Review of “The Last Hockey Game”

It isn’t often I’ll find a good hockey book in the summer, but my local library had an e-version of this one. Between the title, the fact this was the last game of hockey’s Original Six era AND the winner of this game has not won a championship since the, I had to try it.

Title/Author: “The Last Hockey Game” by Bruce McDougal

Rating: 4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: On May 2,1967, the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 to win the Stanley Cup 4 games to 2. It marked the last game of the “Original Six” era of the NHL as six expansion teams were set to begin play the following fall. This book by Bruce McDougal not only tells the story of that game but also gives the reader a great look at the players, coaches, owners and others who made that period of hockey very interesting . 

Every player on the two teams, from Hall of Famers (17 in total, 10 for Toronto, 7 for Montreal) to the fourth line players, everyone gets at leas a passing mention in this book. The description of the game action is so detailed that a fan who was alive at that time can close their eyes and imagine Foster Hewitt (another person who got a great portrayal in the book) calling the action.

The reader will also feel a sense of what the business of NHL hockey was like at that time. With no union or free agency and only six teams, players had accepted whatever was offered by the owners, who were mostly not viewed in a favorable light in these sections. Whether they truly were villains or just trying to maximize their wealth and power (oh,wait, maybe that DOES make them villains), a reader will learn much about the business side of the game at that time as well as what it was like on the ice when McDougal writes about the players. They are portrayed as regular men just trying to eke out a living playing a rough game.

I thought the book was dragging at first, but once I got into the game itself, it turned out to be a very good read. I’d recommend this for any reader interested in that era of hockey. Also, as of the writing of this review, it should be noted that this was the last time the Maple Leafs won the Stanley Cup - the longest current drought of any hockey team.

Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Last-Hockey-Game-Bruce-McDougall-ebook/dp/B00LUSEOA8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0