Metro Prystai Book Coming

This is Metro Prystai. "Meatball" as his closest teammates called him.

Not a lot of people remember Prystai. He's 85 years old now. He last played in the 1957-58 season. While he was a real useful player in his day, he was not exactly a household name like Gordie Howe or Rocket Richard or Teeder Kennedy.

He was also never one to toot his own horn. In fact some residents in his hometown area of Yorkton/Melville Saskatchewan knew him best as a star baseball player in the summer time and not everyone realized where he disappeared to in the winters - to the National Hockey League.

That is just one of many stories author Frank Block shared with me. Block has a new book about Metro Prystai coming out later in August 2013. The collection of old time hockey stories Block has amassed is amazing, making this book a promising title.

I will share more about the book as it comes available. Block has started sharing some content, including audio format interviews, at his website MetroPrystai.com.

You can also read my full Metro Prystai biography here.

Ice Cold: A Novel by Billy Pepitone

The New York Rangers are just eight wins away from the Stanley Cup, but just how far behind is the Iceman?

A security guard has been murdered inside the World’s Most Famous Arena, and the killer has left behind a note threatening more bloodshed should the buildings occupants succeed in their mission to capture hockey’s Holy Grail. In order to apprehend the murderous ‘Iceman’ before he strikes again, the NYPD turns to its most celebrated homicide investigator.

Unfortunately, he just retired.

Enter Detective Jack Placey, an unorthodox cop who has as many personal issues as he does solved homicide cases. Alternating between bouts of narcolepsy and insomnia, Placey is teamed up with Sergeant Ramona Isis, a sharp tongued hockey fanatic with demons of her own. The two investigators encounter a sideshow of possible suspects across three states in an effort to bring the Iceman to justice before he kills again and derails hockey history.

Can Jack Placey stay conscious long enough to keep the killers trail from turning Ice Cold ?

Buy The Book: Amazon.com - Kindle Edition

That is the storyline behind New York City Police Officer Billy Pepitone's (that's a great New York name, isn't it?) new book.

Billy gave me a copy of this book months ago. I finally got around to reviewing it this week (ironically reading it as the New York Rangers are getting "murdered" by the Boston Bruins in their playoff series).

I must admit that I am not much of a fiction reader, so that's why this book fell so far down my reading list. But as I embarked on my first camping trip of the year this book found it's way into my bag and was the first one out. Alright, I figure, I'll give it a shot.

I was hooked, right from the very first sentence of the book.

"For me, dying was a daily occurrence."

I have no idea why, but after I set up my tent and entertained the dogs, that line intrigued me instantly. I quickly found a wonderful reading experience, thoroughly enjoying the author's writing style - which I describe as fun. I proceeded to finish the book in the afternoon, stopping only intermittently to entertain the dogs.

Like I said - I'm not much of a fiction reader. But I will read Billy Pepitone's next hockey novel for sure!

AUTHOR INFO:

Billy Pepitone is a retired New York City Police Officer turned author, screenwriter and freelance hockey writer. In 2010 Billy and his writing partner and brother Joseph co-authored the baseball novel "Soul of a Yankee". The two have also collaborated on two award winning independent films with a third in pre-production as of February 2013. Billy currently writes for several hockey sites and is a frequent guest on "The Instigators" National Hockey League-themed online talk show.

Hockey's First Book: Canada's Royal Winter Game by Arthur Farrell

I get these two questions frequently. What was the very first hockey book. And who wrote it?

The answer is believed to a book called "Hockey: Canada's Royal Winter Game." The book, published in Montreal by C.R. Corneil, was written in 1899 and only four copies are known to still exist. Digitized versions of the book can be found at Library and Archives Canada for free. A copy, once owned by Red Fisher and used by Prime Minister Stephen Harper, now resides at Concordia University.

The 122 page handbook of hockey looks mostly at strategy and how-to skills advice. Three sets of rules are also provided. Photos and drawings, including one of a female player, are scattered through-out

The book was written by a star hockey player of the time around the turn of the 20th century. Arthur Farrell, a Montrealer born on February 8th, 1877, was quite the amateur player with College Sainte-Marie while studying there from 1895 to 1897.

Farrell later played for the Montreal Shamrocks in the Canadian Amateur Hockey League in 1897, helping the Shamrocks to Stanley Cup victories in 1899 and 1900. Farrell once scored five goals in a game against Quebec (on March 2, 1901), but he was better known as a proponent of play-making and team play.

Farrell wrote the book while playing for the Shamrocks in response to demand for a hockey book. He later released 2 similar books specifically for the American marketplace: Ice hockey and Ice Polo Guide of 1901-1904 and How to play Ice Hockey, published in 1907.

Farrell was a bit like a latter day Ken Dryden - star player on the ice and notable author off of it. But his life would be cut short thanks to a bout of tuberculosis. He contracted the disease in 1906 but hung on until 1909, existing in a sanatorium.

In 1965 the Hockey Hall of Fame inducted Arthur Farrell in the player category.

Tales From The Locker Room: Montreal Canadiens by Robert Lefebvre

The Tales From The Locker Room series has spanned many franchises in North American pro sports, including several NHL hockey teams. Over the years the series has tired, thanks largely to hit and miss products based largely to the choice of author.

Well Skyhorse Publishing - who recently purchased the series from Sports Publishing - certainly picked the right guy when they asked Robert Lefebvre to write Tales from the Montreal Canadiens Locker Room: A Collection of the Greatest Canadiens Stories Ever Told.

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

Lefebvre's status as a Habs historian can not be questioned. He established one of the top blogs in all of hockey - Habs Eyes On The Prize - based largely on his fascination with hockey history. He left the blog a couple of years back to pursue another Habs history related book (which I can not comment on, but I eagerly await it's release!). In his study of that subject his knowledge of the history of the Montreal Canadiens has grown even larger, and it shows in his first book release, Tales.

Lefebvre's knowledge is not his biggest contribution to this book. Nor is it a nicely refined writing style that I have watch grow over the years. Lefebvre's biggest contribution to this book was his insistence of changing the tired formate of the Tales series to better match the Habs long and lengthy history. In doing so he breathed new life into the series. Every subsequent book in Skyhorse's future line up should follow Lefebvre's blue print.

There have been a lot of books related to the Montreal Canadiens over the years. Lefebvre didn't want to write a book that has already been written. He did not want to re-tell the typical Habs history that he openly admits has been clouded by myth and embellished by legend.

So Lefebvre presents the true history of the Montreal Canadiens through a great collection of stories that Lefebvre fought for. Stories like the origins of the founding of the franchise, how Rocket Richard defied the odds to become hockey's greatest icon, how the Habs acquired stars like Toe Blake, Ken Dryden, Guy Lafleur and Patrick Roy, and how Sam Pollock built the legendary dynasty of the 1970s.

The book is a fantastic final product, and that is thanks first and foremost to Lefebvre. He actually came to the project late, as the publisher had someone else lined up to pen the book. Lefebvre came in quite late in the process, and under a very tight deadline he brought his trademark thoroughness to the project. In fact he supplied nearly 20,000 more words than he was asked to. He then fought to have much of it retained!

There are a lot of books out there on the Montreal Canadiens. Robert Lefebvre's Tales From The Montreal Canadiens Locker Room is a worthy addition.

The Road To The NHL: The Incredible Stories of 25 Maritimers Who Made It To The Show

From Sidney Crosby and Brad Marchand to Paul MacLean, Al MacInnis, and Brad Richards, these are the stories of 25 Maritimers and their journey to the National Hockey League. Road to the NHL: The Incredible Stories of 25 Maritimers Making It to the Show chronicles each player’s days from when they first laced up skates in cities and small towns throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island, to that very special moment of putting on a NHL uniform and knowing they were there to stay. Penned by one of Nova Scotia’s most preeminent sports journalists, The Road to the NHL is filled with tales of sacrifice, fortitude, and inner personal strength and is a must-have resource for any fan of ice hockey.

About the Author

Philip Croucher is an award-winning journalist and is the managing editor of the Metro Halifax newspaper. He has written about sports in the Maritimes for more than a decade and is the former sports editor of the Halifax Daily News. He lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Doug MacLean is a Sportsnet analyst, a cohost of Hockey Central at Noon, and a former professional hockey coach and general manager in the National Hockey League.

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

Keith Magnuson: The Life and Times of a Beloved Blackhawk

Keith Magnuson: The Inspiring Life and Times of a Beloved Blackhawk was written with the full support of Keith Magnuson’s wife and children. It is a thrilling and insightful biography pays tribute to a Chicago icon and true hockey legend.

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

One of the most popular Chicago Blackhawks of all time, defenseman Keith Magnuson was raised on the raw, rough traditions of hockey in western Canada.

He captained the University of Denver to its second straight NCAA championship in the spring of 1969 and by autumn joined Blackhawks stars Bobby Hull, Stan Mikita, and Tony Esposito, becoming the much-needed “policeman” for the team. Over the course of the next several seasons, Magnuson and the Blackhawks would fall painfully short of their Stanley Cup aspirations; nonetheless, Magnuson’s leadership qualities led to his being named captain of the team.

On December 15, 2003, Magnuson was in Toronto riding in a car driven by former player, Rob Ramage: he was killed when the car veered over the center line and struck an oncoming vehicle. As veteran sportswriter Bob Verdi described Magnuson upon his retirement from the Blackhawks, “there have been many finer athletes in Chicago, but not one finer person,” and this biography shares the story of his remarkable life.

Doug Feldmann is a professor in the College of Education at Northern Kentucky University and a former scout for the Cincinnati Reds, Seattle Mariners, and San Diego Padres. He is the author of numerous books, including El Birdos, Fleeter Than Birds, Miracle Collapse, September Streak, and St. Louis Cardinals Past and Present. He lives in Cincinnati, Ohio. Cliff Koroll and Keith Magnuson were teammates growing up in Saskatchewan, at the University of Denver, as well as on the Chicago Blackhawks. He delivered the eulogy at Magnuson’s funeral and is the current president of the Blackhawks Alumni Association. He lives in Chicago.

Of course, long time Keith Magnuson fans will remember his early autobiography None Against way back in 1973:

Tales From The St. Louis Blues Locker Room by Bob Plager and Tom Wheatley

Nobody bleeds Blue like Bob Plager, considered one of the funniest men in hockey. This rollicking book details Plager’s romance with the Bluenotes from day one in 1967 to the present day. He was an original Blues player, a rugged defenseman whose specialty was the hip check. He remains an original personality and a good-humored man whose specialty is now the quick quip. As a master storyteller, Plager packs Tales from the St. Louis Blues Locker Room with insights from every level of the hockey rink.

He chronicles the puzzling mind games of a young Scotty Bowman, the quirky coach whose legend began with the original Blues. In those old-school days, Plager learned memorable lessons from veterans like Al Arbour, Doug Harvey, Glenn Hall, Dickie Moore, and Jacques Plante, all future Hall of Famers. The early years also brought the three Plager brothers—Bob, Barclay, and Billy—together in St. Louis. Bob played long enough to help break in two Western Canadian kids, future captain Brian Sutter and future Hall of Famer Bernie Federko. Plager later coached a new generation of stars in St. Louis, players like Brett Hull, Brendan Shanahan, and Curtis Joseph.

The tears and the cheers, the fun and the frustration—it is all found in Tales from the St. Louis Blues Locker Room: A Collection of the Greatest Blues Stories Ever Told

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