Accessed Denied: Forgotten and Future Heroes Of Hockey's Hall of Fame

Hockey fans love to debate. And there are few debates more contentious than Hockey Hall of Fame inductions. How can Bernie Federko be included? Or Clark Gillies? Who is Dick Duff?

Even more contentious is the list of who is not included in the Hockey Hall of Fame. How could they overlook Brendan Shanahan or Rogie Vachon or Pat Burns? We all have our lists of players and builders who we believe should be in the Hall. My current list consists of Eric Lindros and builders James Creighton and Fran Rider.

For the most part, I'm happy with the Hockey Hall of Fame's induction standard right now. They may have lowered the bar for the forwards in recent years, but the standards for goaltenders and defensemen seem about right for me. But I know I am in the minority on that one.

Most people think the Halls standards are too low, and that they should be tightened. Not superfan Kris Kullas. He has written the book Access Denied: Forgotten And Future Heroes of Hockey's Hall of Fame. In it he presents the case for about 150 players on why they should be included in the Hall.

Players like the expected - Vachon, Lindros, Dave Andreychuk, Alex Mogilny, Tom Barrasso and Jean Claude Tremblay. They often are brought up in the annual conversation. But Kullas also makes the cases for King Kong Korab, Murray Oliver, Andre Lacroix, Carol Vadnais and Alexei Yashin. Yes, Alexei Yashin. I have never heard anyone argue these players as Hockey Hall of Famers.

Shockingly, Kullas omits the one man who most often gets brought up in these induction controversies - Paul Henderson. Yet Bill Barilko, a hockey legend who rarely gets brought up in these debates, is sentimentally and prominently featured.

Kullas compared the statistics of all 6000+ players in NHL history. He narrowed down the list by finding non-Hall of Famers with similar statistics to Hall of Famers. He then offers brief cases as to why these players should also be included in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

It's a pretty simplistic approach. The author could have had a hit on his hands - or at least controversial top seller - if he definitively set his own bar for Hockey Hall of Fame inductions and then argued why certain players would make the grade and why select others most definitely would not. Instead he makes brief arguments as to why every player he mentions should be included

The biggest problem with this approach is the statistical comparison is too simplistic. It offers little context on the various eras in hockey history.

Kullas is bang on in his argument that there are not enough coaches in the Hockey Hall of Fame, but too many phony builders like owners. I like his argument for Viktor Tikhonov in particular, and would be willing to listen more intently to the case for Fred Shero, Pat Burns and Mike Keenan. I'll even throw Pat Quinn into the conversation.

He nicely includes a few token Soviet players - Boris Mikhailov, Vladimir Petrov, Sergei Makarov - but misses a lot of international pioneers. Strangely he also argues for Igor Larionov even though he was already inducted in 2008.

I also like his nod to women nominees, though he actually could have mentioned more here - Angela Ruggeiro, Bobbie Rosenfeld and Fran Rider come to mind first and foremost.

The book also looks at lot of recently retired and current players. Again, there are some glaring omissions from the conversation here, too, and some odd selections.

But that's okay. The author states in his introduction that he hopes the book stirs debate and conversations. It certainly will do that!

Access Denied is written by Kris Kullas. Impressively, Stan Fischler and Ron Wicks offer forewords and afterwords. The book is available from Frosted Forest Publishing for $30 plus shipping. The book is not available in stores, but Kullas is hoping to get it into rinks across Canada as a fundraising item for local minor hockey associations.

Marcel Pronovost: A Life In Hockey

Hockey Hall of Fame defenseman Marcel Pronovost has released his autobiography. Written with veteran writer Bob Duff) Marcel Pronovost: A Life in Hockey is a fantastic new release.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

Marcel Pronovost was a fantastic defenseman in the 1950s and 1960s. The Hockey Hall of Famer won an amazing 8 Stanley Cups! A hard hitting, physical defender, he paid dearly with many trips to the hospital. But he was steady defensively and at times spectacular with his rushes out of his own zone. I compare him favourably to a young Ed Jovanovski.

The past couple of years I have found myself quite enamoured with these coffee table style autobiographies. Bobby Hull and Stan Mikita have found critical success with such releases in recent years. Pronovost and Duff are trying to make it a natural hat trick.

I think they succeed with this release, though they will have to fight for it. Though he is a Hockey Hall of Famer, Marcel Pronovost is not a household name like Hull and Mikita. Also, the book does not have the same colorful presentation of the Hull and Mikita books had. The project does have a different publisher after all.

But the book it is loaded with tons of black and white images that nicely capture an era long gone by.. And the writing is very solid. Pronovost recalls his days with Detroit and Toronto, talking about his many battles, big games, and friendships. Of particular interest was his friendship with Terry Sawchuk, which Pronovost dedicates an entire chapter to. He also proudly looks back at his time as a coach and as a scout, for which he is especially proud.

This is a solid book and a great introduction to a Hockey Hall of Famer most fans nowadays are not aware of. Even more knowledgeable fans are sure to learn something in the 200 pages of Marcel Pronovost's memories. If you are interested in players of yesteryear or of the Detroit teams of the 1950s or Leafs teams of the 1960s, you will enjoy this book.

The Hockey News: The Best Of Hockey History

The NHL lockout has put a damper on current events hockey news. That makes it tough for regular print periodicals like The Hockey News to remain relevant, especially in the digital world.

As per usual The Hockey News has released a collectors edition issue. In lieu of current events, THN has embraced the past with The Best Of Hockey History.

As expected with all THN's collector issue magazines, this particular issue is beautifully presented with 170 glossy pages and amazing imagery. As can be expected with any hockey history project, there is a mix of black and white and colour photos, making for a wonderful ambience. 

Much of the imagery in the magazine include more than 150 amazing and rare artifacts from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Brian Costello nicely introduces us to the use of these artifacts in the short essay Skating Down Memory Lane.

The heart of the issue is the Era Essays. THN neatly divides up the NHL's history in to six tidy eras, with the likes of Bob Duff, Stan Fischler and Ken Campbell offering in depth Era Essays. THN also provides season by season summaries highlighted with top three stories/newsmakers. Leading scorers, significant records, Hall of Fame inductees and the Stanley Cup winners are among the many notes for each season. It all adds up to a beautiful finished piece.

I say this every year: The Hockey News' collectors edition magazines are better than their annual book release(s). The presentation is better, filled with colour and graphics. The writing topics tend to be more varied. And the price point, around $10, is much friendlier.

This is an excellent stocking stuffer for the hockey fan on your shopping list.

Empire of Ice: The Rise and Fall of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, 1911-1926

Author Craig Bowlsby rushed me a copy of his new book Empire of Ice. The Rise and Fall of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association, 1911-1926. I've barely made a dent in this 400 page text but I have to tell you about it. This is a fantastic book for those interested in some real hockey history.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

This book does have a bit of a niche audience. Many of today's fans have never heard of the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Or the Patrick brothers, and their immense legacy on the hockey world to this very day. Heck, a lot of fans don't even realize that Vancouver really has won a Stanley Cup. So has Seattle, and Victoria for that matter, too.

As a hockey history nut with a particular interest in hockey's development in Western Canada and in the Patrick family, I can attest that this book is impressive. I knew it was thick at over 400 pages (including 70 black and white photos) but I did not really know quite what to expect. I feared it would be dry and academic, like some of the writing on this topic before, but I was dead wrong. This is a wonderfully written book. It is a history text book - the most comprehensive history text book of the PCHA ever written. But storytelling is very much a part of Bowlsby's presentation, making this book a wonderful surprise that I can't put down.

Seeing that this book is essentially self published I wanted to get the word out there as quick as possible. I have not read the entire book yet, but it certainly passes my first glance test with flying colours. Simply put - I can't put it down. Perhaps it is in part because I have always had a curious fascination with the PCHA and the Patrick brothers in particular. There have been other books on the topic but none have captured my attention like this one has. I think that is largely due to the author's writing but more importantly his passion. You can tell early on that this is a labour of love for Bowlsby and he instantly gains respect from the reader.

For modern fans who are unaware of the defunct PCHA and it's incredible legacy on hockey to this very day, here's a bit of background courtesy of the book's press release:

The PCHA rose and fell like the Roman Empire, but left its own mark on history. Now fans can re-live how the Patrick Brothers invented modern hockey, and brought the highest level of the game to the Pacific Coast, and to the world.

This legendary league has never, until now, been comprehensively recorded. Craig H. Bowlsby has unearthed much new information. He has debunked common misconceptions, and even solved many mysteries. Empire of Ice chronicles the rise of the PCHA to the pinnacle of its success, and then to its final, bizarre plummet. All the league’s exciting Stanley Cup struggles are described in detail, as well as the trials, experiments and scandals of the regular seasons. This brings to new light the techniques and exploits of the great hockey stars of both West and East.

Cyclone Taylor, Frank and Lester Patrick, Hugh Lehman, Moose Johnson, Frank Nighbor, Eddie Gerard, Nels Stewart, and many others, are spotlighted.

The PCHA also created the first American teams to fight for the Stanley Cup, and the stories of Seattle, Portland and Spokane are fascinating ones. As well, fans can read how the teams of both the NHL and the Prairies clashed with the Pacific Coast in search of the Stanley Cup. There is much new information about Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Quebec, Saskatoon, Regina, Calgary, and Edmonton.

A cornucopia of statistics is provided for those who relish in-depth comparisons. For all the drama, and for one of the freshest views of hockey history ever published—read on!

Bottom line - this is an excellent and comprehensive hockey history book. The book will probably fly under the radar to some degree as it does not have a major publishing marketing machine behind it. Do not overlook this book.

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

You can also order the book through the author's email – epic@intergate.ca or through Ebay as a fixed price item. It’s also available at all Black Bond book stores, Hager’s Books, MaCleod’s books, Munro’s Books in Victoria and Aquila Books in Calgary.

Chicken Soup For The Soul: Hooked On Hockey

The countless Chicken Soup for the Soul books need no introduction. But 2012 has finally brought an edition dedicated to hockey:

Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey: 101 Stories about the Players Who Love the Game and the Families that Cheer Them On is 400 pages full of fun, heartwarming and inspiring stories for hockey fans and families. Family-oriented stories from everyday hockey players and fans, as well as revealing personal stories from NHLers and hockey insiders, will captivate readers.

Buy The Book:Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

Hockey Canada's Learn All About Hockey Coloring And Activity Book

Are you looking for a great Christmas gift for that little hockey fan aged 4 and up? Check out Hockey Canada's Learn All About Hockey: Color and Activity

Buy The Book: Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

Hockey Canada's Learn All About Hockey: Color and Activity introduces young hockey enthusiasts to the game and does so through interactive pages that provide young players with the opportunity to colour in pages, follow mazes, complete word searches, spot the difference puzzles and more.

All details of the game from the dimensions of the ice surface to the rules are included with images of referee hand signals for penalties, off sides, goals and more. Players are also introduced to each piece of equipment and taught about its use.

The book follows two teams as the compete in an action packed game and in the process, kids will enjoy reading this exciting hockey story, while enjoying the ability to interact in the fast paced world of hockey.

The book is fully endorsed and licensed by Hockey Canada, which demonstrates that the level of content is suited for all players and properly represents the game.

Hockey Girl by Natalie Hyde

Author Natalie Hyde presents a great new read for girls 9 and up in the 216 page Hockey Girl

Buy The Book:Amazon.ca - Chapters - Amazon.com

Tara's softball team has been challenged by the boys to put together a winning girls' hockey team. The bet? Whichever team finishes lower in its respective division will have to wear cheerleading outfits (complete with skirts and pompoms) to the other team's entire next season of home games! Tara and her Roadrunners are determined not to give the Hornets the satisfaction. 

But winning is going to be an uphill battle for the girls, especially in a hockey-crazed town that cares more about the boys' Junior A team than anything else. So when the boys teams begin screaming for more ice-time, it's the girls teams that get relegated to the graveyard times at the local rinks—if they're lucky. To make matters worse, Tara discovers that the one boy who seems sympathetic to their cause (and super-cute, to boot) is the son of the ice-rink manager and their most belligerent opponent. 


What the Roadrunners need is some divine intervention which comes in the shape of Sister Helen, a former women's ice hockey star and their new coach. Inspired to fight for their right to play, the girls launch a campaign to gain fair and equal ice time. Will the town rally behind the girls? And will the Roadrunners pull it together in time to finish ahead of the Hornets and save their dignity?