Review of "The Original Six"

Okay, back to sports books.  With the NHL playoffs in full swing, I am watching more hockey than I did for most of the regular season (despite my favorite team, the Minnesota Wild, getting eliminated).  Most hockey fans know who the Original Six teams are, but many may not know their history during that time frame.  This book is a good look back at that era. 

Title/Author:

“The Original Six: How the Canadiens, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings Laid the Groundwork for Today’s National Hockey League” by Lew Freedman

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

From 1942 to 1967, the National Hockey League consisted of six teams – Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers and Toronto Maple Leafs. While these six teams were not all part of the NHL when it was organized in 1917, these six were the franchises who were able to survive the chaos the league went through in World War II and created what many considered to be a golden age of hockey.  The history and most notable people for each team is chronicled in this book by Lew Freedman.

The format for each chapter is the same – the team’s history up to the 1966-67 season, stories about key players, front office staff and coaches during that time frame, and what the team has done since 1967.  That year is key because it was the year of the “Great Expansion” when the NHL doubled in size from 6 teams to 12.  If a player, coach or executive started their time with the team during the Original Six era but had most of his success after the Great Expansion, he will still warrant a mention in this book.

The depth of the stories depends on the star power of the person.  A player like Gordie Howe (Red Wings) or Maurice Richard (Canadiens) garnered a lot more ink in this book than someone like Camile Henry (Rangers) or Jimmy Thomson (Maple Leafs).  While that was to be expected, it was nice to see some not-so-well-known players get mentioned in this book. It’s especially nice to see this for readers like me to learn about these players who played for small salaries in a league that had limited exposure.

Each club in that era has a colorful history and Freeman does an admirable job of bringing that to life in this time of 32 NHL teams (although there were 30 at the time of the book’s publication in 2016.) Avid hockey fans like me always enjoy matchups of these teams and this book brings the colorful history of that era to life.

Link: Original Six: How the Canadiens, Bruins, Rangers, Blackhawks, Maple Leafs, and Red Wings Laid the Groundwork for Today's National Hockey League: Freedman, Lew: 9781613219492: Amazon.com: Books

Review of "A Guy Like Me"

As part of a reading challenge, I had to find a hockey memoir.  Not wanting to purchase a new book when I was convinced I could find one on Kindle Unlimited or in a library, I found this one.  Having remembered John Scott from the fan vote to make him an All-Star, I decided on this for that story and wasn't disappointed.  Here is my review of "A Guy Like Me."

 

Title/Author:

“A Guy Like Me: Fighting to Make the Cut” by John Scott with Brian Cazenevue

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review: John Scott’s story of his rise to become an enforcer in the NHL is not unlike those of others who have followed similar paths in order to become players in the highest professional league in North America with less than outstanding skills.  While they are similar, every story has its unique turns and Scott’s is no different.  He tells his tale in this fun and easy-to-read memoir he wrote with Brian Cazenevue.

Start with the most obvious reason that Scott’s story is different.  He went from being a relatively obscure player who bounced around for several teams to becoming not only an All-Star that was voted into the game by fans, but he also won the All-Star game MVP award in 2016.  What makes that even more remarkable was that the fan voting took place while Scott was a member of the Arizona Coyotes, but before the All-Star game, he was traded to the Montreal Canadiens, who sent him down to their minor league team in the American Hockey League.  So, you had a player going to the All-Star game who was currently playing in the minor leagues.  Which does sound like it qualifies as something different than stories of other hockey tough men.

Scott’s stories about this chapter of his career is certainly the best part of the book, both in the information he shares and the entertainment value of the book.  However, that doesn’t discount the fact that the rest of the book is a solid effort in which Scott never takes himself too seriously, shares the self-doubt that plagued him at each level of hockey and each off-season as he would usually sign one year contracts with each team that paid for his services.  He played for a total of seven NHL teams.  In addition to the Coyotes and Canadiens (he did get called back to the NHL by Montreal), he played for the Minnesota Wild, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres and San Jose Sharks.

The sections about Scott’s personal life, how he met and fell in love with his wife Danielle when both were students as Michigan Tech, and also his college hockey career at Tech when they were one of the struggling teams in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association also make great reading.  Hockey fans will be the ones who will want to pick up this book if they have not already done so, as it’s one that has a lot of hockey talk inside and will make a reader a fan of John Scott if they are not already one.      

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Guy-Like-Me-Fighting-Make/dp/1501159658/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

 

Review of "Tough Guy"

When it comes to hockey, I am not one who is a big fan of fighting.  I believe it has its place, but I prefer my hockey games to be fight-free.  However, I do realize that enforcers have their place in the sport and often times they become one of the more popular players on their team.  Such was the case with Bob Probert during his time with the Detroit Red Wings and his book is his chance to tell his story the way he wanted it told.  While he wasn't completely done with the project when he died too soon in 2010, it was finished and fans of his should read this if they have not already done so.  Here is my review of "Tough Guy"

Title/Author:

“Tough Guy: My Life on the Edge” by Bob Probert with Kirstie McClellen Day

Tags:

Ice hockey, professional, memoir, Red Wings, Blackhawks

Publish date:

October 1, 2010

Length:

272 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Bob Probert was the type of hockey player called an enforcer. His game was more about intimidation, protecting his teammates and fighting. He played the game hard during his career with the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks and lived life off the ice just as hard.  His memoir, written with hockey author Kirstie McClellen Day, was nearly complete when he suddenly died in the summer of 2010 from a heart attack.  Fortunately for hockey fans, the book was eventually finished and Probert’s story was told.

The book starts off on that fateful summer day when Bob was doing something he loved, boating on the lake with his wife Dani and her parents when he suffered that heart attack. Dani’s frantic cries really set the tone for Bob’s story as he was always making others scramble, whether it was Dani, teammates, Red Wings front office personnel or his lawyers.

His early life and hockey career isn’t much different than that of many other young Canadians who are looking for a path to the NHL through the Canadian junior leagues.  That he discovered he was going to need to use his fists to advance in the ranks was also not unusual as there are many players who do that as well.  What makes his story a little different is the twists and turns his life took once he made to the NHL with the Red Wings.

Here is where the book gets as crazy as Probert’s life. While he was very popular with Red Wings fans, he was in a constant state of trying to get more ice time.  While many enforcers have this issue as part of their career, what made more difficult for Probert was not only his injuries but also his penchant for alcohol and drugs off the ice.  He was in rehab, whether voluntary or mandated by either team officials, NHL officials or law enforcement, a total of 10 times. He was essentially deported from the US, as there was a long period where he could not play games with his team in Canada as he would not be allowed back into the US.  He gave Red Wings staff not only headaches but he also played hardball for contract negotiations, which eventually led him to become a free agent and sign with the Chicago Blackhawks where he ended his hockey career.

Probert writes the book in a manner and language that he is talking with the guys in either the locker room or at a bar in one of the many late nights he had during his career. While that lends an air of authenticity to his story, it also sounds immature and complaint-filled at times – which again, leads to its authenticity.  Probert wanted to write this to tell his version of what happened without the judgement that he felt would be shown from only reports of his issues with substance abuse and encounters with law enforcement.  On that front, he does a good job with a book that fans of the Red Wings or of Probert himself will enjoy.

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (PDF)                                                                                                                                   

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Tough-Guy-My-Life-Edge-ebook/dp/B0049P1LWS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tough-guy-bob-probert/1102044117?ean=9781617493102  

Review of "Grim Reaper"

As a huge hockey fan, I am one who doesn't enjoy fighting in the game. I believe it has its place but I don't get as pumped up for a fight at a game as other fans.  That said, some of the better hockey memoirs/biographies I have read are about those players who make a living in the game with their fists.  This is another good book written by a player who was an enforcer, Stu Grimson.  Here is my review of "Grim Reaper"

Title/Author:

“The Grim Reaper: The Life and Career of a Reluctant Warrior” by Stu Grimson

Tags:

Ice Hockey, memoir, professional, Blackhawks, Red Wings, Ducks, Kings, Flames, Whalers, Predators

Publish date:

October 15, 2019

Length:

324 pages

Rating:

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

The life of a hockey player who is called an “enforcer”, a “fighter” or a “goon” is quite different than the life of other hockey players. They play fewer minutes, are asked to perform a duty in which they face great risk of injury, their careers can be much shorter than those of other players, they can play in relative anonymity and they also switch teams frequently.  Aside from a short career, this is pretty accurate for Stu Grimson who has written a very good memoir about his time as an enforcer.

Having read good books on other enforcers such as Bob Probert and Derek Boogardt, I picked this one up with high expectations and it did not disappoint.  It did not follow the usual format from youth to college or junior hockey to the pros to life after hockey. While all of these life cycle events are covered by Grimson with many great stories, the book does skip around at times, especially when he is discussing his life after hockey. 

Despite that, reading about important events in his life other than hockey was very enjoyable, something that usually isn’t the case with sports memoirs. His time working as an attorney for the NHL Players Association was very intriguing, especially when he was fired from the position by the person whom he helped attain the director position of the union. He also talks about meeting his birth parents (he and his sister were adopted) and the fact that his birth father was also a professional athlete (played football in the Canadian Football League) and became a lawyer after his playing days were over is just an amazing coincidence.

Readers who prefer to read about his hockey career will also be happy as he shares many stories of his fights on the ice, his trouble with rules during junior hockey and through it all, he always wondered if this was the best path to make a career in the sport. He repeatedly states at every stop in his professional career (there were many, as he played for seven different NHL teams, including two stints with the Anaheim Ducks) he states he would do whatever he needed to do in order to contribute to the success of his team.  From the descriptions of some of his actions, there was no reason to believe otherwise.

His description of fights, especially one in which Dave Brown broke the orbital bone of Grimson early in his career when he played on the Blackhawks. It was almost gruesome to read the details of not only the injury but how Brown threw the punches.  However, there was no hard feelings between the two players and Brown did show concern.  That is part of the code present among enforcers in the NHL and Grimson talks often about that and displays much respect for his fellow fighters who obey these unwritten rules.

Whether or not one enjoys fighting as part of the game, hockey fans should pick up this book and get a very good perspective into the life and mind of those players whose main job is not to score goals or keep the puck out of the net, but instead have to use their fists to provide value to their teams.

I wish to thank Penguin Random House Canada for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

                                                                       

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)                                                                                                                                

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735237247/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0735237247&linkCode=as2&tag=netg01-20

Review of "The Breakaway"

At times during the summer, especially when it gets very hot outside, I like to "cool off" with a book on a winter sport such as skating or hockey.  During a recent heat wave, I did so with this book on the Wirtz family ownership of the Chicago Blackhawks.  It made for very good reading.  Here is my review of "The Breakaway."

Title/Author:

“The Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business and the Chicago Blackhawks” by Bryan Smith

Tags:

Ice hockey, professional, Blackhawks, management

Publish date:

October 1, 2018

Length:

216 pages

Rating: 

4 ½ of 5 stars (excellent)

Review:

It seems hard to believe now, but not long before the Chicago Blackhawks put together an impressive run of three Stanley Cup championships in six years, the franchise was dreadful both on and off the ice. In 2007, the team missed the playoffs for the ninth time in ten seasons and also lost thirty million dollars that season. It was also the year that second generation owner Bill Wirtz died and when his son Rocky (short for Rockwell, his middle name) had a ceremony before the opening game of the 2007-08 season, Bill was booed loudly by the fans in attendance.

Given that backdrop, it is easy to see that Rocky turned the franchise around very quickly and that is the basis of this excellent book by Bryan Smith, a senior writer for Chicago and Men’s Health magazines. Not only are Bill and Rocky portrayed in the book, but the man who started the Wirtz enterprise, Arthur, is covered as well.  The reader will learn much about the Wirtz men, their business acumen and their management of one of the “Original Six” NHL franchises. 

While a very fair and balanced account, this book does not paint a pretty picture of the Wirtz family.  Their idiosyncrasies and refusal to change long-held traditions are explored in depth and how some of them led to the dire straits the Blackhawks found themselves in. One of the most famous examples of this was the long-standing Wirtz policy of refusing to televise home Blackhawk games, fearing it would keep fans away from the arena.  When Rocky ended the long-standing policy in his first year of running the team, the cheers were as loud as any that came when the team won the Stanley Cup.

This is not to say everything written and said about Arthur and Bill Wirtz was negative.  Indeed, Arthur oversaw a team that had superstars such as Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote and Stan Mikita. Their Stanley Cup championship in 1961 was thought to be the first of several for the team, but their misfortunes came soon thereafter. When Bobby Hull left the Blackhawks to sign with the Winnipeg Jets of the new World Hockey Association in 1972, it was the low point for Arthur’s tenure. Bill Wirtz took over upon Arthur’s death in 1983 and because of his fierce loyalty to his father, he refused to change much. This led to the decline of the franchise and also led to some very negative press. 

Rocky’s tenure was marked not only by the rapid rise of the franchise, but also some interesting family dynamics with his siblings. The story of his brother Peter is very interesting reading as is some of the smaller changes made as well as the bigger ones.  One very interesting tale is when Rocky moved into Arthur’s old office after Bill refused to use it or remove anything from it, treating it like a shrine. Rocky decided that it was time for the office to be changed and utilized, a symbol of his plans for the Blackhawks.

This is an excellent book for readers who are Blackhawks fans, who enjoy reading about sports management or who want to learn more about the Wirtz family.

I wish to thank Northwestern University Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:

https://www.amazon.com/Breakaway-Business-Chicago-Blackhawks-Stories/dp/0810138883/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1531526753&sr=1-1&keywords=the+breakaway+blackhawks

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-breakaway-bryan-smith/1128567541  

Review of "Orr: My Story"

Everyone who knows anything about hockey knows who Bobby Orr is and what he meant to the game.  Some believe he is the greatest player ever, even more than Gordie Howe or Wayne Gretzky. His memoir is a book I have been meaning to read for a long time - and I finally decided to do so.  That was a good decision.  Here is my review of "Orr: My Story"

Title/Author:

“Orr: My Story” by Bobby Orr

Tags:

Ice Hockey, memoir, professional, Bruins, Blackhawks

Publish date:

October 15, 2013

Length:

304 pages

Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)

Review:

Mention the name “Bobby Orr” and hockey fans will envision the man who revolutionized how defensemen play the game and non-fans will even know that he was a great player in Boston.  Considered one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he had an image of a quiet and dignified man, not completely comfortable in the spotlight and would give much more credit to his teammates.

When he decided to write his memoir in 2013, the words he used solidified that reputation.  He tries to write as much about others as he does about himself in the book.  He states that he wrote the book because he had “something to share” to other parents and grandchildren.  He stays away from gossip (his section on colorful Bruins teammate Derek Sanderson was very short) or harsh criticism.  The latter was very evident with his section on Alan Eagleson, the disgraced agent who represented Orr and many other hockey players while serving as the president of the NHL players’ union. Even though it is very evident that Orr still harbors bitterness to this day about the man who led him astray financially, he still writes some positive things about Eagleson as well.

That was probably the biggest surprise in the book as most of the book reads like the typical sports memoir, with praise for his parents, fond memories of playing hockey on the lake as a kid, remembering his career in Juniors where he was discovered at 15 by the Bruins and signed as a teenager.  Then we hear stories about his time with the Bruins and their talented teams – of course in true Orr style, he is humble about this and writes more about his teammates than himself. He also writes more about his foundation to make hockey for children better and even some thoughts on today’s professional game.

The best writing in this part of the book for me was when he talked about his departure from Boston to the Chicago Blackhawks, a move he was making because he felt that the Bruins did not want him any longer since his knees were giving him much pain.  This is also addressed in his chapter on Eagleson.  While he played so few games in Chicago, even there he shows his humility by wanting to do something for the franchise instead of just collecting a paycheck for not playing with his balky knees. 

This book is an easy read, one that will be completed fairly quickly and will be enjoyed by any hockey fan of any level.  This is mainly because even if a fan is too young to have seen Orr play, he or she knows about the legendary defenseman and his story is one that should be shared with all fans.

Book Format Read:

E-book (Nook)

Buying Links:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/orr-bobby-orr/1113913076?ean=9780425277027#/

https://www.amazon.com/Orr-My-Story-Bobby-ebook/dp/B00AYJIL9O/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1517187858&sr=1-1&keywords=orr+my+story