NHL Treasures: Third Edition

Dan Diamond and the gang are back for a third go at the very popular The Official NHL Hockey Treasures series:

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From The Publisher: Updated to include the 2012-13 season and the 2014 Winter Olympics, this new edition of The Official NHL Hockey Treasures tells the fascinating history of the sport through hundreds of photographs and an exhaustively researched text. As always, it covers the great players and games, but this title really scores with its awe-inspiring collection of 30 interactive facsimiles of hockey memorabilia—inserted right into the book! The artifacts include 90-year-old newspaper reports from the NHL's first games, letters from the President of the NHL, player contracts (including Gordie Howe's deal to play with his two sons on the Hartford Whalers), collectible hockey cards, and much, much more. Hockey fans will treasure this forever.

Joe's Note: I have the first edition of this series only. It is a pricey acquisition, but a fantastic and enjoyable addition to any hockey fan's den. My question is how different are the follow up editions? The publisher blurb says "updated," which leads me to wonder if it is essentially the same book with just recent additions. Or is it a whole new, must-have experience? Seeing as that the books are sold shrink-wrapped so you can't look inside, I turn to you the audience. Does anyone have all three editions, and how different are they?

Regardless, if you don't have any edition yet, you may want to consider putting this on your Christmas wish list. It is a fantastic hockey keepsake.

Update: Here's what co-author Eric Zweig told us on the new Facebook group, Hockey Books - As the one who did most of the updating (and finally got my name on the cover three editions in!), I'd be hard-pressed to say you NEED to have this if you already have one of the first two editions. That said, some of the text has been re-worked significantly, there are some nice new pictures, and there's a new section about the Winter Classic. If you've got 1 and 2 already, I'd think you'd want 3 to complete the set (though I can't imagine many people bought the second edition if they'd already bought the first.) If you don't have any of them, I'd certainly recommend buying this one. The memorabilia inserts all by themselves are pretty cool!

Super Scorers, Great Goalies And Dominant Defensemen by Eric Zweig

An eye-catching trilogy of kids hockey books (sold separately) by Eric Zweig and the Hockey Hall of Fame. Always a fun read with the kids:

Hockey Hall of Fame Kids series
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Here's more directly from the author: Got back from our trip on Monday to find a box full of my newest hockey books for children. A set of three done for Firefly and their Hockey Hall of Fame series. If you have a boy or a girl within a few years either side of 10, these books are a great way to introduce them to the greats of the game. Focusing mainly on players who played in the 70s, 80s, and 90s (ie, Hall of Famers the parents -- and even grandparents -- of 10 years olds are most likely to have seen play!), there are also "Blasts from the Past" featuring earlier stars, "Modern Matches" pairing Hall of Famers with the stars of today, and photos and memorabilia from the Hall of Fame Archives. I wrote them, so what am I going to say, but honestly, they're really great and very well designed, as are all books from Firefly! Short, easy-to-read text and colourful photos and illustrations. Most book store web sites say they're available beginning today (September 2), so what are you waiting for?

The Big Book of Hockey for Kids by Eric Zweig

Find out EVERYTHING there is to know about hockey!

Who are the "Original Six"? What are some of the most historic hockey games? What jobs are available in the hockey industry, other than being an NHL all-star?

The Big Book of Hockey for Kids will answer all your questions, and more! From the first game (with roots in Irish hurling and Scottish shinty) to the billion-dollar industry it is today — including the evolution of hockey equipment, the Stanley Cup, and every NHL team — fans will learn the complete A to Z of hockey.

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Stanley Cup: 120 Years of Hockey Supremacy by Eric Zweig

Stanley Cup: 120 Years of Hockey Supremacy is the definitive book on the history of the Stanley Cup and the championship teams that have won it.

In honor of the 120th anniversary of the first winner of the Stanley Cup, author Eric Zweig has collected the details of every cup winner from 1893 to present. Hockey fans can chart the course of hockey history and revisit the dynasties and Cinderella stories of each and every decade. Zweig presents each Stanley Cup winner in an illustrated two-page spread, detailing playoff brackets, club rosters and playoff statistics, as well as providing stories and sidebars outlining the incredible journey each team took to achieve hockey supremacy.

Presented between seasons are highlights of some of hockey's best and most controversial playoff moments, such as Brett Hull's "no goal" in the 1999 final or Bobby Baun's overtime winning goal for the 1964 Stanley Cup.

Also included in this expansive volume are personal stories of some of the NHL's best playoff games as recounted by Hockey Hall of Fame legends Bobby Orr, Dave Keon and Ken Dryden, to name a few. Complete with a foreword by Phil Pritchard, the Keeper of the Stanley Cup, and packed with information and over 200 photographs, Stanley Cup is a must have for any hockey fan.

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Every few years we see such a book - same format, layout, idea and everything. Long time hockey book readers will recognize that. Regardless, there is enough interesting stories and a fresh new presentation here to make this book worthy of a good look through. Eric Zweig is the perfect storyteller to breath fresh air into this tried and true hockey book format.

Hockey Trivia For Kids 3

Hockey Trivia for Kids 3: Stanley Cup Edition is the ultimate hockey trivia collection - all about our beloved Cup! How many Stanley Cups are there? Why does the Cup always seem to end up in Mario Lemieux''s pool? What are some of the strangest things that have sat in the Cup bowl? This book answers all of these questions and more - all about our beloved Stanley Cup!

Kids can continue to wow their friends with their amazing hockey knowledge. Chock full of amazing facts delivered in the same style as the previous Hockey Trivia books, this book is a flat-out winner!

About The Author: Eric Zweig''s love of sports and compiling facts about them started early: by the age of ten, he was already filling school notebooks with game reports and statistics. Eric has also worked as a writer and producer for CBC Radio Sports and TSN SportsRadio. He lives in Owen Sound, Ontario, with his wife Barbara.

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Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals by Eric Zweig

Earlier I mentioned the new book Game's Greatest Goals where authors Don Weekes and Kerry Banks look at the top 100 goals in hockey history

In similar fashion, author Eric Zweig's new book is Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals where he, rather obviously, looks at the top twenty goals in hockey history.

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Needless to say these two books directly compete against each other. If pressed, I would have to declare Zweig's title as the winner.

Zweig is does not rank his top 20 goals like Weekes and Banks did, and I'm quite fine with that. I found ranking the top 100 goals to be an exhausting and almost silly exercise. Granted ranking the top 20 is far more manageable but I am quite satisfied with Zweig's chronological listing.

Instead of spending time trying to rank these goals Zweig instead focuses on offering the most research possible on each of his top 20. Weekes and Banks went for quick capsules, while Zweig offers a more satisfying read thanks to full background stories, quotes and fascinating tidbits, not to mention 70 photos.

For example, did you know:

• Bobby Baun's famous goal score with a broken leg was not the final game of that playoff series. In fact, he refused to have his ankle x-rayed after the game so that doctors could not declare him medically unfit to play.
• When Bobby Hull scored his record breaking 51st goal of the season, he was given 51 gifts including a hockey stick studded with 51 diamonds, 51 jars of pickles, 51 weeks' supply of tobacco, and 51 tubes of suntan oil? His wife was given gifts including 51 floor mops, while Brett and the other kids were each given 51 clusters of candy bars!
• That Wayne Gretzky's famous slap shot goal against Calgary's Mike Vernon in 1988 was described by The Great One as his "greatest thrill."
• After scoring 3 goals in 21 seconds, Bill Mosienko hit the goal post 45 seconds later. Also, Gus Bodnar assisted on all three of Mosienko's goals.

Also, reading the commentary of Sidney Crosby and Ryan Miller regarding 2010's famous "Golden Goal" from the Olympics is fascinating.

All in all Eric Zweig and Dundurn Press expertly present the Twenty Greatest Hockey Goals. It is an enjoyable read in which I guarantee you will learn something about each of the famous moments in hockey history.

Here's the specs:

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Dundurn (Oct 18 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1554887895
• ISBN-13: 978-1554887897

Here's more from the publisher:

Every hockey fan remembers certain goals scored that stand out from all others. But if one had to name just 20 as the greatest ever accomplished, what would they be?

There's Paul Henderson's third game-winning goal in 1972, the one that clinched the Summit Series for Canada against the Soviet Union. Also Mike Eruzione's upset "Miracle on Ice" winner for the United States against the Soviets at Lake Placid in 1980. And don't forget the famous Stanley Cup winners by the Toronto Maple Leafs' Bill Barilko in 1951 and the Boston Bruins' Bobby Orr in 1970.


From the goal by the Montreal Victorias against the Winnipeg Victorias in the 1896 Stanley Cup rematch that truly made hockey's most famous hardware a national event, to Wayne Gretzky's 77th goal in 1982 that beat Phil Esposito's single-season record for goals, to Sidney Crosby's "golden goal" in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Zweig serves up a slice of exceptional hockey moments that's sure to provoke heated discussion.

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Fever Season by Eric Zweig

You would have to be living under a rock to not know about the dreaded H1N1 flu virus. Even the hockey world is affected by it. Colorado goaltender Peter Budaj has contracted H1N1.

H1N1 is the worst flu since World War I. Now that Spanish Influenza virus seriously messed with the hockey world. The 1919 Stanley Cup championship series between the Seattle Metropolitans and Montreal Canadiens was cancelled after several players fell ill. Hockey Hall of Famer Bad Joe Hall of Montreal eventually died as he had contracted pneumonia on top of the dread flu.

This real life event serves as the setting for Eric Zweig's new fictional novel Fever Season by Dundurn Press.

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This young adult story is set in early 1919 in the midst of the Spanish Flu has killed 1000s throughout Canada and the United States.

David Saifert is our hero, a thirteen year old English Canadian, who has lost father to WWI and his mother and sister to the flu. Feeling understandably lost and in a desperate panic to avoid the orphanage, young David begins searching for a long lost uncle, who he thinks lives in Seattle.

David gets a job with the Montreal Canadiens and travels with the team to Seattle, where the flu has ravaged the community.

Will David find his family? Will they survive the deadly flu? You're going to have to buy the book to find out!

Zweig is a prolific author, serving as managing editor of Dan Diamond & Associates, who are the consulting publishers of the National Hockey League. Zweig has previously branched out on his own with young adult fiction and kids titles, most notably with Star Power: The Legend and Lore of Cyclone Taylor.

On This Day In Hockey by Eric Zweig

Super author Eric Zweig is a hockey book machine, putting out three new books out in 2009.

The first we'll look at is On This Day In Hockey, published by Scholastic.

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The Scholastic label should quickly indicate that this is a juvenile book, specifically aimed at kids from ages 7 through 12.

The book looks at one famous thing that happened on each day of the year. It's great for young readers who want to know what happened on their birthday, or their friends’ birthdays, or their friends’ friends’ birthdays, etc.

Older readers will have to turn to the internet or some other source if they want more famous feats recorded on a daily basis. Zweig strictly sticks with just one per day, and therefore correctly aims the book at youth.

The book is also stacked with black and white photos throughout, both historical and current. Full page spreads featuring famous events, people, teams and trivia are frequently included in the book, expanding the book into a unique way to learn about the great game of hockey.

No doubt about, this is the book for the kid who is looking to wow his friends, teachers, parents and coaches with amazing facts and stories about Canada's favorite game.

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.

Long Shot: How the Winnipeg Falcons Won the First Olympic Hockey Gold by Eric Zweig

The improbable story of Frank Fredrickson and his childhood friends probably could not be made up by the best of fiction writers.

And that's the best part - the story of the Winnipeg Falcons is completely true. And it is all captured in Long Shot: How the Winnipeg Falcons won the first Olympic hockey goldby Eric Zweig.

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The sons of Icelandic immigrants and friends since boyhood, the Winnipeg Falcons were a superbly talented hockey team of just eight players who brought home Canada's first Olympic gold medal in hockey in 1920. But before they became world champions, the Falcons endured years of prejudice on and off the ice, and several close calls during combat service in World War I. And don't forget life-long infatuations with violins and aviation!

This is the real life story of an underdog hockey team that would not quit and became world champions. It is written by author and renowned hockey historian Eric Zweig.

The book is the quickest of reads, at just 112 tiny pages. It should be noted that Long Shot is classified as juvenile non-fiction. It is a great introduction to the fantastic story, even if you're an adult. But if you're looking for a deeper connection with the characters and events, you will have to look elsewhere.

But make no mistake, this book is thorough. The author even writes "It took me 15 days to write this book . . . but 15 years to do the research."

The tiny book does include 9 black and white photographs, all of which are very interesting. I especially enjoy the photo of the 1920 Swiss Olympic team, with the goaltender wearing the shirt and tie!