H.E.A.R.T. by Cassie Campbell

When the topic of hockey's greatest leader comes up, the usual suspects are always named: Mark Messier. Steve Yzerman. Phil Esposito. Joe Sakic.

I think the greatest leader in hockey may not even have been a NHL guy. In fact, the greatest leader may not have been a guy at all.

As the long time captain of Canada's national women's team, Cassie Campbell led the nation to two Olympic golds and a world championship. She is one of Canada's all time most decorated athletes, adding 5 more world championships, as well as an Olympic and world championship silver medal to her medal count. She is the only Canadian hockey player to captain back to back Olympic gold medal championships.

And she did all that while earning an honours degree in Sociology and raising 100's of 1000's of dollars for charity.

No one earned more respect as a leader than Campbell. Wayne Gretzky was very complimentary of her as a great hockey leader:

"I was totally impressed with her ability to motivate the Canadian women's team both on and off the ice. Not only did she work hard as a player during the actual games, but she seemed to go above and beyond her duties as captain to try and keep her team together off the ice."

Now that she has retired, Cassie Campbell has dedicated herself to being a true ambassador to not just women's hockey, but all of hockey. She is truly an amazing and inspiring person we can all look up to.

One of Campbell's initiatives is the new book H.E.A.R.T . In the book Campbell shares her secrets of success, and how we can all use not only to be better athletes, but better people.

H is for hard work. E is for experience and education. A is for attitude. R is for responsibility and respect. T is for teamwork. Combined they form the word heart, but they also form success.

And this book isn't all self help talk. She also talks about her many experiences she had while on the national team for 13 years. She includes several great stories, and talks about her teammates and her opponents.

Though the book is considered juvenile literature, this book isn't specifically geared towards kids, although they will be easily draw by it. Adults can also take a lot from this book.

Kids and adults, girls and boys, women and men, hockey fans and non hockey fans will like it and hopefully latch on to the principles quickly.

When asked the question 'who should read this book?' the answer is simple: Everybody.

Hockey Trivia Anyone?

Hey what sports doesn't like a little hockey trivia? And it makes for a perfect small Christmas gift or stocking stuffer.

Well there's no shortage of options of trivia books again this Christmas.

The king of hockey trivia is Don Weekes, author of (by my count) 24 hockey trivia books! In 2007 he's teamed with Greystone Books for two new titles: Shootout Hockey Trivia and Crease-Crashing Hockey Trivia, both selling for under $10!

By the way, here's some Don Weekes trivia for you - Weekes is an award winning television producer-director at CTV Montreal, and his trivia has been used by TV stations, radio stations, websites and magazines all around the world. Most interestingly, his hockey trivia has ended up on cartons of Post cereal and Jell-O Pudding Cups!

Jesse Ross and Raincoast Books offers something a little more geared towards younger fans in the new title: Hockey: Games, Trivia, Quizzes and More! There's trivia, crosswords, matching games, word searches and puzzles. Its a fun book from the author of The Amazing Allstar Hockey Activity Book

There's one more book I think you shouldn't be too hasty to pass over. If you like to read my lead stories at Greatest Hockey Legends.com, you'll probably enjoy Uncle John's Bathroom Reader Shoots and Scores!, published in Canada by Raincoast Books. It's an eclectic collection stories, facts, and more often than not hockey history, the type of stuff I love to headline over at Legends. You'll learn lots in short bursts, and have a lot of fun doing it.

World Of Hockey

In 2008 the International Ice Hockey Federation is holding the world championships in Canada for the very first time. Obviously the worlds clash with the NHL playoffs from a timing stand point, and traditionally the worlds aren't as overly accepted in Canada as they are over in Europe, but somehow it seems odd that hockey's world championships have never been held in the sport's motherland.

What makes it even weirder is 2008 marks the 100th anniversary of the IIHF, a fact I don't think a lot of North American fans realized until recent marketing campaigns.

With the games coming to Quebec City and to Halifax, the IIHF has many commemorative projects in the works, including special events, ceremonies, and interactive exhibits both in person and online. A full list of events can be seen here.

For hockey book lovers, the IIHF has just released a beautiful 228 page coffee table book, World of Hockey: Celebrating a Century of the IIHF. The project was closely directed by Szymon Szemberg and largely written by veteran power writer Andrew Podnieks. The project also had special contributions from some of international hockey's foremost experts, including my buddies Lucas Aykroyd and Patrick Houda.

The book chronicles the worldwide growth of the game hockey, concentrating most of its attention outside of North America. It examines how hockey developed in Europe and elsewhere from an aristocratic game into a 65 member nations that comprise the IIHF today. Every nation, even Argentina, India and South Africa, are given time in this undertaking.

The book is incredibly readable, and highly educational. It opens with a look at the birth of hockey in Montreal, and moves to the birth of what became the IIHF.

Houda writes chapter 2, "Canada shows Europe how to play the game." It is simply eloquent writing, smooth and flowing, but with typical Houda trivia facts thrown in. As with anything Houda contributes, you will find yourself learning the most interesting of facts, such as the story of Romania's Prince "Bazu" Cantacuzino, decorated athlete and war hero.

The book moves on through the decades, looking at the rise and collapse of an early Czechoslovakian powerhouse and then the sheer dominance of the Soviets. The modern era featuring the end of hockey's power balance is perfectly featured, with looks at recent successes by Czech Republic, Slovakia, Canada and Sweden.

The book is laid out beautifully, with a great selection of photos. The opening collage of all the various national team jerseys captures your interest immediately, but my favorite image has to be that of the Hungarian hockey fan on page 176.

The book includes an extensive statistics section, as well as in depth looks at key international hockey legends such Paul Loicq, Harry Watson, Jaroslav Drobny, Harry Sinden, Viktor Tikhonov, Borje Salming, Vladislav Tretiak, Dominik Hasek, Jari Kurri, Ryan Smyth and Peter Bondra. The women's game also is given great coverage.

The IIHF's greatest moments are all featured, including Peter Forsberg’s 1994 Olympic-winning shootout goal, Poland’s shocking 6-4 win over the Soviet Union at the 1976 IIHF World Championship, America's Miracle On Ice in 1980, and, even though it wasn't an IIHF event, the 1972 Summit Series.

All in all World of Hockey a beautiful book and an educational joy for any hockey fan. I highly recommend this book.

By The Numbers: From 00 To 99

Hockey is a game of numbers. Goals. Assists. Penalty Minutes. Salaries, nowadays. But no numbers are more revered than a player's sweater number.

Sweater numbers not only identify players, but forever etch a player into our memory. Think of Wayne Gretzky or Bobby Orr or Mario Lemieux. The numbers on their backs are often as iconic as they are.

Hockey Night In Canada with author Scott Morrison has come out with Hockey Night in Canada By the Numbers: From 00 to 99. The book looks at the great personalities for every number, from 00 to 99. Incredible photography and fast facts make this a beautiful book to thumb through.

Controversy is always a great seller, so this book attempts to do so by ranking who was the best player to wear each number. Such strategy is a brilliant way to spark a lively debate and rekindle a lot of fond memories.

Can anyone catch Bobby Orr for jersey number 4? Not even Jean Beliveau? How fast is Vincent Lecavalier climbing the list?

How about jersey #9, once the most revered number of all? How do you choose from Gordie Howe, Rocket Richard and Bobby Hull?

#19 is another topic of hot debate. Steve Yzerman? Bryan Trottier? Joe Sakic? Larry Robinson?

And how can you possibly choose from all the goalies who traditionally wore #1 or #30?

The story of each player's choice of jersey number is often explained. And there is tons of antectdotal information through out the book. Who else wore #99 and #66? What skaters wore jersey #1?

This is a real fun book, blessed with great production quality and photos, and fascinating information. I really enjoyed this title.

2007 Hockey DVDs

By now fans know me now as The Hockey History Blogger. But my long time readers know me as a big fan of international hockey as well. There's two DVD releases just in time for Christmas 2007 that will have international hockey fans stoked.

The first is '72 Complete gift set is the second major dvd set about the 1972 Summit Series. The first, Canada's Team of the Century: The Best of '72, was a huge success. '72 Complete will cater more to the hard core fans, as the 8 games in the series have already been released and are already in many people's collection. '72 Complete does feature a bonus exhibition game against the Swedes, as well as many new features such as interviews, Hall of Fame coverage, an original documentary, reunion dinner coverage and a feature called Where Were You in '72?. Judging by early results, '72 Complete is going to be another unqualified success. The 1972 Summit Series will never die.

Another favorite international tournament is the World Junior Hockey Championships. Well in Canada's Juniors: The Gold Standard. The WJC's have become a holiday season ritual in Canada and is symbolic of our country’s hockey well-being. 2007 marks the 25th anniversary of Canada's Program of Excellence whereby we sent a national team of our best junior players to dominate tournament history: 13 gold medals thirteen gold medals and ten more medals overall than the nearest rival, Russia. The DVD set includes 6 complete games: Canada vs USSR 1982, Canada vs. Czechoslovakia 1985, Canada vs. USSR 1988, Canada vs. USSR 1991, Canada vs. Sweden 1993 and Canada vs. Russia 2005.

Don Cherry returns with his rock 'em, sock 'em series. We're on Don Cherry 19 now folks! And of course the NHL has to put out their Stanley Cup champions DVD. You can relive all the action of the 2007 Stanley Cup finals in NHL Stanley Cup Champions 2006-2007: Anaheim Ducks. What more could a Ducks fan wish for this holiday season, besides the return of Scott Niedermayer of course!

Speaking of playoffs, who doesn't love game seven? Well, thanks to the NHL, one of the most common stocking stuffers for hockey fans every where will be NHL: Greatest Moments in Stanley Cup History: Game 7 Collection. You can relive six classic game 7's from the Stanley Cup finals. The 6 matches include Edmonton vs Philadelphia in 1987, Vancouver vs. New York Rangers in 1994, Colorado vs. New Jersey in 2001, Anaheim vs. New Jersey in 2003, Tampa Bay vs. Calgary in 2004 and Carolina vs. Edmonton in 2006.

Perhaps you're just looking to relive some classic moments of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Perhaps you're specifically looking to re-experience the magnificence of Mario Lemieux. Well the, The Ten Greatest Games in Pittsburgh Penguins History is definitely for you. The 10 disc collection includes the following games in their entirety:

• May 25, 1991 - Penguins vs. North Stars: Penguins claim their first Stanley Cup®
• April 25, 1989 - Penguins vs. Flyers: Mario explodes for 5 goals and 8 points in epic playoff battle--Pittsburgh's first playoff berth since Mario Lemieux's arrival
• April 9, 1993 - Penguins vs. Rangers: Penguins set NHL® record with 16th consecutive win as Lemieux erupts for 5 goals
• June 1, 1992 - Penguins vs. Blackhawks: Penguins clinch back-to-back Stanley Cups® sweeping the series in 4 games
• April 24, 1996 - Penguins vs. Capitals: The Penguins and Capitals take four overtimes to decide Game Four of the 1996 conference quarterfinals as the Pens come out on top 3-2
• April 13, 1991 - Penguins vs. Devils: Frank Pietrangelo makes what is simply known as 'The Save' in a 4-3 win in Game Six of the Patrick Division semifinals
• May 10, 2001 - Penguins vs. Sabres: Darius Kasparaitis joins the rush and scores the OT winner in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals
• December 27, 2000 - Penguins vs. Maple Leafs: Lemieux emerges from retirement in dramatic fashion with a goal and 2 assists
• December 13, 2006 - Penguins vs. Flyers: Sidney Crosby has a 6 point night to take over the NHL® scoring lead in only his sophomore season
• October 24, 2006 - Penguins vs. Devils: The 18, 19 and 20-year-old trio of Jordan Staal, Sidney Crobsy, and Evgeni Malkin each score a goal; Malkin's being a highlight for the ages, in a 4-2 win over Martin Brodeur and the Devils

The Penguins DVD follows in the footsteps of Philadelphia Flyers 10 Greatest Games, Nhl (National Hockey League): Detroit Red Wings and NHL Original Six Series: NY Rangers 1994 Stanley Cup Champions.

Long suffering Chicago Blackhawks fans have been waiting for the Stanley Cup in 1961. Not too many people remember that championship nowadays, so I'm really excited about The Forgotten Champs. This DVD is the story of the 1961 Stanley Cup Playoffs saw the Chicago Blackhawks battle the Detroit Red Wings for six hard fought games before winning the Stanley Cup for the first time in 23 years.

And finally, Peter Puck is making a comeback. You have to wait until December 4th, 2007, but the complete original series will be available in Peter Puck How to Play the Game. Best of all, it looks quite inexpensive.

There's a whole generation or two that don't really know who Peter Puck is. He was "an overnight success" after his television debut in 1974. Starring on CBC's Hockey Night in Canada and NBC's Hockey Game of the Week, the lovable Peter Puck explained the rules and how to play the game in a comical fashion. Produced by Hanna-Barbera (known for cartoons like The Flintstones and Scooby Doo), Peter Puck is a true classic. Here's hoping he has a bigger comeback than Gordie Howe or Mario Lemieux!

Here's a little snippet of Peter Puck, just for old time's sake.



The above DVDs area all 2007 releases, but there's some old titles that are must haves if you don't already own them:

The Best of Bobby Orr
Sportscentury Greatest Athletes: Wayne Gretzky
Blade Wars - Blades Of Summer Canada Cup '87 Highlights
Blade Wars: Best of 3 Finals 1987 Championship Round, Canada/Russia
Canada Russia 74 Lost Series
Canada Russia '72 - The Mini Series
Maurice Richard: The Rocket (French With English Subtitles)

Of course, hockey fans like big action movies and TV box sets too under the Christmas tree too. I recommend Transformers, Smallville: The Complete Seasons 1-6, Spider-Man 3 (Special Edition) and The Bon Jovi The Lost Highway Concert

Aykroyd Interviews Willes About Canada Cup Book

My buddy Lucas Aykroyd over at Hockey Adventure interviewed Ed Willes about his new book Gretzky to Lemieux: the Story of the 1987 Canada Cup, published by McLelland & Stewart.

Here's just an excerpt:

What were the most surprising and enjoyable discoveries you made during your research for Gretzky to Lemieux?

What stayed with me is the impact this event had on the players and coaches who took part, and that includes Gretzky, Lemieux, Mike Keenan, Igor Larionov–everyone. James Patrick was a fringe player on Team Canada, but he told me about sitting on the bench for over an hour in Game Two, then getting thrown out in overtime and facing a two-on-one against Larionov and Krutov. I checked it out against the tape and, sure enough, that’s exactly what happened. Gretzky could recall individual moments from those games with remarkable clarity. Rick Tocchet told me he’s kept tapes of the games, and when he needs a confidence boost, he watches them.

Read Lucas Aykroyd's full interview at Hockey Adventure

McCown's Law

Forget about all the bad things he did and all the money he stole and all the people he screwed over. We all need to personally send Alan Eagleson a thank you card for all of the good things he did for hockey.

At least that's the argument Bob McCown puts forth in his new book Mccown's Law: the 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments. It is published by Random House and written in connection with Dave Naylor of The Globe And Mail.

McCown is a loudmouthed and very opinionated sports radio host on Fan 590, a Toronto all sports radio station that can be heard around Canada and the United States and in this day and age of satellite radio and internet podcasts, all around the world. The radio show "Prime Time Sports" is also shown on Rogers SportsNet television.

So Mr. McCown is no stranger to Canadians. He's sort of a Don Cherry of the radio. You either love him or you hate him or a combination of both. But like Cherry McCown is an absolute genius when it comes to performing the shtick that he does. McCown is the master of taking any side of an argument, often the least popular side, and arguing that one viewpoint so vehemently and so matter of factly that it almost ticks you off. He's right, and those who don't agree are wrong. No two ways about it. McCown is the master of creating controversy and mayhem, and it sells.

McCown puts together 100 of these arguments in the compelling text McCown's Law: the 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments. He argues that Mark Messier's leadership skills are overrated, that Slovakia might be a better hockey nation than Canada, that we need bigger nets and that women's hockey shouldn't be an Olympic sport.

Yikes. And I've only made mention of 5 of his thoughts. Wait to you get a hold of the whole book. There are weaknesses to many of his arguments, which will make it all the more fun for you and your friends to debate and tear it all apart. And the best part is McCown can't respond to your arguments like he does on air.

Let's go back to the Eagleson affair. I think everyone knows that Alan Eagleson is forever tainted as a crook who stole money from hockey and hockey players for his own gain. He went to jail for it after pleading guilty to various charges and was forced out of the Hockey Hall of Fame.

But Eagleson also did a lot of good for hockey, argues McCown. He had the connections to form a NHLPA years before anyone else ever could have. Despite the generally accepted accusation that he worked with NHL owners to keep salaries down salaries actually increased at a percentage similar to increases in the Bob Goodenow era. He also got things like guaranteed contracts, medical and insurance benefits and a pension plan. He also brought us the 1972 Summit Series, the Canada Cup tournaments, returned Canada to the world championships after nearly a decade hold out, had NHLers admitted to world championship play and was instrumental in creating the world junior hockey championships.

Now Eagleson may have abused his power in some or all of these cases, and there are certainly counter arguments to be made here. But I kind of agree with Mr. McCown here. How about you?