Hockey Book Reviews.com

More than four decades after first attempting to tell his story, Dave “The Hammer” Schultz has finally set the record straight. Hammered: The Fight of My Life is a raw, honest, and surprisingly reflective memoir from one of hockey’s most feared and misunderstood enforcers. Written with acclaimed journalist Dan Robson, this new book gives Schultz the voice and depth he was denied back in 1981 — when his first autobiography, ghostwritten by Stan Fischler, left him dissatisfied and misrepresented. In the 1970s, Schultz was the face of the Philadelphia Flyers’ “Broad Street Bullies” — the bruising, brawling teams that brought both fear and back-to-back Stanley Cups to Philadelphia. He was the NHL’s ultimate enforcer, setting records for penalty minutes and embodying the rough-and-tumble ethos of the era. Yet beneath the blood and bravado, there was always a more complicated man, one wrestling with his own identity, guilt, and the consequences of his violent role. Hammered finally gives...

For those who live and breathe goaltending — who understand that the crease is both sanctuary and battlefield — Goalies: Guardians of the Net is a visual and historical treasure. Authored by Denis Brodeur and Daniel Daigneault, this 1997 release is an ambitious and loving tribute to hockey’s most unique and misunderstood position. With more than 150 goaltender biographies and well over 500 action photos, the book serves as both an encyclopedia of puck-stoppers and a photographic celebration of their art. The strength of Goalies: Guardians of the Net lies in its remarkable imagery. Many of the photos are drawn from the vast personal collection of Denis Brodeur, a man who lived a life immersed in the crease and in the rink. Brodeur, a former Canadian Olympic goaltender who backstopped his country to a bronze medal at the 1956 Cortina Games, later became one of the most respected photographers in the NHL. His eye for the position is unmistakable — every frame captures not only the athlet...

As a lifelong fan of the Vancouver Canucks and especially of the electric 1994 squad that came so heart-breakingly close to winning the Stanley Cup, I found the new Gino Odjick biography to be an essential read—not just for its tribute to one of our cult heroes, but for the full portrait it gives of the man behind the jersey, the Indigenous role-model, and the teammate who made a difference on and off the ice. Gino: The Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick profiles one of the most beloved athletes in Vancouver history. It is written by local journalist Patrick Johnston and Gino's close personal friend Peter Leech. It was a must write turned into must read book. Sadly the project happened after Gino's premature death. Gino Odjick arrived in Vancouver as a raw, imposing presence—an enforcer by trade, but quickly becoming so much more. The authors trace his origins from the Algonquin community of Kitigan Zibi (near Maniwaki, Québec) where Gino’s father Joe, himself a survivor of Canad...