pioneering homegrown players like Bill Nyrop, Dave Langevin, Reed Larson, Mike Ramsey, Dave Christian, Neal Broten, Paul Holmgren, and Phil Housley established themselves as bona fide stars at the games' highest and most competitive level. More recently, another remarkable group of native sons--including Zach Parise, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglein, and T. J. Oshie--left their mark on the league.

Profiling more than seventy players and compiling Minnesota NHL records gathered nowhere else, Jeff Olson celebrates the brilliant achievements of Minnesotans in the National Hockey League.
 

kaiser matias

Registered User
Mar 22, 2004
4,795
1,939
Just finished Sudden Death: The Incredible Saga of the 1986 Swift Current Broncos by Lisa Culp, Gregg Drinnan, and Bob Wilkie (2012). As the title suggests, it looks at the bus crash that killed four Broncos players, while also touching on their 1989 Memorial Cup win, and the impact of having Graham James as coach and manager.

They managed to interview nearly every person on the bus, with some exceptions (Joe Sakic declined to talk, as he usually does about this; Graham James also was obviously unavailable, having recently been sent back to prison at the time). It showcases how the players carried through, and what they did in the subsequent 20 years. It's also worth noting that of the authors, Culp was a bystander who was in a truck literally behind the bus when it crashed (and tried to help before having to leave), and Wilkie was a member of the Broncos.

Overall it was a neat look at the event, and had some interesting stories. I was surprised to find out Brian Costello was on the bus as a reporter for the local Swift Current paper (he most recently worked for The Hockey News on their special editions). I also think the book could have had someone give it a proper edit though: there was a lot of repetition of information and facts, and the flow was really off at times. Still something that is worth reading, and a short easy book to go through.
 

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