Hamilton's Hockey Tigers

Sam Wesley is a talented writer and researcher, a lifelong hockey enthusiast and, just as importantly, a proud Hamiltonian.

Hamilton is a blue collar city with big league dreams. We have lost count of the number of rumored expansion franchises and relocated teams coming to the southern Ontario city. To most of us Hamilton is a junior league city with a spotted minor league history. It has a major league stadium at Copps Coliseum, best remembered as the host of "the greatest hockey games ever played" in the 1987 Canada Cup finals.

Like most residents of Hamilton and hardcore hockey fans across Canada, Wesley was only vaguely aware of Hamilton's long forgotten NHL past. If the Tigers are remembered at all, it is as the NHL team that went on strike and therefore lost their NHL team, or for favorite player Shorty Green, whom the old city water fountains are still affectionately nick-named after.

So Wesley set forth to discover his city's glorious hockey past, and with the help of his father David formed the excellent book Hamilton's Hockey Tigers. Another proud Hamilton supporter, Don Cherry, writes the foreword. It is published by Lorimer.

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The book is well researched, but more importantly exceptionally written. Wesley does a good job of trying to recapture the rollicking days of the city and hockey back in the 1920s. It was a fascinating time so very much different than today.

Wesley accomplishes this with heavy use of colorful quotes from newspapermen of the day. Of course these were the days when sports "writers" covered sports, not journalists. A couple of great examples: Montreal goalie Georges Vezina was "kept busier than a porcupine with hives" while thin Hamilton forward George Carey was described as "about as wide as a steam-pipe and as hefty as a flea."

The 96 page book is laced with great images of memorabilia and photos from generations ago, further accomplishing our trip back in time.

The book starts out on December 22nd, 1920, the date of the very first NHL game in Hamilton. It goes on to look at life in Hamilton back then, as well as looking at the beginnings of the NHL.

The book goes on to look at the Quebec Bulldogs, and why the team was relocated to Hamilton.

The authors then take us on a season by season recap of the Hamilton Tigers short history. The first couple of seasons were disasters on the ice. Art Ross came in to help clean things up, but it was not until the arrival of the Green brothers, Red and Shorty, that Hamilton would experience NHL glory. With the Greens, particularly Shorty, wearing the gold and black the Tigers became a top team in the league.

In addition to the Green brothers, the Wesleys do a good job of sketching the stories of many other players in Hamilton history, too. Phantom Joe Malone. Joe Matte. Goldie Prodgers. Harry "Mum" Mummery. Billy Burch. Mickey Roach. Leo Reise. Jumping Jakie Forbes. All of these players were big name stars at the Barton Street Arena. Nowadays they are barely remembered.

The only reason most of us even know there was once a NHL hockey team in Hamilton is because of the strike of 1925.

Despite being a heavy favorite to win the Stanley Cup, the Hamilton Tigers, led by captain Shorty Green, refused to play the post season unless each member of the Tigers received a $200 raise.

The players were upset because the NHL had increased the schedule to include 30 games instead of 24. Plus the teams would have to play 2 more additional playoff games, for which they were not paid. The Tigers, who had earned record profits due to their first winning season, refused to pay extra, so the players refused to play. Despite attempts by NHL president Frank Calder, the situation was never resolved. The players refused to play for the Hamilton Tigers ever again, and the NHL suspended all the players and fined them $200 a piece. The Tigers, a favorite for the Stanley Cup championship, never participated in the playoffs.

In the summer the NHL announced the sale of the Tigers to prohibition bootlegger Bill Dwyer who moved the team to New York and renamed them the Americans (originally they were to be named the New York Hamilton Tigers, believe it or not!)

The strike cost Hamilton it's long-since desired NHL team, and paved the way for US expansion. Enticed by the bright lights of the big city, the Tigers were a dismal team in New York. But hockey in Manhattan proved to be a hit, and led to the formation of the New York Rangers.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Wesleys' offering. I felt that I learned a lot not only about hockey in Hamilton and hockey in the 1920s, but a little bit about life in Canada in the 1920s as well. It is a good book for hockey history fans right across Canada, and mandatory reading for puck heads of all ages in Southern Ontario.

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The Power Of Two looks at life and times of former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Carl Brewer, and how he and his wife Susan Foster helped successfully battle the hockey establishment over the issue of player pensions. Together they uncovered fraud, corruption and betrayal of trust, ultimately helping bring down the powerful Alan Eagleson.

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I refer to this book constantly for research and feature writing. It's a great coffee table book come playoff time.

The Best of Hockey Night in Canada by Stephen Cole - 75% off, now just $9.99 CDN. iRewards members save another 5%. Free Shipping for total orders over $39.

This book captures the great rivalries, the stars, the commentators & classic moments on HNIC & CBC, from the earliest days of radio play-by-play coverage, through the first years of television, to colour instant replays, doubleheaders, netcams, Satellite Hotstove & Coach''s Corner

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years Of Glory by D'Arcy Jenish

The book: The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory Hardcover, 336 pages
The Author: D'Arcy Jenish
The Publisher: Double Day Canada
Release Date: September 30, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon- Chapters

Book Description
The definitive history of the Montreal Canadiens–to coincide with their Centenary in 2009

Before there were slapshots, Foster Hewitt, or even an NHL, there were the Canadiens. Founded on December 4, 1909, the team won its first Stanley Cup in 1916. Since then, the Canadiens have won 23 more championships, making them the most successful hockey team in the world. The team has survived two wars, the Great Depression, NHL expansion, and countless other upheavals, thanks largely to the loyalty of fans and an extraordinary cast of players, coaches, owners, and managers.

The Montreal Canadiens captures the full glory of this saga. It weaves the personalities, triumphs, heartaches, and hysteria into a compelling narrative with a surprise on every page. It sheds new light on old questions–how the team colours were chosen, how the Canadiens came to be known as the Habitants–and goes behind the scenes of tumultuous recent events still awaiting thorough examination: why Scotty Bowman was passed over as general manager after Sam Pollock resigned; why Pollock’s successor, Irving Grunman, failed; why Serge Savard was dumped as GM so hastily despite his record.

Colourful and controversial, The Montreal Canadiens is the history of a team that has been making news for 100 years–and continues to do so with the return of legendary player Bob Gainey as general manager, determined to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal.

About The Author
D’Arcy Jenish is the author of Epic Wanderer: David Thompson and the Mapping of the Canadian West, the award-winning Indian Fall: The Last Great Days of the Plains Cree and the Blackfoot Confederacy, and the bestselling The Stanley Cup: A Hundred Years of Hockey at its Best.

Joe's Note
I'm not too familiar with D'Arcy Jenish, but he is favorably reviewed for his past work as a meticulous researcher and brilliant and dramatic writer. This book looks real promising.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Tales From The Philadelphia Flyers by Chuck Gormley

The book: Tales from the Philadelphia FlyersHardcover, 192 pages
The Author: Chuck Gormley
The Publisher: Sports Publishing LLC
Release Date: October 1st, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description
Author Chuck Gormley offers an entertaining look at the history of one of the NHLs most storied franchises, the Philadelphia Flyers. The reader is invited into the locker room and behind-the-scenes in this anecdotal look at the Flyers, twice winners of the Stanley Cup. The Flyers, who own the second-highest winning percentage in league history and advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals this season, have a winning tradition that dates back to the team inception in the league in 1967. The teams engaging past from the Broad Street Bullies to the Legion of Doom is chronicled in revealing detail in this one-of-a-kind historical text.

About The Author
Chuck Gormley is an award-winning sportswriter and columnist for the South Jersey Courier-Post in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He has covered the Flyers as a beat writer for the Courier since 1988, and has had stories published in USA Today, The Sporting News, and Sports Illustrated For Kids. He is also a regular contributor to NHL.com. Gormley currently resides in Marlton, New Jersey with his wife, Denise, and their four children: Sean, Tom, Ryan, and Kayla.

Joe's Note
Chuck Gormley is a quality writer, so this book has solid potential.

More 2008 Hockey Book Previews

The 2008 hockey book previews keep coming fast and furious at HockeyBookReviews.com.

There's 5 new previews up, with a little something for everyone, especially for goalie aficionados.

1. The Patrick Roy biography is coming to English bookstores everywhere this fall. Last year the French edition "Le Guerrier" was a best seller in Quebec. The book provided the first truly intimate, no-holds-barred look at the early life and meteoric rise of their hero, told from a unique perspective: his father's.

2. Everyone likes goalie masks. So it surprises me no one before now has put together a photographic collection of the most famous masks over the years. That's what Jim Hynes and Gary Smith have done. Saving Face highlights the work of some of the world’s most famous mask artists and mask makers in action shots and stunning stills and features commissioned photographs from the Hockey Hall of Fame’s unparalleled collection of masks.

3. Alright, we all know it can be hard to find anything resembling literary genius in the hockey book world. But when the author is Jack Falla, you can count on a masterful reading experience. He's following up his big success he had with Home Ice by collecting several essays in his upcoming book Open Ice: Reflections And Confessions Of A Hockey Lifer.

4. Celebrating their 85^th season in 2008-09, the Boston Bruins are a storied team with a long and rich history, and a fascinating cast of characters. Much of that history was caught on film by Steve Babineau, the team's photographer for the past 4 decades. Together with commentary from Rob Simpson, Babineau's photos retell the history of the Boston Bruins in Black And Gold: Four Decades Of The Boston Bruins In Photographs.

5. Author James Bisson polled many of Canada's top sports journalists, broadcasters and personalities to create the definitive list of The 100 Greatest Moments In Canadians Sports History. It is not strictly a hockey book, but you know hockey will figure prominently. Plus it never hurts to remember some other great moments in sporting history.

More 2008 hockey book previews can be found at HockeyBookReviews.com.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else, by Michel Roy

The book: Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else, Hardcover, 416 pages
The Author: Michel Roy
The Publisher: Wiley
Release Date: September 25, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description

The bestselling bio of NHL Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy--now in a new English-language edition

Published in Canada in November 2007, the French-language version of this book, Le Guerrier, became an instant hit, quickly selling out its first print run. For fans of Patrick Roy, the legendary NHL goalie, the book provided the first truly intimate, no-holds-barred look at the early life and meteoric rise of their hero, told from a unique perspective: his father's. Written by Michel Roy, himself an impassioned hockey fan, Patrick Roy offers keen insights on Patrick's indomitable will to win, how he revolutionized goaltending and popularized the butterfly style, as well as his faults and difficulties, including the heartbreaking move from Montreal that nearly broke his spirit.

About The Author
Michel Roy (Knowlton, QC, Canada) is an author and Chair of Telefilm Canada. He is a former film editor, was Deputy Minister of Tourism for Quebec, and has recently produced two jazz albums.

Joe's Note
The French edition of the book was, perhaps not surprisingly, the top book in Quebec last year. And now the rest of us are going to find out why. Aside from the obvious draw of one of hockey's biggest and most fiery players, this book promises to be unique as it comes from the eyes and memories of the athlete's father.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: 100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments by James Bisson

The book: The 100 Greatest Moments in Canadian Sports History , Hardcover, 160 pages
The Author: James Bisson
The Publisher: Wiley
Release Date: September 10, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description
A good sports debate is easy to find. Every city and town in Canada has hosted lively discussions about which teams made the best moves at the trade deadline. Phone lines burn by the second as friends bicker over who was the greatest of all time. Blogs and discussion forums explode to life when a blockbuster trade is made, or a world record is set.

From every corner of the country, they bleed their teams’ colours, dissecting every transaction and highlight, living and dying with every run or goal scored. They come from all walks of life, from the largest metropolises, and the tiniest hamlets. They are of every race and ethnicity, man, woman or child. But when they enter the arena, they are all sports fans. They all have a voice, and an opinion. And they’re begging for someone to challenge them.

This book will engage Canadian sports fans in the ultimate debate.

The 100 Greatest Canadian Sports Moments will be, first and foremost, a thorough collection of the most celebrated events the country has ever seen. It will provide Canadians with a rare opportunity to see contemporary heroes like Cindy Klassen share the spotlight with classic Canadian icons like George Chuvalo. It will also include fresh new perspectives from the athletes themselves, as well as those whose lives were touched by the performances they witnessed.

It’s a wonderful way to shed light on Canada’s most memorable sports achievements. But there’s more: the achievements are ranked. Cue the debate.

With the help of a panel of Canadian sports personalities -- including renowned sports broadcaster Chris Cuthbert, national sports columnist Stephen Brunt and reporters from TSN, The Score, the National Post, the Toronto Sun and The Canadian Press -- Canada’s top 100 sports newsmakers have been forged in place, from #100 all the way down to #1. It’s a collection certain to have both casual and die-hard sports fans in agreement -- or argument!

This book will feed the hunger Canadian fans have for more -- more animated discussion and healthy debate, more information about some of our country’s most storied achievements, and more from-the-heart testimonials from the architects of these fabulous stories.

And most of all, it will get everyone talking -- from coast to coast.

About The Author
James Bisson, of Toronto, Ontario, is a reporter-editor for The Canadian Press news-wire service. He was written for over 100 Canadian newspapers, covering over a dozen different types of sports including NHL hockey, NBA basketball, Major League Baseball, CFL football, PGA golf, auto racing, Canada summer and winter games, and WWE Wrestling

Joe's Note
This book promises controversy because that is how books like this sell. One would expect hockey to be frequently represented, but sometimes books like this push out the big boys in an effort to look intelligent.

That being said, I would hope spots #1 and #2 would be between the 1972 Summit Series and Terry Fox's Marathon Of Hope.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Open Ice by Jack Falla

The book: Open Ice: Reflections and Confessions of a Hockey Lifer, Hardcover, 256 pages
The Author: Jack Falla
The Publisher: Wiley
Release Date: August 29th, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description
From one of the sports world's most celebrated hockey writers--a companion volume to his heartwarming Home Ice.

Second only to family, the game of hockey is the tribe to which sportswriter Jack Falla passionately belongs. If Home Ice let readers in on the role hockey played in his early life, Open Ice takes them on a trip beyond his backyard rink to a reunion of the six living members of the five-Cups-in-a-row Montreal Canadiens of 1956-60; his chat with the legendary Alex Delvecchio; the "rink rats" of Boston, fans who played hockey at all hours of the night; and a memorable Bruins game with his grandson. A collection of essays that touches on hockey's greats, like "Rocket" Richard and the mysterious Hobey Baker, as well as the game's enduring nostalgic power, Open Ice is a treat for hockey lovers everywhere.

About The Author
Jack Falla is the author of five books, most notably Home Ice, a collection of essays and memoirs that the New York Times’ Robert Lipsyte called “literary hot chocolate that will warm your heart.”

Jack covered the National Hockey League for Sports Illustrated in the 1980s. During that time he combined with SI photographer Heinz Kluetmeier to produce the book Sports Illustrated Hockey.

Joe's Note
I'm going to tell you a dirty little secret. I have never read anything by Jack Falla before. Which amazes me, because he very well might be the best literary writer in all of hockey. I'm very
much looking forward to Open Ice.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Black And Gold: Four Decades Of The Boston Bruins In Photographs

The book: Black and Gold: Four Decades of the Boston Bruins in Photographs, hardcover 224 pages
The Author: Rob Simpson and Steve Babineau (photos)
The Publisher: Wiley
Release Date: September 10, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description
Black and Gold is a pictorial history of the Boston Bruins, one of the NHL’s Original Six teams and among hockey’s most popular franchises. Celebrating their 85^th season in 2008-09, the Bruins are a storied team with a long and rich history, and a fascinating cast of characters. Home to players such as Orr, Esposito, Schmidt, Bucyk, Cheevers, O’Reilly, Bourque and Neely, Boston has captured five Stanley Cups as well as numerous division and conference titles.

Featuring four decades of pictures from long-time team photographer Steve Babineau, and accompanying text by NESN broadcaster Rob Simpson, Black and Gold will document much of the rich history of the team, including magic moments from the past, star players and coaches such as Ray Bourque, Cam Neely, Terry O’Reilly, Don Cherry, and Joe Thornton, as well as Bruins goalies, grinders, and the old Boston Garden. This epic collection of photographs and commentary from the last four decades, featuring many never-before-seen shots, will be sure to bring back memories for every Bruins fan who bleeds black and gold.

About The Authors

Rob Simpson is an established hockey reporter, commentator and writer. He has written a number of magazine and newspaper articles about the game on and off the ice, and also penned the 2005 book Between the Lines, about the Hall-of-Fame career of long-time NHL linesman Ray “Scampy” Scapinello. A 25-year veteran of the broadcasting business, Simpson recently spent three years as a Boston Bruins TV program host and rink-side reporter for the New England Sports Network. He also produced and hosted Hockey Odyssey on the NHL Network. For four years, Simpson produced and hosted Maple Leaf America on Leafs TV in Toronto. His favorite and frequent pastime is travel, which is for fun and business. Presently a Delaware family man off-season, he’s taken a career path less traveled, with previous stops in Alabama, Florida, Australia, Hawaii, and Idaho.

Photographer Steve Babineau has spent the last 35 years accumulating hundreds of thousands of images of the Boston Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox, as well as special event and concert photos from the Boston Garden and the TD Banknorth Garden. Hockey being his first love, the former high school player has dedicated himself to capturing the great moments on and off the ice for the Bruins and the NHL in Boston and beyond. His images have appeared in countless magazines, yearbooks, on hockey cards and promotional items, and on-line. Babs currently runs Sports Action Photography with his son Brian, who began taking photos with dad two decades ago.

Joe's Note
Undoubtedly the photography will sell the book itself. For publisher Wiley's sake, I hope there are lots of Boston Bruins fans out there, because at a list price of $38.95 Cdn, this is one of the most expensive books in the upcoming season.

Game Of My Life: New York Rangers

Not long ago I reviewed a book about the Detroit Red Wings where authors Kevin Allen and Art Regner collected first hand accounts from the greatest Red Wings players on their years in Detroit and just how special the Red Wings were to them.

In very similar fashion, authors John Halligan and John Kreiser tackle the same project, only this time with the greats of the New York Rangers in the book Game of My Life: New York Rangers. The book is part of an eclectic series put out by Sports Publishing LLC.

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Actually, the scope of this Rangers book is quite a bit more narrow than the Detroit book titled What It Means To Be A Red Wing. As the Game Of My Life title suggests, the Rangers players are only asked to reminisce about their favorite game they played in while wearing Broadway's Blue Shirts.

Don't worry, the authors do a good job of filling in the years and eras prior to and following the player's chosen moment. They try their best to use as many quotes as they can, though it is unfortunate that only the special game is written in first person by the players themselves. There is a certain magic or genuineness that way. That is even more lost when the bulk of each chapter is setting up and following up the player's contributions and written by others

The book features memories spanning a great range of hockey history in Manhattan. The authors somehow reach all the way back into hockey history to the days of Frank Boucher and Snuffy Smith, and progress to the modern days of Jaromir Jagr. Even busy superstars Mark Messier and Wayne Gretzky participated, making the book seem whole and complete, unlike the Detroit title.

In between those years many of the Rangers greats have contributed. Andy Bathgate, Gump Worsley, Harry Howell, Bones Raleigh, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield, Cat Francis, Brad Park, Pete Stemkowski, Steve Vickers, Don Maloney, John Davidson, John Vanbiesbrouck, Mike Gartner, Adam Graves, Stephane Matteau, Neil Smith, Mike Richter and Brian Leetch all speak about their favorite New York memories.

Now obviously you will notice a few names missing right away, notably Phil Esposito, Jean Ratelle and local boy Nick Fotiu, amongst others. This is no knock on the authors by any stretch of the imagination though. For various reasons not all players participate - Espo had his autobiography out at about the same time, for instance. But the book somehow feel a little bit empty without some players.

All in all, a pretty good book that should interest most long time New York Rangers fans.

Doug: The Doug Harvey Story, by William Brown

I've said it before and I'll say it again: William Brown may be the best kept secret in hockey writing out there right now. In the 2002 book "Doug: The Doug Harvey Story" he produces a biography that is every bit as spectacular and compelling as his subject.

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As with his other books, notably The Montreal Maroons and Baseball's fabulous Montreal Royals: The minor league team that made major league history, the key to Brown's brilliance is his meticulous and painstakingly thorough research. Brown has written this text on Harvey nearly a decade and a half after his death. With no first hand account to work with, Brown looks under every stone to find every fine detail about the great Montreal Canadiens defenseman. He interviews everyone from the obvious, such as family and former teammates, to the unlikely, such as a former regular student of the Doug Harvey Hockey School. Brown wants as many opinions and memories on Harvey as he can get, including from many angles and tangents that most of use would never even think of.

While his research may be academically impressive, Brown then goes about telling the story of Doug Harvey with a writing style that is easy and flowing, more so than his other books. He has found the artistic ability to recreate history with his writing. You get the sense he is of the highest academic order, but unlike some other such authors, he does not forget his audience. Hiis combination of research and authorship should be mandatory studying not only for sports biographers, but all biographers.

Brown would probably be the first to suggest that the book is amazing because Doug Harvey's story was amazing. Was it ever.

Doug Harvey was an athletic natural if there ever was one. He grew up in Montreal's West End a three sport star, arguably better at baseball and especially football than hockey. He turned down professional offers to play both of those sports in order to pursue a career with the Montreal Canadiens.

And what a career it was. The perennial All Star and seven time winner of the Norris Trophy as the best defenseman in hockey was an obvious choice for the Hockey Hall of Fame. With his brilliant passing and ability to control any game he was the cornerstone of the legendary Montreal Canadiens that won five Stanley Cups in a row. in the 1950s Most people still consider him the second best defenseman of all time, and one of the top 10 players in all of hockey history. Many of the oldtimers will tell you he was better than Bobby Orr.

Off the ice he was perhaps more fascinating, although often tragically. He was very much his own man, never one to tow the line and do what was expected. No, he was very much a rebel. He was an outspoken critic of the hockey establishment and, along with Ted Lindsay, the driving forced behind the attempted formation of a players union in the late 1950s. He was labeled a maverick and a troublemaker, aloof and enigmatic, but deep down he was a caring, generous, and in his own way a very funny man. But he was very much his own man.

Harvey continued to march to the beat of his own drum after hockey too. On the night he was supposed to attend his Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony, he chose to go fishing. Later on in life he lived in an old rail car. It was not the cold and abandoned rail car that some sources will have you believe, though. It was actually quite stately - it belonged to Canadian Prime Minister John Diefenbaker and was formerly used to transport royal guests.

Harvey lived a nomadic life, almost as if he was lost after hockey. His heavy drinking days dated back to his time in the NHL, but it got out of hand in retirement. He became fatally ill with cirrhosis of the liver. Also, much too late in life, he doctors suspected he was, which could explain his severe depression and mood swings.

I think what I like best about this book is that unlike some other Harvey biographers, Brown does not portray Harvey's descent as sad and tragic. That's because Brown got to know Harvey better than anyone else, and as such he inherently knew that even in his toughest times Doug Harvey never viewed himself that way.

It's all here in William Brown's excellent book Doug: The Doug Harvey Story. From his one ice brilliance to his off ice troubles, one thing is obvious: Doug Harvey was one of hockey's most interesting personalities.

The Montreal Maroons by William Brown

William Brown easily captures my admiration as one of the most thorough writers and researchers in the hockey book market. He goes to painstaking lengths to find every last detail. That meticulous work is impressive his writing could serve as a university text book, it is an excellent read for those interested in his subject. For passive or younger fans, this book may be a bit of a hard read though, as it packed with details of an era long gone.

The title of the book I'm reviewing today immediately appears to limit those interested in his subject. The book is titled The Montreal Maroons: The Forgotten Stanley Cup Champions, but in reality this is a book about early hockey history in Montreal, specifically the early pro history and early NHL history. It is a fascinating time period piece from say 1910 through the arrival of Rocket Richard in the 1940s. It is not so much about a forgotten hockey team, but about a forgotten and intense and historically important rivalry.

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For 14 glorious seasons, NHL hockey's greatest rivalry was between two teams in the same city. Their fierce but short battle shaped hockey history forever.

Many people consider Montreal to be the greatest hockey city in the world, and I would certainly never argue against that. There is no more revered team in hockey history than the Montreal Candiens. The Flying Frenchmen are the most storied team in hockey history.

But back before there was a NHL and during the NHL's first couple of decades, the city of Montreal was divided. Les Canadiens were the champions of the French. But anglophone hockey dated back much further. Over the years English speaking Montreal was represented by several teams, most notably MAAA Winged Wheelers, the Victorias, the Shamrocks, McGill University and the Wanderers, all predecessors of the Montreal Maroons.

As the NHL formed and emerged as kings of the professional hockey scene, the Maroons and Canadiens battled to epic heights. Their battles were so fierce that oldtimers reminisce about the "classics of hockey hate" and the "searing hatred that split the city's hockey populace in two." Their rivalry also helped shape the NHL and the evolution of hockey right across Canada.

The book opens by retracing this English hockey history in the city, with brief looks at each of the aforementioned English teams, and follows up by looking at the French history, which basically looks at the earliest history of the Montreal Canadiens.

All of this history is necessary for the reader to understand the deep rooted history of the English - French rivalry. Hockey certainly did not create Quebec's cultural tensions, but it was a main vehicle for it in Montreal during this time.

Finally we get to the Maroons. The Maroons were the most successful English team in Montreal, and the original tenants of the famed Montreal Forum. Twice they won the Stanley Cup. The team featured many of hockey's all time greats - Clint Benedict, Lionel Conacher and the S Line - Nels Stewart, Babe Siebert and Hooley Smith. Brown focuses on these key figures and the Maroons involvement in several key NHL moments in history.

The book goes on to ride the highs and lows of the Montreal Maroons existence, mostly in comparison to the cross town rivals. The book looks at the deep-pocketed and free-spending Maroons days of the 1920s through to their struggles and ultimate demise in the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Brown also includes some fascinating memorabilia, such as old newspaper advertisements, programs, cartoons, cards and photos.

What It Means To Be A Red Wing by Kevin Allen and Art Regner

It has often been said that the Detroit Red Wings are more than just a hockey team. They are a family.

This rings through especially nowadays under the stewardship of owner Mike Illitch, who the players all rally around and for. But this family tradition has been around for past great Detroit Red Wings teams, too, albeit sometimes under very different circumstances. Back in the 1950s the Detroit Red Wings were a powerful Stanley Cup dynasty, perhaps the best ever. They, too, were a closely knit group, often compared by the players themselves to a family. Only those players rallied in unison against their boss, Jack Adams.

Either way, family is a great way to describe the atmosphere that has been cultivated in Hockeytown over the years. Several generations of hockey players and coaches can attest to that personally, as evidenced Kevin Allen and Art Regner's 2006 book What It Means To Be A Red Wing. The 322 page hardcover book was published by Triumph Books.

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The book celebrates the long Red Wings history through the words of the personalities who created it. First person accounts from dozens of Red Wings greats spanning seven decades relive Red Wings history while describing their own experiences and memories. It is a fascinating undertaking for serious Red Wings fans and for hockey history afficionados.

Since no players from the 1920s or 1930s remain with us, the book starts in the 1940s and 1950s. We go back to a very foreign time of hockey and life, at least for most us. We learn about the building of one of hockey's greatest dynasties from the likes of Ted Lindsay, Red Kelly, Marty Pavelich, Marcel Pronovost, and Benny Woit, amongst others.

The book continues through the dark and lean years of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Though on-ice success was not easy to find for that elongated period of time, the great stories are nonetheless fascinating. We get to hear from Bill Gadsby, Bugsy Watson, Vaclav Nedomansky, Reed Larson, Shawn Burr, Tim Cheveldae, Greg Stefan and Jacques Demers plus 15 more.

Then we move into the great 1990s and the turn of the century - the return to glory for Hockeytown. Nicklas Lidstrom, Kris Draper, Chris Osgood, Brendan Shanahan, Martin Lapointe, Scotty Bowman,Kirk Maltby, Chris Chelios, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg are amongst the contributors.

Don't worry, Steve Yzerman is very much accounted for in this book, too. The book opens with a foreword by Yzerman, which doubles as his chapter.

Of course by this point you'll notice a few notable ommissions.

Some are understandable. Key names like Terry Sawchuk, Sid Abel, Black Jack Stewart and Pete Babando passed long ago. More modern ommissions are more disappointing. Mickey Redmond, Gerard Gallant, Igor Larionov, Joey Kocur and especially Sergei Fedorov and Bob Probert are sorely missed by fans reading this book.

In all likelihood the authors undoubtedly campaigned for contriubtions from these players, but for whatever reasons they were declined. That is likely what happened in the case of the most glaring ommission of them all - Gordie Howe.

I'm purely speculating here, but I suspect Howe declined to contribute this book for financial reasons. He has his own book out, and would rather have those who are willing to pay to read his reflections buy his book. Howe has been trying to cash in on his celebrity in his later years. You certainly can not blame him, as he mostly missed the big money era and has had to try to cash in on his name and status to provide for his family.

This is a very special book for any fan of the Detroit Red Wings, but it is forever incomplete without the reflections of the greatest Red Wing of them all. He is represented well throughout the book, through the many collected memories of those he played with and those who followed. We can live without Fedorov's or Probert's thoughts, but not without Gordie Howe's.

Some Special Stories.

Here's just a few hints of the stories you will find inside What It Means To Be A Red Wing:

Steve Yzerman talks about arriving in Detroit and the infectious enthusiasm Mike Illitch and Jimmy Devellano were instilling in Detroit.

Mike Illitch talks about growing up a Wings fan and about the incomparable Gordie Howe.

Red Kelly remembers the great times at Ma Shaw's rooming house, where he, Howe, Marty Pavelich, Ted Lindsay and later Metro Prystai lived and formed the strongest of bonds.

Coach Jimmy Skinner defends his boss, the hated Jack Adams.

Bill Gadsby shares his story of how Gordie Howe's thumb broke the jaw of Montreal's J. C. Tremblay.

Hard shooting Reed Larson recalls how his shot broke the same pane of glass in Philadelphia and injured the same fan in consecutive years.

Shawn Burr tells a disturbing story of Sergei Fedorov in a speedo.

Scotty Bowman compares the 1990s Red Wings to his 1970s Montreal Canadiens.

Nicklas Lidstrom is extremely thankful for the various attributes he learned from his many defense partners over the years.

Kris Draper talks about being traded for $1.

Chris Osgood recalls the night he fought Patrick Roy.

A Season Of Loss, A Lifetime Of Forgiveness: The Dan Snyder and Dany Heatley Story by John Manasso

When Atlanta Journal-Constitution hockey writer John Manasso's book Season of Loss, A Lifetime of Forgiveness: The Dan Snyder and Dany Heatley Story came out back in 2005 (courtesy ECW Press), I must admit I wanted nothing to do with it. It was one of the few hockey books I did not buy that year.

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The tragic accident and the loss of Dan Snyder's life is pretty serious and depressing stuff, and I elected to pass on it. I did not want to deal with it at all back then, tuning out news casts and passing on print and online articles. It was just too sad.

It was not until 2007 that I picked up a copy of the text, and even then I only did because I found it in a bargain bin of a Vancouver used bookstore. Don't tell Manasso - I got it for only $2.

Even then I still was not prepared to deal with the story. I put it on my shelf and did not pull it back out until now, the summer of 2008.

For reasons I still can not ascertain, I suddenly felt that I was ready to deal with the story. It may have something to do with Luc Bourdon's tragic motorcycle death this summer. As a Canucks fan, I knew a bit about Luc Bourdon and what a great kid he was. I knew next to nothing about Dan Snyder, and I think I felt guilty about that. I guess it was time that I finally honour Dan Snyder's memory and learn as much as I could about Dan Snyder and his amazing family.

There is no better place to do exactly that than Manasso's A Season Of Loss. It is an expertly penned book that looks beyond the life and tragic death of Snyder, but also into Dany Heatley's ordeal and how the Snyder family forgave him and welcomed him into their home.

The book opens with the infamous Ferrari crash, which is a little abrupt but somehow very fitting. After all it is here where most of us will remember Dan Snyder. It certainly grabs the reader's attention right away. Manasso even includes transcripts of the 911 call by the first person on the scene. I must admit that I tried to read through that, but I skipped ahead because I was not ready for that much realism.

The next two chapters take turns looking at the two main characters of the story - Snyder and Heatley. The two are portrayed as very different people off the ice, almost as different as they are on it. But Snyder and Heatley, the driver of the Ferrari, became the best of friends and will be forever intertwined in history.

As much as this is Dan Snyder's story and the Snyder family's story, this is also very much Dany Heatley's story. Somehow he survived the crash with a broken jaw, a minor concussion, a bruised lung, bruised kidney, and three torn ligaments in his right knee, but every day of his life he has to live knowing his mistake took the life of his best friend.

Manasso does a good job of trying to tie the stories of Snyder and Heatley together. He had no easy job in doing that either, as Heatley declined to participate in the book's creation, never even answering Manasso's requests for interviews. Of course, at the time Heatley faced lengthy legal battles, and he was advised to say nothing at all to the media by his lawyers.

After establishing the characters and their great bond, the book returns us to the hospital where Snyder fights for his life but ultimately can not hold on. The funeral is held back in Elmira, Ontario, a tiny Mennonite community that is greatly shaken by their hero's death.

The final several chapters, which represents the bulk of the book, turns to the story of the community's healing process, and of course especially that of the Snyder family. The Snyders were quick to publicly forgive Heatley, something that surprised many people. They did not just publicly support him, they brought him into their home and they helped each other heal together.

I'll admit, the chapters about healing and forgiveness and justice were a bit laborious, but that is completely my fault, not Manasso's. It goes back to my feelings that prevented me from reading this book for three years. Even when I read it I could not understand (I did not want to understand?) how this family was able to embrace forgiveness and accept what had happened so quickly. Perhaps this is because I do not want to ever find myself in their position. I don't want to relate to them.

Because of my own misgivings I was not able to invest my full emotions into this book, making it at times a tough read. I almost want to apologize to Manasso because he did an absolutely fantastic job authoring this book, but I am not yet fully able to appreciate all that it is worth.

I think the thing I may take away from this book the most is the quote by Snyder's junior teammate Ryan "Sticks" Christie.

"Nothing Loved Is Ever Lost."

Undoubtedly some great and famous philosopher actually coined that phrase, but Christie is the one who taught it to me. What a comforting thought to carry with us through not only loss, but how we approach every day we live.

The Dan Snyder story is a sad one. But at the same time it is a hopeful story.

Between The Lines by Ray Scapinello

I thought about creating a list of the greatest NHL referees and linesmen of all time. Oh sure, I could have rattled off some Hall of Fame names like Bill Chadwick and Frank Udvari, or Bill McCreary or Ron Foyt, John D'Amico or Ron Asselstine.

But to actually try to identify the best on-ice officials would be an incredible slap in the face of the many greats who have blown NHL whistles.

Let's face it, officiating a NHL hockey game has to be the toughest job in all of refereedom. You never have a home game. Everyone, and I mean everyone from fans to coaches to most players, disagrees with you, usually loudly and using choice language. That isn't uncommon in other sports, but hockey is a far faster game than most, and historically rule interpretations have been quite subjective.

In addition to dealing with the intense scrutiny, NHL officials have to anticipate the play ahead of time to avoid violent collisions with monstrous players and to dodge frozen rubber bullets travelling 100 miles an hour at their heads and other body parts.

Oh yeah, and you have to break misunderstandings between professional and usually ill-tempered fighters.

No, to name just a few officials as the best of the best would be a disservice to the many who deserve mention. But there is one official who deserves special mention, and that would be linesman Ray Scapinello.

If I could choose from any official in history to run my dream game, Ray Scapinello would definitely be on the lines. He set untouchable NHL records: 33 seasons, 2500 consecutive games, 426 playoff games and 20 Stanley Cup finals. He was the NHL's choice to officiate in the 1998 Olympic games and was immediately inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He never missed a single game.

Over all of those years "Scampy" saw a lot of hockey and a lot of hockey players. In 2006, with the help of writer Rob Simpson, Scapinello shared his memories in his book Between the Lines: Not-So-Tall Tales From Ray "Scampy" Scapinello's Four Decades in the NHL . This 2006 book was published by Wiley.

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The book opens with "The Essential Scampy," which pays tribute to his meticulous devotion to professionalism, his undeniable respect he's earned from all walks of life, and his passion and love for the game and for people.

The book moves into the greatest games he was ever a part of, notably the 1994 Stanley Cup finals and the 1998 Olympic games. But to remember the greatest games is not really what officials are all about. After all, they don't want to be remembered as part of any game. If they are, it is almost certainly for controversial reasons. Moreover, the very approach of an official myopic as they immerse themselves in the subtle intricacies of the game, not the grand moments.

Scapinello does talk about the most controversial, and therefore perhaps most memorable game that he was a part of. He was one of the officials in the 1988 playoffs that refused to work a game after New Jersey Devils' coach Jim Schoenfeld was allowed to stand behind the bench. Schoenfeld had previously been suspended for the game for his abusive antics against officials in the previous game. After a court injunction allowed him to coach the game, referee Dave Newell walked out, and Scapinello and Gord Broseker stood up for the officials too, as did back up referee Dennis Morel. The game would go on, using hastily-found amateur referees decked out in bright yellow jerseys. Scapinello's memories of Yellow Sunday are worth peeking at this book.

The book then goes into his life as a youth and his own failed hockey career. He was a player that officials normally hate to deal with - a pint-sized agitator with a big mouth. In his early 20s, while working an office job with General Electric, he got into refereeing as a way to stay in hockey and to earn some extra cash. It would not take long for him to move up the ranks.

He then moves on to talk about fights - the chapter every fan wants to read about. Scapinello was a tiny guy at 5'7" and 165lbs. How did he manage to break up the biggest and baddest men on ice? It turns out he did the job with a lot of good timing and even more respect from the heavyweights.

Scapinello calls Tie Domi as the toughest fighter, pound for pound. He also ranks Bob Probert right up there. he talks about some of more famous fights he had to break up, including some bench clearing brawls. He suggests that those 1970s brawls "probably looked a lot worse than they actually were." He was involved in two of the most famous: The night Mike Milbury scaled the glass and began to beat a spectator with a shoe, and the night the Flyers ganged up on Colorado Rockies defenseman Mike Christie. Scapinello also remembers Jack McIlhargey, Steve Durbano, and breaking up Domi/Probert II.

Interestingly, Scapinello admits to loving the fights and the combatants.

"I think most officials enjoy the fights. It's the only time an official can kind of be a fan."

Scapinello goes onto talk about the changes in hockey he had witnessed in his 33 years in the league. He passes on some secrets of his success and shares many laughs, particularly when recalling some practical jokes over the years.

I do have some issues with this book, however.

This may come across as nitpicking, but the use of margins in the book is not at all appealing. There is too much white space, at least on the hard cover edition I reviewed. There is a reason why most books follow the tried and true rules of typesetting, and that is to make the book optimally readable. I found the book hard to get into for this exact reason.

The book isn't a true autobiography. Simpson writes the book about Scapinello, rather than writing in first person for Scapinello. I'm not a big fan of this approach. Somehow a properly written book in first person gives the reader a lot more insight and attachment to the main character. I never really got that in Between The Lines.

But I think the biggest problem with the book is it wanders off from Scapinello far too often. Though this is supposed to be Scampy's story, the unselfish Scapinello shares his spotlight and pays homage to his co-workers a lot. While this may be his way of thanking his fellow officials, sharing memories of all these other referees and linesmen only takes away from Scapinello's story. There are some great stories from some of the greatest NHL officials, but they are not all Scapinello's, which only serves to seperate the reader from any growing attachment to the main character.

Ray Scapinello is the longest serving and the most respected NHL official of all time. He has enough stories to fill a volume of books. The other officials should have gotten their own book deal instead of interrupting Scapinello's story.

Brodeur: Beyond The Crease

He is a three-time Stanley Cup winner. He is an Olympic gold medallist and a four time Vezina trophy winner as the NHL's best goalie. Before all is said and done he will be the NHL's winning goalie and all-time shut out king. The Hall of Fame awaits him.

And now Martin Brodeur is an author, too.

Brodeur released his autobiography in 2006, with a little help from top hockey writer Damien Cox. The book, called Brodeur: Beyond the Crease, was published by Wiley. In 2007 separate Canadian and American paper back editions were released.

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His autobiography is certainly premature. After all he has already put in great seasons after the book's release and he is showing no signs of slowing down just yet. But he offers a lot of insight and opinion on a wide range of topics and is worthy of a read.

As the Beyond The Crease subtitle suggests, Brodeur had things to say, and this was his preferred way to communicate them.

Don't forget back in 2006 the NHL was coming out of the lost lockout season, so there was plenty on his mind. He talks at length about many aspects of the business of the game, from the lock-out to agents to the salary cap to Lou Lamoreillo.

The book even opens with a chapter entitled "A Company Man" where Brodeur explains his own contract he himself negotiated, a contract that was criticized by agents, the NHLPA and even some players as being too far below market value and therefore hurting players across the league.

He goes on to thoroughly offer his insight of the game on and off the ice, never afraid to make suggestions to make the game better. He gives us an inside peek at the life of a professional athlete, as well as running through the mostly ups and few downs of his career from the New Jersey to the Olympics. He gives advice to kids, talks about players and other goaliesaround the league and gives his thoughts on the direction the sport needs to head next.

But the book offers more than just hockey. In a very personal and likable fashion he openly talks about his cherished youth and his relationship with his father, an Olympic goalie-turned-hockey-photographer who is a bit of a hockey legend in his own right. He even weighs in on topics such as Quebec and Canada, life in America, and life as a celebrity.

Two things are obvious in reading this easy page turner - Brodeur has a lot to say, and he's a really genuine and open guy. His passion for the important things in his life is so obvious you can almost see a twinkle in his eye as you read his words.

All in all this easy-to-read book is solid though honestly not spectacular. Brodeur does not shovel a lot of dirt (although he does rip Patrick Roy pretty good), but he is very open about a wide variety of topics, ensuring even non-Brodeur fans something to take away from the book.

I would recommend this to any hockey fan, even juvenile readers. For adults it may be more of a time-passing, light read on a long trip or sitting by the fire waiting for the game to start.

2008 Hockey Book Preview: Saving Face - The Art And History Of The Goalie Mask

The book: Saving Face: The Art and History of the Goalie Mask, Hardcover 160 pages
The Authors: Jim Hynes, Gary Smith
Foreword: Gerry Cheevers
The Publisher: Wiley
Release Date: September, 2008
Pre-order: Amazon - Chapters

Book Description

The game of hockey changed forever when the legendary Jacques Plante donned a face mask on November 1, 1959, and kept it on for good. From those early, primitive leather masks, the goaltender’s mask has evolved into what it is today—a high-tech piece of protective equipment and a thing of beauty. Today’s goaltending stars owe a debt of thanks to the original mask makers. Saving Face is the story of those who developed, championed, and continuously improved the most unique and …+ read moreThe game of hockey changed forever when the legendary Jacques Plante donned a face mask on November 1, 1959, and kept it on for good. From those early, primitive leather masks, the goaltender’s mask has evolved into what it is today—a high-tech piece of protective equipment and a thing of beauty.

Today’s goaltending stars owe a debt of thanks to the original mask makers. Saving Face is the story of those who developed, championed, and continuously improved the most unique and intriguing piece of equipment in all of sports. These original creators, some of them goalies themselves, experimented with crude materials like plastic and fiberglass in basement workshops, making ace molds of plaster to ensure the masks fit. Sometimes they even created works of art.

The goalie mask has become the most recognizable piece of sporting equipment in the world. In the realm of sports, where uniforms are intended to make everyone on a team look the same, the goalie mask is highly personalized and truly unique. Today, every NHL goalie is identifiable by his mask and the original artwork on it. Iconic and emblematic of not just the individual player, but also the team and the game, the goalie mask holds appeal for every hockey fan.

Saving Face explores the fascinating history, art, and craft of the goalie mask, how it was made in the past and how it is constructed today. Archival photographs from Jacques Plante to Gerry Cheevers, Ken Dryden, and Tony Esposito, illustrate the evolution of the mask from rudimentary leather masks and pretzel masks to the early classic masks, and the high-tech marvels of today. This book includes a wealth of fascinating information, featuring sidebars throughout on famous masks, famous goalies, mask construction, and mask artists and mask makers.

Goalie masks are above all a visual delight, and Saving Face illustrates the text richly with over 150 archival black-and-whites as well as colour photographs, of some of the most unique and beautiful masks in the world of hockey today. Saving Face highlights the work of some of the world’s most famous mask artists and mask makers in action shots and stunning stills and features commissioned photographs from the Hockey Hall of Fame’s unparalleled collection of masks.

Goalies are notoriously quirky characters. This book explores the mystique of their world, their thinking, and their personal tastes and touches. Each chapter looks at the greatest masks of that era, the goalies behind them…and the mask makers behind them.

About The Authors

Jim Hynes is a freelance writer and editor. Gary Smith has crafted masks for CBC's Canada-Russia '72 and for the movie Miracle.

Joe's Note

When Wiley sent me their Fall 2008 trade catalog my first impression was "Wow! These guys put out a lot of books."

I did not even find the sports section in my first flip through. My girlfriend did. The first thing she said was "They stole my hockey book idea!"

For the past year or so she's been bugging me to write another book of my own, and she wanted me to do a beautiful picture book of the artwork of goalie masks. It was a brilliant idea, I told her, but I did not have the connections or time to tackle the project.

It truly is a brilliant idea, and Wiley and the authors are going to hit a home run with this book. If the photography inside is anywhere near as good as the cover images then there is a good chance this book will be the top hockey book of 2008!

Star Power: The Legend And Lore Of Cyclone Taylor

Star Power: The Legend and Lore of Cyclone Taylor by Eric Zweig is another in the Lorimer juvenile non-fiction sports history. Other hockey titles include Long Shot: How the Winnipeg Falcons won the first Olympic hockey gold, also by Zweig, Pink Power: The First Women's Hockey World Champions by Lorna Schultz Nicholson and Small Town Glory: The story of the Kenora Thistles' remarkable quest for the Stanley Cup by John Danakas and Richard Brignall.

Star Power is a biography of hockey's first coast-to-coast superstar. Cyclone Taylor amazed with his skating speed, his puck handling trickery and his goal scoring. In the early 1900s and 1910s he played all across Canada, making him equally famous in Ontario as in BC. Everyone knew Cyclone Taylor was hockey's best player.

There is no doubt that Cyclone Taylor was a legend. The author admits much of the Cyclone story is exactly that - legend. His hockey career was so long ago that it not only pre-dated video and even many written archives, he even pre-dates the National Hockey League itself. Many of the stories that make Cyclone Taylor a legend are not verifiable, and may be nothing more than myth.

All of that should make for a great story, but I think it misses the mark in this juvenile fiction piece, at least in comparison to the Winnipeg Falcons and the Canadian women's team in other books in the Lorimer series.

The Falcons and women were classic underdogs, an easy sell to readers of any age. Taylor was a hired gun in a very foreign time, a vagabond star who was never around long enough to develop attachment. And because of that it would be tough for any author to lure a young reader in right off the bat like Zweig accomplished with the Falcons.

If your child is interested in hockey history, then Star Power is an ideal title. Even if you are an adult looking for a quick read on the legend of Cyclone Taylor then Star Power is a great pick up.

The book is 128 pages split into ten chapters. There are four black and white photos inside the book, including Taylor in the uniforms of the Ottawa, Listowel and Vancouver. There are also numerous tidbits of fascinating facts and highlights of hockey history.

Pink Power by Lorna Schultz Nicholson

Author Lorna Schultz Nicholson takes a look at the very first women's world hockey championships back in 1990 in her juvenile non-fiction title Pink Power: The First Women's Hockey World Champions. It is published by Lorimer.

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Why pink? Because Canada made the controversial decision to dress its National Women's Team in pink and white as opposed to the customary red and white. The idea was to draw attention to the women's game, but it almost backfired as the pink offended many. But by doing so women's hockey was the talk of the hockey world, drawing media and public attention to the series. Immediately following Canada's gold medal and fantastic showing at the first championships registration in girls' hockey went up 40%.

In the book Nicholson introduces some of the key players and looks at the obstacles they had to overcome to play hockey. She also looks at the hurdles women's hockey in general had to face. She follows the team from the selection process through to the gold medal win. She also offers a very interesting "Where are they now" chapter to conclude the book.

Pink Power is part of the RecordBooks series published by James Lorimer & Company, Ltd. The series also includes Star Power: The Legend and Lore of Cyclone Taylor, Small Town Glory: The story of the Kenora Thistles' remarkable quest for the Stanley Cup and Long Shot: How the Winnipeg Falcons won the first Olympic hockey gold.

But Pink Power is the best of the series, largely because of the author's skills in writing to a juvenile audience.

Lorna Schultz Nicholson, a former sports journalist turned writer, is a very accomplished writer in the genre, both fiction and non-fiction.

She co-authored Cassie Campbell's fantastic 2007 release H.E.A.R.T. and in 2008 she will be offering Fighting for Gold: The Story of Canada's Sledge Hockey Paralympic Gold. She also has books on Dany Heatley and the 2002 Women's Olympic hockey team coming out soon.

Nicholson, who is married to Hockey Canada president Bob Nichoslon also penned a series of very popular hockey novels for Lorimer's Sports Stories books. You may recognize titles like Cross-Check!, Too Many Men, Northern Star, Delaying the Game, Against the Boards, Roughing, Interference, and Holding. Against the Boards, Interference and Roughing were Canadian Children's Centre Our Choice selections with Roughing also shortlisted for the Golden Eagle Children's Choice Book Award.

As none other than Wayne Gretzky suggests, Nicholson's books "really teach the importance of having good values both in hockey and life."

You can't go wrong by including a few of Lorna Schultz Nicholson's books in your kid's Christmas stockings.