Title/Author:
“One Night Only:
Conversations with the NHL One-Game Wonders” by Ken Reid
Tags:
Ice hockey,
professional, short stories
Publish date:
October 11, 2016
Length:
240 pages
Rating:
4 of 5 stars (very
good)
Review:
Every youngster who
laces up a pair of ice skates and grabs a hockey stick has the same dream – to get
a chance to play at least one game in the NHL This book by Ken Reid tells the story of 39 men who lived that dream and did that - played just one game in the NHL. From
the poignant to the hilarious, there are so many different paths these men took
not only to get to that one special night, but also the lives they lead after
that brief moment.
All eras, from the
days of the Original Six to the current league of 30 teams, are represented by
these stories. The emotions of the men
run the gamut as well, from very happy that there was that one game to the very
frustrated, such as Ken Duggan’s not-so-kind words about Phil Esposito and his
handling of the New York Rangers.
There are some
similarities for most of the stories – many of these one-game wonders had to
make a mad dash from their current location in the minor leagues to get to the
city where the NHL team was playing that same day. There are also many of them who were able to
participate in pre-game skates in other games, but were healthy scratches and
then sent back to the minors. Nearly
every player continued in the game in some manner after their one appearance in
the NHL, either in the minor leagues or overseas.
No matter the
situation or what the player did after that night, I found each story
entertaining and to a man, every one of them said that they enjoyed the
experience. There were two stories that
I enjoyed in particular, both for very different reasons. One was the story of
Dean Morton. While he appeared in only
one game as an NHL player, he is now in many more games every season as a
referee. That is quite an adventure how he made it back to the league in a
different role. The other story that I
enjoyed is that of Brad Fast, who appeared in a late season game in 2004 for
the Carolina Hurricanes. He is the answer to a historical trivia question that
I will not give away here – that piece of trivia is found in the book.
Overall this book is a
fun, entertaining read that can be read easily in short spurts as each story is
both alike and unique. Hockey fans will enjoy the ride taken with each of these
men as they relive their adventures taken to enjoy that brief moment in the
spotlight.
I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Book Format Read:
E-Book
Buying links
(pre-order at time of posting):
This book seems like it would be sad, but perhaps it depends on your expectations. If you never thought you'd play in the NHL, it would be a thrill to have even one game. But if you dreamed of a whole career in the big leagues....
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