Skip to main content

The Stick by Bruce Dowbiggin

When I heard of the 260 page book about the hockey stick, I must admit to being a bit skeptical. How could an author carry the reader's attention for that long about a single piece of hockey equipment?

That was the task facing Bruce Dowbiggin, and he handled it masterfully. Dowbiggin is a very accomplished columnist and beat writer with several book titles on his resume, but none of them rank as high on my list of favorites as 2001's The Stick: A history, a celebration, an elegy.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca | chapters.indigo.ca | Amazon.com

Dowbiggin opens by exploring the hockey stick's origins among the Mi'kmaq indians of Nova Scotia. He moves on to the mass produced wooden weapons to the evolution to graphite and composite sticks that have rendered the wooden hockey stick extinct, at least at serious levels of play.

That is all expected, and dutifully chronicled but in a way that is far more interesting than you would expect. He brings in narratives, often first hand, of some key players in the stick's evolution. Players like Stan Mikita, Bobby and Brett Hull, Wayne Gretzky, Guy Lafleur, Ken Dryden and a host of more modern warriors like Adam Oates, Eric Lindros and Jeremy Roenick. It is the player's doting attention to their craft's main tool that makes the story of the stick so interesting.

Equally interesting is how the stick's evolution has greatly impacted the evolution of the game itself. Dowbiggin makes an interesting case that no other on-ice development has had such significant contribution to the game over the years.

Dowbiggin does try to connect the story of the hockey stick to the story of Canada. He writes the book with the purpose of defending the hockey stick as "a quintessentially Canadian symbol," calling the stick "as Canadian as maple syrup and the call of the loon." I do not think the book completely makes that connection because in order to properly chronicle the history of the stick the author needs to cover the increasing globalization of the industry.

This book is nothing short of excellent, appealing to readers who enjoy sports reminiscing as well as readers who prefer more in depth cultural and societal analysis. For me, that is what every great hockey book should strive to accomplish.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca | chapters.indigo.ca | Amazon.com

Comments

jchi said…
I agree, this is a wonderful treatment of what could have been a very dry subject. I noticed a couple of factual errors that drove me crazy though. Perhaps they were corrected in a later edition.

In one place, Dowbiggin says, "Fittingly, Hextall — the grandson of Hall of Famer Bryan Hextall and son of Bryan Hextall Jr. — became the first goalie credited with an NHL goal (he was the last Philadelphia player to touch the puck before the old Colorado Rockies put one in their own net)."
Had it happened that way, it would certainly have been fitting. But Ron Hextall never played against "the old Colorado Rockies". I think Dowbiggin mistakenly attributed Billy Smith's accomplishment to Hextall. I'm kind of surprised nobody caught this before it was published.

And a little fact-checking thing, when describing J.P. Parise's lunge at the referee in Game 8 of the Canada-Russia series, he identifies West German referee Josef Kompalla as being Czech. Minor, but annoying.

Popular posts from this blog

Free Patrick Roy Books

Wiley is giving away two copies of Patrick Roy: Winning, Nothing Else . This offer is exclusive to readers of HockeyBookReviews.com ! All you have to do is email me the names of three other 2008 Wiley hockey book releases. Here's a helping hint - there are currently 5 2008 Wiley titles reviewed at HockeyBookReviews.com . It's just that easy! Then email your answers to hockeybookcontest@hotmail.com . As always, those with the correct answers are put into a draw, with two lucky winners being selected randomly. One entry per person. Contest is open to North American mailing addresses only. Winners will be announced on October 15th .

Interview With The Author: Kirstie McLellan Day

A couple of weeks ago I named Theo Fleury's book Playing With Fire as the Hockey Book Reviews.com 2009 Book Of The Year . It was a pretty easy choice this year, due to Theo's tragic story, the book's impact and bestselling status. But I was also full of praise for the book's authorship. It is Theo's story, but Kirstie McLellan Day is the book's unsung hero. She understood her subject probably more than she wanted to. By doing so, she kept the emotion and the anger in the text brilliantly. I recently had the chance to chat with Kirstie McLellan Day, seen below with Theo Fleury at a recent book signing. Here's the interview: From one author to another, what is it like to wake up in the morning, look at the bestselling books list in a variety of newspapers/media sources and see your book at the very top?! As you know Joe when you are a storyteller, your main goal is to have people listen to your stories. So it is really gratifying to hear that someone is tou...

Over The Boards by Hayley Wickenheiser

Hayley Wickenheiser, one of the most celebrated figures in hockey, has graced the world with her insightful memoir "Over The Boards: Lessons From The Ice". In this eloquent and deeply personal account, Wickenheiser takes readers on a remarkable journey through her storied career while imparting invaluable lessons learned both on and off the ice. From the outset, Wickenheiser's narrative captivates with its candidness and authenticity. She invites readers into her world, sharing the triumphs and tribulations that have shaped her into the iconic figure she is today. From her humble beginnings in small-town Canada to achieving Olympic glory on multiple occasions, Wickenheiser's story is one of perseverance, passion, and unwavering dedication to the sport she loves. One of the book's greatest strengths lies in Wickenheiser's ability to seamlessly blend personal anecdotes with profound insights into the game of hockey. Through her experiences, readers gain a deepe...