Hockey Biographies

Frank Zamboni created the ice-resurfacing machine, and ice-based sports would never be the same!

Hockey forms the backdrop of our lives. For many Canadians, the big moments - births, deaths, marriages, moves - are all mixed up with the wins and losses of our teams. The voices of Hockey Night in Canada sportscasters are our soundtrack, and visions of skates scraping across the ice lull us to sleep. George Bowering, Canada's former poet laureate, is no different.

Tasked with finding common ground and building friendships between the world's two largest countries and arctic neighbors, a young Canadian diplomat finds himself on his first overseas assignment in Moscow, the Soviet capital. It's the early 1970s and a Cold War between communism and capitalism, the west and the east, is simmering-while the ice rink is just starting to heat up. Smith opts for sports diplomacy, throwing off his embassy black tie dress codes and donning the blue and white sweater of the Moscow Maple Leafs.

You're about to discover the incredibly inspirational story of hockey superstar Sidney Crosby. If you're reading this, then you must be a Sidney Crosby fan, like so many others. As a fan, you must wonder how this man is so talented and want to know more about him. Sidney is considered one of the greatest hockey players in the world, and it's been an honor to be able to watch him play throughout his young career.

You're about to discover the incredibly inspirational story of hockey superstar Alex Ovechkin. If you're reading this, then you must be an Alex Ovechkin fan, like so many others. As a fan, you must wonder how this man is so talented and want to know more about him. Alex is considered as one of the greatest hockey players in the world, and it's been an honor to be able to watch him play throughout his young career.

Men's hockey in Canada may hog the limelight, but interest in women's hockey has never been higher. The Role I Played is a memoir of Sami Jo Small's 10 years with Canada's National Women's Hockey Team. Beginning with her experience as a rookie at the first-ever women's Olympic hockey tournament in Nagano in 1998 and culminating with Canada's third straight Olympic gold medal in Vancouver in 2010, the veteran goaltender gives the listener behind-the-scenes insight into one of the most successful teams in sports history.

Stan Fischler, the dean of American hockey journalists and best-selling author of more than 60 books on hockey, profiles the heroes of Hockeytown in Detroit Red Wings: Greatest Moments and Players. One of the National Hockey League's "Original Six", few teams in professional hockey have enjoyed more success than the franchise in Detroit. Among the players Fischler glorifies are the immortal Gordie Howe, Terry Sawchuk, Ted Lindsay, Alex Delvecchio, and Sid Abel, all players whose numbers reside on banners in the rafters of Joe Louis Arena.

Hockey fans get a look into the life and times - both on and off the ice - of legendary eight-time Stanley Cup winner Red Kelly.

The John Scott story is the ultimate underdog narrative in sports during 2016 when Scott - in the twilight of his career - went from a joke All-Star fan-voted nominee to scoring two goals and winning the All-Star Game's MVP title. This is his heartwarming story about an average Joe who became a sports superhero overnight. Known as a willing-and-able fighter and bruiser in the league, John Scott was a surprising and tongue-and-cheek nominee for the 2016 NHL All-Star Game.

In 2015, Russia’s Anti-Doping Centre was suspended by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following revelations of an elaborate state-sponsored doping programme. Involving a nearly undetectable steroid delivery system known as ‘Duchesse cocktail’, tampering and switching of urine samples and a complex state-sanctioned cover-up, the programme was masterminded by Grigory Rodchenkov. The Rodchenkov Affair tells the full, unadulterated story that was first glimpsed in Bryan Fogel’s award-winning documentary and still continues to captivate and shock the world.

This immersive book is your passport to understanding and mastering every aspect of the game, taking you through a meticulously detailed exploration. Discover the origins of ice hockey, tracing its history from pioneering moments to its evolution into a global sensation. Unveil the game's milestones, rule changes, and groundbreaking innovations that shaped the sport into what it is today.

Father David Bauer changed lives - at the rink, in the classroom, and at the pulpit. Bauer's dream created the first truly national Canadian hockey team. In 1963 that unique group represented Canada abroad and were committed to both country and to Father Bauer. Whether shepherding the hockey program at St. Michael's College in Toronto or the men's national team out of the University of British Columbia, Bauer was both spiritual leader and trailblazer.

“Holy Dirty Dora!” Hector “Toe” Blake would bark while pacing behind the Montreal Canadiens bench, hands thrust into his pockets, jawing at chewing gum before intentionally banging his forehead into the glass that separates players and fans. No lead was safe or sufficient for the lifelong hockey man at the helm of the greatest dynasty in NHL history.

From humble beginnings in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, to twice winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings, the story of Metro Prystai is one of hard work, camaraderie, and a passion for the game. Set in the golden age of hockey, Frank Block presents Prystai’s life though extensive research and tell-all interviews with the legend himself and several famous contemporaries, including Red Kelly, Emile Francis, and Ted Lindsay. This inside look at the life of one of the all-time greats is a must-listen for every fan of the game.

In Philadelphia Flyers orange and black, Chris Therien cut an imposing figure on the ice, a stalwart physical presence for over a decade in the NHL. But by the end of his playing career, he was concealing a much greater battle with alcoholism which bled into his professional and family life. The defenseman-turned-analyst now opens up candidly and completely, reflecting on his life and career with perspective gained from over ten years of sobriety.

Most sports team owners make their money elsewhere and purchase a team as an extravagant hobby—but that is not the story of Ed Snider. One of the few owners in history to start a franchise by mortgaging nearly everything to his name, the Philadelphia Flyers founder would go on to form the billion-dollar empire of Comcast-Spectacor and cement his standing as one of the biggest movers and shakers in the city’s history.

Eishockey ist eine der schnellsten und härtesten Sportarten der Welt, in Deutschland der populärste Mannschaftssport nach Fußball. Ein Millionenpublikum in großen Arenen und vor den Fernsehschirmen liebt die Athletik, Intensität und Geschwindigkeit auf dem Eis. Schlittschuhläuferische Geschicklichkeit und gefühlvolle Puck-Kontrolle gepaart mit harter Zweikampfführung und krachenden Bodychecks machen Eishockey so faszinierend. Neben der sportlichen Dynamik und Komplexität spielt auch die einmalige Stimmung, sei es im Team oder unter den Zuschauern, eine große Rolle.

Bernie Saunders had a passion for hockey. His prodigious talent was on display at all levels. But because he was Black, he was stymied at every turn and experienced nothing but taunting from opponents, spectators, coaches, and even his own teammates. This is a memoir about professional hockey by a player who had the potential to become a star but was blocked at almost every opportunity because of his race. In spite of this, Shut Out is a hopeful and uplifting book about facing adversity, overcoming it, and moving ahead.

One of the most compelling figures ever to lace on a pair of skates, Carl Brewer was a gifted skater and stickhandler, renowned for his ability to control the pace of a game and goad opponents into costly errors. His talents made him an NHL All-Star and one of the cornerstones of a Toronto Maple Leafs dynasty. But he was also a loner playing a team game, a free spirit in an era when players were expected not to make waves. Teammates and management alike wrote him off as an eccentric, an enigma.

Many of us grew up scoring a thousand glorious NHL goals in our minds, and on our streets and corner rinks. We won the Stanley Cup over and over in our imaginations. What happened to those childhood heroics? We packed them in a box with our hockey cards and forgot them. Growing Up Hockey uses the heartwarming and comical exploits of a house-league third-liner to prompt us to re-live our memories of hockey glory.