Haha, I just realized it was written BY Vairo, and not just about him. The title threw me off.View attachment 977921
This came out in October and it completely missed my radar. Had no idea. Written with Michael McKinley too, who's pretty great.
Haha, I just realized it was written BY Vairo, and not just about him. The title threw me off.
Greystone said:From veteran hockey reporter Patrick Johnston and NHL alumni Peter Leech comes the authorized biography of Gino Odjick.
In the 1980s and ’90s, National Hockey League games were very different from the nimble, skill-focused displays we see today. One of the greatest differences—and one of the sport’s more popular facets at the time—was the widespread presence of “enforcers”: hulking, battle-scarred players whose main task was to police the sport by chasing down and brawling with opponents who had broken unwritten codes determining which aspects of violence counted as dishonorable or unjustified.
When hard-hitting Vancouver Canucks player Gino Odjick emerged in the early 1990s, he quickly became one of the game’s most feared enforcers and revered teammates, a sign of a new era for the team, racking up 296 penalty minutes in the 45 games he played in his rookie season. Hailing from Kitigan Zibi, an Algonquin community near Maniwaki, Quebec, Gino was one of the few Indigenous players in the NHL at the time. But it was Gino’s ferocious play contrasted by his genuinely affable and openhearted personality off the ice that won him a special place in the hearts of Canucks supporters.
Yet legends often obscure the human stories behind them. Hockey journalist Patrick Johnston and Peter Leech look beyond Gino’s legendary persona, drawing on insights from family members, friends, and teammates to recount Gino’s early years in a loving household that was always ready to welcome foster children. Gino’s father, Joe, had suffered the lonely traumas of the residential school system, and the experience had instilled a commitment in the family to those who were less fortunate.
The book also details Gino’s eventual struggles with alcohol abuse, and how he responded by taking on the role of empathetic mentor to young Indigenous people, travelling from community to community to hear their stories and offer hope. He never wavered in this role, even as he confronted serious illnesses, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and the rare blood disorder that he survived for years longer than expected, but that eventually led to his death at age fifty-two.
Gino is a moving tribute to a beloved hockey legend.
I apologize to all that this thread has evolved into the crazy collector reporting on forthcoming hockey books, but hopefully at least some of you find it helpful.
Greystone Books has an authorized biography of Gino Odjick in the works, set to be published in October.
The updates on new books is quite appreciated.
Though this description of the Odjick book is odd. Leech never played in the NHL, and the Amazon description of him says "His athletic accomplishments include a stint with the East Coast and Central Hockey Leagues." However I can't find him on Elite Prospects or HockeyDB, so I'm questioning things here.
Triumph Books said:An essential collection featuring hockey's most notable Black players in their own words
The game of hockey has long been considered a predominantly white sport in nearly every facet of its being. But if you look through the annals of the game, you will find Black players who have created longstanding hockey moments. We know — or think we know — these people as hockey players. But do we know how they got here as people? And what about the multitude of factors that have helped shape who they are?
Black Aces tells these stories, going deeper than what has previously been covered in traditional media. The Athletic's Julian McKensie talks to Hall of Famers, Olympic Gold medalists, World Champions, Stanley Cup playoff heroes, and auteurs of hockey history. Completing this modern portrait are the voices of up-and-coming players who look toward the future and defining moments of their own.
Includes conversations with Jarome Iginla, Sarah Nurse, Grant Fuhr, Anthony Stewart, Saroya Tinker, Georges Laraque, Joel Ward, and more.
Triumph Books said:An eye-opening account of how Russia’s leaders have used world sports as a tool to solidify their power, stoke national pride, and build prestige abroad
“Victories in sport do more to cement the nation than a hundred political slogans.” This was the pep talk Russian athletes heard in 2000 from their new president, Vladimir Putin. And so, for more than two decades, Putin has used sports like his Soviet predecessors to stoke nationalism at home, boost prestige abroad, and cement his position as leader.
The Moscow Playbook: How Russia Used, Abused, and Transformed Sports in the Hunt for Gold is the first book to fully examine the intersection of Russian sports and geopolitical power, from the dominant Soviet teams of past Olympics to recent doping scandals and international sanctions. With new research from Olympic archives, records of the Soviet bloc and current Russian media, historian Bruce Berglund shows how Moscow’s leaders have defied the rules of the game for decades as the world’s governing bodies turned a blind eye.
Featuring oligarchs, sportocrats, and famous athletes from Olga Korbut to Alex Ovechkin, this is a timely investigation into the gears of power, nationalism, and money that drive the Russian sports machine.