Ice Hockey Books

A must for any Red Wing fan, young or old. Great old photos from before they were called the Red Wings, to the present Stanley Cup champions. Find out who's sweater is retired but does not hang from the rafters of "The Joe"

This book is great. I enjoyed it from cover to cover. Many wonderful pictures of present and past Red Wing stars and those associated with the game.

This is the best book I have ever read about the Red Wings, ever. It starts from the beginning when they were the Victoria Cougars to the Stanley Cup win in 1997. The rare photos are outstanding and the text is fun and infomative.

I could not put this book down because this book symbolized what it takes to succeed in life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for what it takes to be successful at whatever you want to do with your life.

This is the definitive book of hockey. Dryden's thoughts on goaltending, the city of Boston, and on the state of hockey cannot be matched. Dryden had an incredible insight on what was wrong with the game and where the game was headed, even back in 1983. I read this book once a year, it is that good.

Dryden may be the Canadian hockey equivalent of basketball's Bill Bradley. I wouldn't be surprised if Dryden becomes Prime Minister of Canada in 20 years.

Dryden studied at Cornell and took a year off playing hockey (after winner a playoff MVP award and Rookie of the Year)to complete his law degree at McGill. He won a fistful of trophies and Stanley Cup rings during his brief Hall of Fame career as a goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens. The rare combination of scholarship and athletic brilliance results in an very well written book.

The book is a diary of the last part of his final season. While light on anecdotes, it delves into the heart of what is right and wrong with hockey.

Is is most likely the best book ever written by an athlete.

This mini-anthology has a wide range of hockey stories from one written by the American, Pulitzer-winning author William Faulkner (this story was junk, though well written if you like Faulkner) to life on the road as a minor league player hoping to be called up (poignantly and rawly written like the life itself), to a homily to Toe Blake, to a portrait of The Great One (Gretzky) by Peter Gzowski, to how to make your own backyard rink.

The quality of writing is generally very good and virtually every story offers an interesting perspective on the game. Stories are short so you can read one on the subway or before you go to bed at night. All in all, a decent hard cover to have on your bookshelf.

I've read a lot of hockey books and found most of them to be light on substance from either a literary or technical standpoint. This collection, however, captures so many of the nuances and back stories that make the game of hockey so incredibly unique. E.M. Swifts piece titled "A Reminder Of What We Can Be" is my favorite hockey story ever. I was a 15 year old hockey player at the time the United States beat the Soviet Union and I remember following that team in the papers all winter. When the big game was tape delayed, I was so disappointed because I had a game that night and we didn't have a VCR back then. One of the fathers had a B&W television going in the penalty box and although we new the outcome, both teams decided to stop play and huddle around that television to watch the 3rd period. We hugged and high fived as if we had beaten the mighty Russians ourselves. That moment in time was a rare convergence of what is great about life and hockey. E.M. Swift clearly understands the meaning.
"Facing The Shooter" by Wilkinson is a fantastic account of what its really like to play the most stressful position in sports, hockey goaltender.
This book may be a bit difficult for younger readers to get through and grasp, but older fans will appreciate the depth and quality of the writing.

Reviewed by Beverly Pechin for Reader Views (2/07)

Being an avid hockey fan I wasn't too expectant upon reading "short stories" about the great moments in hockey and being surprised by what they had to say. Imagine my delight when I found not only interesting and completely out of the ordinary tales of some of the most memorable moments in hockey, right before my eyes, but stories told that I knew with inside looks that make them seem completely different than any other I've read.

"The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told" is a wonderful compilation of stories regarding the greatest game on ice, hockey. With everything from "The Miracle Team" from a perspective you probably have never heard before to "A Portrait of The Great One," Wayne Gretzky, you will find each story with its own form and style, told like no other. With so many authors contributing to the book, there is an infinite amount of perspectives that you probably have never seen before on the game. Hockey greats like Toe Blake, Wayne Gretzky, and the infamous Montreal Canadiens and their years of reign are all topics of conversation in this great book of hockey stories and memories.

The style and content are so unique to any other hockey book I've ever read that I am somewhat speechless as to how to compare it to anything else. Loaded with stories, insider's views, coaches' memories, team moments and so much more, any true hockey fan will relish this special book and all its content. The ability to read a story and put it down to come back to later makes it a great book to simply keep around to get your "hockey fix," especially out of season! So after the Cup Craze is over, pull up a seat and enjoy an inside look at the real life stories of hockey and all of its glorious moments. Even the most well-versed and trivia filled amongst us will find an inside look at this great life on and off the ice in "The Greatest Hockey Stories Ever Told."

Molloys approach to the game of hockey is excellent. Skills are built in a logical progression, and the drills included emphasise various aspects of the game of hockey. Tom focuses on teaching each player the nature of the game at its basic level, using the entire ice surface during practices, and helping the player to recognise individual and team responsibilities during play.

Problems do not result from his method. Implementation is the challenge. The terminology, is new to most. As a result, it will take effort to become familiar with the approach. In addition, it will take the players time to adapt, but once the drills have been run through a few times, as well as ice usage, practices will zip along. The kids have to come off the ice sweating and smiling, because the drills need to fun. Some of the most popular drills were 7 puck hockey, cross ice pass 2 times before you can shoot, cross ice backwards skating hockey only and give and go only.

Word of caution...if practices are open, be prepared for critism particularily if players and parents are used to useless lineup drills.( line up in corner, pass to player, shoot on goalie...) If they see backward skating hockey, they will think you are off your rocker...after all, isn't recerational sport serious business?

This book is an excellent tool for coaches. It shows how not only to be practical and efficient with practices, but allowing the players to be competitive and have fun during practices.

The authors use a European approach to their style of coaching. They emphasize game like drills and skill development.

It is time for coaches to give the game back to the players and let them explore, develop and be creative in a controlled environment.

This is a great book that will organize coaches and lead to greater skill development for young players. The book sets forth different ways to set your team up to more effectively run drills. The drills that the book shows are excellent. I am now anxiously awaiting the following editions that should be forthcoming. This is directed to youth players but is useful for all levels.

We bought Hockey the NHL Way because my son plays inline /roller hockey which is similar to ice hockey except it is done on skates. This is an excellent book that simply and succinctly lays out the basics of playing hockey. There are conditioning drills, individual skill drills, how to play as part of a team whether it be on defense or offense, and gives strategies on how to apply these skills as a part of a team. Both beginner and experienced hockey players can benefit from Hockey the NHL Way as it is a good refresher plus builds upon individual skills a player might have already developed. It is a quick read and does not get too technical. Both ice and roller hockey players will improve their game by reading this book.

VERY HELPFULL IN COACHING YOUNG KIDS JUST STARTING TO PLAY THE GAME OF HOCKEY. TIPS AND PICTURS OF ACTUAL DRILLS IS GREAT.

Makes you a better skater, shooter, goaltender, anything you can think of in hockey, it makes you better.

This book is an outstanding history of the sport of hockey. I saw the Canadian multi-part TV program of the same name several years ago and always wanted to get this companion book. I'm glad I finally did. This is a beautifully done book, with many color and black and white photos from throughout the history of hockey. It's really a coffee table style book, oversized and with many photos. It's true the book is a little oriented more towards the Canadian perspective, but not overly so.

I highly recommend this book to hockey fans everywhere...and if you ever get a chance to watch the TV show, do it. One of the best I've seen about the sport.

Having been a Hockey buff for just over 50 years, I found this volume to be the most comprehensive and complete treatment of the subject that I have read over the years, having read several. It reveals some information not generally known to those not in the "industry". I found this book to be a fascinating, don't want to put it down read. My congratulations to Michael Mckinley.

If you're a hockey fan with an appreciation for the history of the game, *this* is the book you need to read... Hockey: A People's History by Michael McKinley. This both entertained and educated me, and brought the history of hockey alive in a way I've never seen it before.

Contents: Prologue; The Temple and the Chalice; Gold After Silver; Blood and Champagne; The Dustbowl Dream; A Cool Medium; Us and Them; The Soul of a Nation; Hope and Betrayal; The Winter of Our Discontent; Reclaiming the Game; Acknowledgements; Index

This is a coffee-table companion book to a CBC series of the same name. Not living in Canada, I can't say I've seen the series. But if it's anything like the book, it must be outstanding. McKinley goes back to the beginning of the game we know as hockey, back to 1875 when the first game was played in Montreal. Many other variations of the game existed before then, but generally speaking, this is when the game started in its modern form. Lavishly illustrated, he works his way up through time, from the birth of the Stanley Cup to the lockout season of 2004-2005. In between, you learn about the great names of the sport who often are just names attached to trophies unless you know the history... Hobie Baker, Frank Calder, Conn Smythe, and many others. The stories of teams put together to challenge for the Stanley Cup, back in the day when it was up for grabs to just about anyone. There's even coverage of the Portland Rosebuds, who challenged the Montreal Canadiens in 1916. Junior and women's hockey also figure prominently in the story, so whatever your particular interest niche is for the game, you'll find it in here.

I remember a few years back when my kids attended a hockey camp in Penticton, British Columbia. The final day included a game played in the city arena that was home to the Penticton Vees. It's an old-time barn, with plenty of memorabilia from years gone by. But until I read this book, I didn't realize just how big a deal that team was. That team went over to Germany in 1955 and beat the Russian team for the World Championships, and was the toast of Canada in the midst of the Cold War tension of the time. Walking through the arena, you could almost feel the ghosts of history, the thousands of games that had been played there. It's hard to explain, but hockey in Canada is more than just a sport, it's a national identity and obsession.

I don't know that I've spent as much time lingering and savoring a book than I did this one. It's a pleasure to read, and will add immensely to your understanding and respect of the game.

Needs to be updated to reflect significant rule changes in NHL in last 3 years, but otherwise it is a good introduction to hockey. Has lots of good, clear illustrations. The greatest value of this book is the illustrations of referee signals since when watching amateur hockey or league hockey the ref's signal is not announced over a PA system.

I liked this book very much. It's a great book for the beginner hockey fan. The games are more enjoyable for me to watch. I know there are more in-depth hockey books on the market, but this is a great starting point.

This book is wonderfully writen and easy to understand for people who want to learn the basics of hockey. I have been an occasional spectator of the sport since 1965 and enjoy watching high school, college and professional games (especially the Minnesota Wild!). Unfortunately, I wasn't familiar with all of the rules and types of penalties (except for of course, high sticking, hooking and slashing). So just the other day, while watching an intense college game, I decided it was time to buy a book. I am pleased with my selection and am buying another copy for my friend. By the way, were women!

Coach Sutter has turned our hockey club around. We can be proud of our team and we can look forward to each and every game because no matter what our record is and no matter how we fared the game before, we know coach Sutter is going to get the Sharks up for the next contest. I never really knew what kind of a person he was until I read this book. His quick-wit has a unique blend of honesty, puncuality and humor in it that is hard to find elsewhere in pro sports. It's a great read for hockey fans and sports fans alike. I only have one suggestion: E.C.McEnery needs to continue his book writing ways with a new book on Sharks Fans and how we're the best in the league. And don't you forget it!

This book is a "must read" for hockey fans, as well as fans of a fascinating human interest story. E.C. McEnery does an outstanding job of profiling San Jose Sharks head coach Darryl Sutter, not only as a player and a coach, but more importantly as a husband and a father. Darryl's life as a player and coach are remarkable and McEnery did a great job of recapping his professional history. But what makes this book truly unique is how he was able to show a side of Darryl that most people are not familiar with - Darryl as a family man. Darryl's quotes over the years have been witty and meaningful. However, the most important thing that you'll pick-up from this book is that what you're gonna get from Darryl is the truth.

While not as full of exciting hockey action as Six Shooters, this is a very well-presented story of the man behind the coach - what are the driving forces behind the way he thinks and acts? I wasn't aware that he has a son with Down's Syndrome, and it was very interesting the way Darryl relates the experience of watching his son struggle to conquer skills we-all take for granted to not tolerating players who aren't using their God-given talents to the best of their ability. The emphasis on strong work-ethic is very refreshing in this era of convenience where somehow we have come away from giving all we have to everything we attempt and instead settle for taking the easy way out. There are powerful lessons in this story that non-hockey players can apply to their personal lives and use to steer their attitudes and intentions regarding whatever they are doing in a more positive and productive manner. The quotes and Darryl-isms were probably my favorite part of the book!

This is not just one of those "Season in the Life of..." type sports books. In the same vein as Roy MacGregor's pioneering look at the expansion Ottawa Senators early years and the NHL, this book shows all the machinations and goings-on behind the scenes in south Florida as the Panthers captured the area's imagination.

There is a great story within this on how Bobby Clarke (then with Florida) conned Brian Burke (then with Hartford) at the Cats' first foray into the amateur draft. I also loved the stuff on how Doug MacLean and Bryan Murray shaped the '96 Stanley Cup Final team.

The Panthers is best in NHL

Miami Ice is a book for every hockey fan and not just Florida Panthers fans. This great book describes the chemistry and heart of a group of players who worked hard to reach the Stanley Cup Finals.

The attitudes and characteristics of the players in the book are similarly portrayed by the great players of the Florida Panthers.

I read this book in one day, never being able to put it down. It grasps you, especially if you are a hockey fan. It shows that the players are human and they have humorous sides and aren't just hockey playing machines.

A great read.

it really taught you that he didnt have the best lif

This book was very good. It told about Wayne Gretzkys life, his stats and how great he really was. Thats why his nick name is the Great One. He set more than 61 records and has set untouchable ones. This is one of the best sport books ever made.

I thought this book was sweet.I liked it because it told me about his life and how he would play hockey with kids twice his age and still get goals.It said how he would win Stanley Cups and Art Ross trophys(a highest goal scorer of the year).Ialso liked it because it wasn't very long.