The Whalers
The Whalers

Author: Patrick Pickens

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2021-10-15

Total Pages: 281

ISBN-13: 1493044036

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More than twenty years after departing Hartford, Connecticut, for Raleigh, North Carolina, the NHL's Whalers continue to inspire passion among fans. As HartfordBusiness.com reported in 2015, "Whalers merchandise...still has a cult following not only among fans in Connecticut but around the country." But Whalers devotees aren't just clamoring for jerseys, hats and t-shirts. They're nostalgic for a team that had New England roots for nearly 25 years--in Boston, Springfield, and Hartford--and featured some of the greatest players in NHL history, including Gordie Howe (with his sons Mark and Marty), Bobby Hull, and Ron Francis. Pat Pickens’s book details the Whalers’ origin in Boston in 1972, the team’s WHA championship in 1973, the roof collapse of their home arena that indirectly led to their entrance to the NHL in 1979, their stunning NHL playoff-series win against the top-seeded Quebec Nordiques in 1986, the 1986-87 season when they claimed their first division championship, and their relocation south in 1997 as the Carolina Hurricanes. Pickens imagines a Stanley Cup delivered to hockey-crazed Hartford in 2006, when the Hurricanes instead brought it home to North Carolina. The book also explores the likelihood of an NHL team returning to the Nutmeg State.

Slim and None
Slim and None

Author: Howard Baldwin

Publisher: House of Anansi

Published: 2014-09-05

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1770893644

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From his start as an owner in the World Hockey Association at the age of 28 (“slim and none” was a Boston sportswriter’s assessment of Howard’s chances when he was first awarded the New England Whalers franchise), to winning the Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins and then on to Hollywood success, sports entrepreneur and film producer Howard Baldwin recounts his spirited and hugely entertaining life story. H oward Baldwin has lived his life according to his belief that the life best-lived is one in which we pursue our heart’s desire. He never met a challenge he couldn’t beat. Beginning with his move at the age of twenty-eight from an entry-level position in the ticket office of the Philadelphia Flyers to acquiring and building his own WHA franchise in New England, Howard has built an impressive reputation as a pioneer — and a maverick — in the world of professional hockey. As President of the WHA, Baldwin led the merger with the NHL, and then later became a key figure in the expansion of North American hockey into Russia. Topping his journey in hockey off with a stint as chairman of the Pittsburgh Penguins, he then moved successfully into the film industry, producing a number of outstanding films including the Academy-Award winning Ray. Slim and None is a story of perseverance, persistence, and ultimately, personal fulfilment. Baldwin and Milton have crafted an intimate portrait of a life within hockey spanning from the rebellious 1970s to the tumultuous 1990s and beyond into the exciting world of the movies.

The Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers

Author: Brian Codagnone

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738555010

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Presents the history of the Hartford Whalers hockey team.

Brass Bonanza Plays Again
Brass Bonanza Plays Again

Author: Robert Muldoon

Publisher:

Published: 2011-01

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9781450281058

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What happens when a major league pro sports team leaves a city? The Hartford Whalers left on April 13, 1997 leaving behind devastated fans. The players left, too except one who stayed and suffered like the fans. Tiger Burns is an unlikely hero even for a hobbit-sized, smash-faced, hockey goon with 600 fights. Standing 5'3 , with one-eye, cauliflower ears, and a full-rigged ship tattoo on his chest, his most unusual feature is this: he loves Hartford and its team, the Whalers. In a league where players date super models, ice princesses and Miss Americas, he is a misfit. But in a league of Los Angeles, New York and Boston so is Hartford. Brass Bonanza Plays Again tells the riches-to-rags story of Mark Twain's hometown, once the nation's richest, now the butt of jokes. It relates the true saga of a small city's beloved team moved away, like Brooklyn's Dodgers. And it weaves the tragicomic tale of the muscle-bound gnome who blows the jump-the-shark game against arch-rival Boston on April 11, 1990, lives homeless under a bridge, only to rise up and lead a dead team, out of the stands onto the ice. Tiger rallies not only a dead hockey team, but awakens the ghosts of Hartford's past. He brings to life a ragtag band of 19th century legends and is saved by a guardian angel Rube Waddell, one of sport's goats from the 1905 World Series. Can a one-eyed, homeless underdog make a faded city believe and rescue a star-crossed spirit? In Brass Bonanza Plays Again, we have Rocky (on Skates!) meets Field of Dreams. Rocky came out of a Philly row house, Rudy out of an Indiana steel mill, and now Tiger Burns comes out from under a Hartford bridge to bring a dead team to life. A book of provincial aspirations and condescension, Brass Bonanza Plays Again tells the story of this small city, midway between New York and Boston, long considered just a urine-stop or ass-wipe between Wall Street and Cape Cod. The New York Times recently printed an essay In Search of the Great American Hockey Novel lamenting that hockey, unlike other sports, has yet to be celebrated in a notable work. Where is the Chekhov of the Chicago Blackhawks? the Times asks. Who is the Stendahl of the stick to the groin? To that, we humbly say: read on.

Fabric of the Game
Fabric of the Game

Author: Chris Creamer

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2020-11-03

Total Pages: 740

ISBN-13: 168358385X

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An in-depth look into the origins of how each NHL team was named, received their logo and design, with interviews by those responsible. Written by those most knowledgeable, you'll learn why every hockey team to every play in the National Hockey League looks the way it does. Nothing unites or divides a random assortment of strangers quite like the hockey team for which they cheer. The passion they hold within them for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Boston Bruins allows them to look past any differences which would have otherwise disrupted a perfectly fine Thanksgiving dinner and channels it into a powerful, shared admiration for their team. We decorate our lives with their logos, stock our wardrobe with their jerseys, and, in some cases, even tattoo our bodies with their iconography and colors. They’re so ingrained in our lives we don’t even think to ask ourselves why Los Angeles celebrates royalty; why Buffalo cheers for not one, but two massive cavalry swords; or why the Broadway Blueshirts named themselves for a law enforcement agency in Texas (or why they even wear blue shirts, for that matter). All that and more is explored in Fabric of the Game, authored by two of the sports world’s leading experts in team branding and design: Chris Creamer and Todd Radom. Tapping into their vast knowledge of the whys and hows, Creamer and Radom explore and share the origin stories behind these and more, talking directly to those involved in the decision processes and designs of the National Hockey League’s team names, logos, and uniforms, pouring through historical accounts to find and deliver the answers to these questions. Learn more about the historied Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, as well as the lost but not forgotten Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques, all the way to the lesser-known Kansas City Scouts and Philadelphia Quakers. Whichever team you pledge allegiance, Fabric of the Game covers them in-depth with research and knowledge for any hockey fan to enjoy.

Mr. Hockey
Mr. Hockey

Author: Gordie Howe

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2015-09-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 0425279642

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THE DEFINITIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SPORTS LEGEND The NHL may never see anyone like Gordie Howe again. Known as Mr. Hockey, he led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cups and is the only player to have competed in the league in five different decades. In Mr. Hockey, the man widely recognized as the greatest all-around player the sport has ever seen tells the story of his incredible life... Twenty consecutive seasons among the top five scorers in the NHL. One hundred points after the age of forty. Playing for Team Canada with his two sons. Gordie Howe rewrote the record books. But despite Howe’s unyielding ferocity on the ice, his name has long been a byword for decency, generosity, and honesty off of it. Going back to Howe’s Depression-era roots and following him through his Hall of Fame career, his enduring marriage to his wife, Colleen, and his extraordinary relationship with his children, Mr. Hockey is the definitive account of the game’s most celebrated legacy, as told by the man himself. FOREWORD BY BOBBY ORR INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

The Grim Reaper
The Grim Reaper

Author: Stu Grimson

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2019-10-15

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 0735237255

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A powerful memoir from an NHL heavyweight champion who moved from the dressing room to the courtroom. NHL tough guys all tell the same story. They all grew up dreaming of skating in the big league as stars. Then one day, a coach tells them the only way to make it is to drop the gloves. And every guy says the same thing: I'll do whatever it takes to play in the NHL. Not Stu Grimson, though. When he was offered a contract to patrol the ice for the Calgary Flames, he said no thanks, and went to university instead. And that's the way Grimson has approached his career and his life: on his own terms. He stared down the toughest players on the planet for seventeen years, while working on his first university degree. He retired on his own terms, and went on to practice law, including a stint as in-house counsel for the NHLPA. This has put him in a unique position when it comes to commenting on the game. He's seen it from the trenches, and he's seen it from the courtroom. This puts him in the eye of the storm surrounding fighting and concussions. And he handles that the way he does everything: on his own terms. When Don Cherry called him out on televison, it was the seemingly indominable Cherry who backed down. Hockey fans will be fascinated by his data-driven defence of fighting. But in the end, this is not a book about fighting and locker-room stories. It's the story of a young man who ultimately took on the toughest role in pro sports and came out the other side. Where many others have not.

Hockey in Broome County
Hockey in Broome County

Author: Marvin A. Cohen

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2005-09-21

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 1439616396

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The Broome Dusters played their first home game at the Broome County Veterans Memorial Arena on October 18, 1973. The game was symbolic of what was to come. Down 6-0, they fought back only to lose 8-7. Their fan support followed a similar pattern, lukewarm at first and then ferociously loyal. Hockey became a passion for local fans and has continued to be so to this day. When the Dusters disbanded, they were followed by the Whalers, Rangers, B.C. Iceman, and the Senators. Hockey in Broome County tells this fascinating story with more than 200 photographs and engaging text. Relive the heroics of the Dusters Rod Bloomfield, the little guy that everyone picked on. Then skip ahead to the crowd-pleasing toughness of the Whalers Randy MacGregor and the more recent brilliance of the Senators Jason Spezza.

Chill Factor
Chill Factor

Author: David Paitson

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2015-03-03

Total Pages: 413

ISBN-13: 1613217951

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The city of Columbus, Ohio, had always struggled to support any professional sports franchise. It’s a town where Ohio State University reigns supreme, and everything else is less important. That was until 1991, when the Columbus Chill, a minor-league hockey franchise, arrived. Using Veeckian marketing tactics and on-ice shenanigans, the Chill became the talk of the city and gained a religious local fan base. Based on the success of the Chill, from 1991–99, the city of Columbus was awarded with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000, the city’s own NHL franchise. Chill Factor follows the wild ride through the eyes of team president and general manager David Paitson, from the early formation of the minor-league franchise through the decision to rattle the status quo by going to the edge and beyond with a marketing and promotional plan that was both edgy and controversial. The success of the Chill after their first season gave the organization the impetus to challenge local civic and business leaders to build a world-class arena and emerge from the shadow of OSU. There were setbacks and triumphs on and off the ice, and eventually the realization that the Columbus of today would not be possible without the aid of the Chill. Chill Factor takes readers into the front office and onto the rink, giving every angle of how a small town was able to get behind a working-class team that fought both on and off the ice. This thrilling account will appeal to those who remember the Chill’s reign, as well as those who enjoy seeing the underdog climb the ladder to sports supremacy. Skyhorse Publishing, as well as our Sports Publishing imprint, are proud to publish a broad range of books for readers interested in sports—books about baseball, pro football, college football, pro and college basketball, hockey, or soccer, we have a book about your sport or your team. Whether you are a New York Yankees fan or hail from Red Sox nation; whether you are a die-hard Green Bay Packers or Dallas Cowboys fan; whether you root for the Kentucky Wildcats, Louisville Cardinals, UCLA Bruins, or Kansas Jayhawks; whether you route for the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Los Angeles Kings; we have a book for you. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to publishing books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked by other publishers and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association, 1972-1979
The Complete Historical and Statistical Reference to the World Hockey Association, 1972-1979

Author: Scott Adam Surgent

Publisher: Tempe, Ariz. : Xaler Press

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 9780964477407

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From 1972-1979, the World Hockey Association (WHA) functioned as the only major hockey league to rival the established National Hockey League (NHL) since the NHL's 1917 formation. Not expected to survive its first season, the WHA managed to string together seven controversial yet entertaining seasons, & in the process permanently changed the face of North American major league hockey. It was the league that provided a refreshing career boost for two of hockey's greatest stars, Bobby Hill & Gordie Howe, while giving future stars Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier & Mike Gartner their first taste of major league action. THE COMPLETE...WORLD HOCKEY ASSOCIATION, 1972-1979 offers the reader a factual historical account of the WHA from its inception through to its demise. Features of the book include histories of each of the teams, chronologies of important events & anecdotal stories. The book also features complete game-by-game results for every game played during the league's duration, including playoffs, all-star games, & international series. Further sections provide complete player, goal tender & coaching statistics, team standings, seasonal statistics, complete player draft charts & much more (See our Flyer in the February Forthcoming Books!). To order: Xaler Press, P.O. Box 26073, Tempe, AZ 85285, USA, Phone: (602) 929-0823, FAX: (602) 829-7432.