One of the most respected executives in the NHL, Jim Devellano's phenomenal record of 13 championship rings (including three Stanley Cups for both the New York Islanders and the Detroit Red Wings) is also the story of shrewd trades and brave, if not unorthodox, business decisions. His new memoir takes readers behind the scenes into the offices of a general manager and provides an inside look at what players and coaches are really like; how decisions are made on draft day; and how deals and trades are done. He also sheds light on the miraculous turnaround of the Detroit Red Wings and how such decisions as recruiting from behind the Iron Curtain have left their indelible mark on the game.
An authorized biography of hockey hero, Steve Yzerman written for his biggest fans -- kids! Here is the story of NHL superstar Steve Yzerman, from his early hockey-playing days in Nepean, Ontario, Canada, through his second consecutive Stanley Cup championship with the Detroit Red Wings in 1998. Follow the extraordinary career that has put Steve in the record books and makes a favorite hero of hockey fans everywhere.
Reflecting on nearly five decades with the Detroit Red Wings, Dr. John Finley takes sports fans far beyond closed doors and into the trainer's room where cuts were bandaged, broken noses were reset, sore muscles were rubbed out, and casts made for broken bones. In this stellar memoir, Dr. Finley recounts his experiences with the stars on the revitalized Red Wings franchise in recent years, including Steve Yzerman and Nicklas Lidstrom, as well as heroes of previous generations, including 1972 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Gordie Howe. Along the way, Dr. Finley shares some of the most vivid accounts ever written on the subject of sports injuries, including the hundreds of stitches he applied to Borje Salming's face after it was cut by Gerard Gallant's errant skate blade, as well as his recommendation on the knee injury sustained by a young Steve Yzerman that ultimately helped maintain his Hall of Fame career.
In-depth research meets great storytelling in the history of an organization that has been a talking point and newsmaker for 100 years. The National Hockey League--born in a Montreal hotel room on November 26, 1917--has much to celebrate as it approaches its centenary. Millions of fans from Montreal to Miami and Edmonton to Anaheim attend NHL games each year, millions more watch on TV and the league pays its best players multi-million annual salaries. Over the course of its first century, the NHL's fortunes have ebbed and flowed. It has experienced setbacks and triumphs and innumerable crises. The league has awarded many franchises only to see some of them falter, fail and fold. The board of governors--which has included rich eccentrics and at least one future convict--has sometimes been fractured by men who loathed each other. How on earth has the NHL survived? The answer lies in the remarkable fact that it has had only five presidents and one commissioner. Two of these chiefs were stop-gaps. For the balance of league's ninety-plus years, four men have shaped and guided its fortunes and controlled the tough, hard-nosed, sometimes unruly owners who constituted the board of governors. This is the story of two perpetual struggles--the one on the ice and the one going on behind the scenes to keep the whole enterprise afloat. D'Arcy Jenish was granted unprecedented access to previously unpublished league files, including revelatory minutes of board meetings, and conducted dozens of hours of interviews with league executives, including commissioner Gary Bettman and former president John Ziegler, as well as well as owners, coaches, general managers and player representatives. He now reveals for the first time the true story behind some of the most significant events of the contemporary era. This is a definitive, revelatory chonicle that no serious hockey fan will want to be without.
This game wasn't about money, points, or trophies. Instead it was played for pride, both personal and national. It was a confrontation twenty years in the making and it marked a turning point in the history of hockey. On December 31, 1975, the Montreal Canadiens, the most successful franchise in the NHL, hosted the touring Central Red Army, the dominant team in the Soviet Union. For three hours millions of people in both Canada and the Soviet Union were glued to their television sets. What transpired that evening was a game that surpassed all the hype and was subsequently referred to as "the greatest game ever played." Held at the height of the Cold War, this remarkable contest transcended sports and took on serious cultural, sociological, and political overtones. And while the final result was a 3-3 tie, no one who saw the game was left disappointed. This exhibition of skill was hockey at its finest, and it set the bar for what was to follow as the sport began its global expansion.
If you're a through-thick-and-thin sports fan, The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly is especially for you. It will remind you of the great times and bring a smile to your face knowing you stuck with the team through the bad times, proving your loyalty. For everyone else, this warts-and-all portrait will provide countless fond memories, goose bumps, and laughs.
A celebration of the twentieth anniversary of one of the greatest seasons in hockey history Twenty years after the fact, the mere mention of the 1992-93 NHL season brings back vivid memories for hockey fans across North America. The last time that the Montreal Canadiens hoisted the Stanley Cup, Wayne Gretzky's last appearance in a playoff final, and Mario Lemieux's most inspirational season, these years are rightly considered some of the greatest in NHL history. Now, in A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One, and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season, acclaimed hockey writer Todd Denault looks back to those heady days. The story of a truly magical age for hockey in North America, a time that came to be known as "the last great season," where hope reigned, where the unthinkable seemed possible, and some of the greatest legends the game has ever seen took to the ice, A Season in Time is a true trip down memory lane. Covering the stories of Mario Lemieux, Wayne Gretzky, Patrick Roy, and Doug Gilmour, and capturing the frenzy and excitement that hasn't been seen since, the book is essential reading for hockey lovers of all ages. Captures the passion, the glory, and the magic of one of the greatest NHL seasons of all time Celebrates the twentieth anniversary of the 1992-1993 season Covers everything from Patrick Roy's legendary goaltending exhibition to Wayne Gretzky's famous high stick on Doug Gilmour to Kerry Fraser's blown call Insightful and informative, A Season in Time is a loving look back at a season for the ages.
Michigan will never forget Gordie Howe's presence on and off the ice — he combined skill, savvy, strength, meanness and longevity like no other hockey player. Known to generations of fans as Mr. Hockey, Howe passed away on June 10, 2016 at the age of 88. The Detroit Red Wings legend's career spanned from 1946 to 1980, including 25 seasons with the Red Wings. A 23-time NHL All-Star, Howe led the Red Wings to four Stanley Cups, won six Hart Trophies as the league's most valuable player and won six Art Ross Trophies as the NHL's top scorer. When he retired in 1980, he held the NHL records for regular-season goals (801), assists (1,049), points (1,850). In this tribute to the legendary Red Wing that features nearly 100 images, the Detroit Free Press reflects on Howe's life in 128 pages of historic photos and defining stories about Mr. Hockey.
What was the greatest day ever? Answer—today. Living a great life is simply a matter of living one great day at a time. After working in a dream job for more than thirty years, Roger Lajoie is now teaching and coaching people to cut through the clutter and simplify each day. Regardless of past outcomes, failures or setbacks, anyone can reap the joy of a truly great life by learning to embrace each experience and begin to live your greatest day ever—today!
