Hockey Book Reviews.com

Recently we discussed Gary Mossman's new book - Lloyd Percival: Coach and Visionary . In many ways it is a book about the most important hockey book ever written. Here is the full book review for further information.  Buy the Book:  Amazon.ca -  Chapters  -  Amazon.com Below is the transcript of an email interview I did with Mr. Mossman about his new book. Question -  What made you decide to write a book about Lloyd Percival? Answer -   Throughout his life, Lloyd Percival helped numerous Olympians, never charging them any money for his time and expertise. He spent the summer of 1952 training the Canadian Olympic canoeing team. The result was a silver medal for Ken Lane and Don Hawgood in the 10,000 meter Canadian Singles - one of only three medals won by Canadians in Helsinki - and later, a close relationship with my father, Jim Mossman, who coached the Canadian Olympic canoeing team throughout the 1960’s and w...

A lot of people know that Anatoli Tarasov is considered to be the great architect of the Soviet hockey empire. But even Tarasov had to learn from someone. That someone was a Canadian coach and author named Lloyd Percival. Percival was Canada's leading expert on fitness through out the mid 20th century. Although he was best known for coaching track and field, he would often make forays into other sports in order to help those athletes attain greatness, too. In 1951 Percival attempted to make a big splash in hockey when he published The Hockey Handbook. Percival was years, even decades, ahead of his time here in Canada.  His book featured the oddest things Canadian hockey coaches and players had ever heard of. Breathing control? Gymnastics? Goal setting? No way, we scoffed. Goal scoring is what we practice! Hall of Fame coach Dick Irvin (no, not the television broadcaster, that is his son) blasted Percival's notions. It was "the product of a three...