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King Leary by Paul Quarrington What a great hockey story this is, very loosely based on the legendary King Clancy, with a huge dose of artistic license and fiction, going between comic and tragic. Quarrington makes this story work, going way into the past of the NHL, and telling of " King Leary " and his rise to the pro league, playing for the Ottawa " Patriots " and the NewYork Americans. The Toronto Maple Leaves are a central figure in the story, with other colorful characters that are King Leary's pals, Caly Bors Clinton and Mannfred Ozikean. If you like histroy, this book will be fascinating. As a hockey tale, this is pure gold, but to be sure, it is tragic. Not exactly a kids book, it is more suited for teenagers and older, dealing with subjects like alcoholism and manipulation, but that is a part of life, the dark side. King Leary loves the game of hockey, it is one of his great pleasures, along with guzzling Ginger Ale, and boy, can the King ever spin the yarn. When not pondering the tragic decisions we all make in life, this book will have you wanting to go play shinny on a frozen pond or slough at times, or even have you laughing out loud ...... Rating : Top Corner Hockey Stories and Stuff from Don Cherry with Al Strachan This is a gooder, Grapes at his best, with some good details and explanations from Strachan.... Grapes carries on with great tales from his days as a minor leaguer, right through his time as bench boss for the Bruins and Rockies, to his current gig as shift disturber for Hockey Night in Canada. Not always construed in the most positive light by the media, due to his brash mannerisms, Cherry is shown from some vantage points one would not generally associate with him. He talks of his parents and wife Rose, and shares stories from his coaching days, with the help of Strachan, and comes across as a very real, very genuine character, but never denying that he can rub folks the wrong way. Some of the stories he shares regarding Bobby Orr are priceless, behind the scenes takes on one of the greatest players the game of hockey has ever known. Strachan makes sure to write the book in the same style that Cherry speaks, and passes on some hilarious stories from Grapes colorful life as a hockey personality ...... Rating : Top Corner Six Shooters - Hockey's Sutter Brothers by Dean Spiros An oldie, published in 1990, the story of 6 brothers from a farm near Viking, Alberta shows the Sutter brothers in their heyday as players. Accurately describing the brothers as relentless and rough and tumble, the story tells how each of the brothers made their way to the NHL via the Red Deer Rustlers of the AJHL, then the Western League's Lethbridge Broncos. Also detailed is the time Darryl Sutter spent in Japan before breaking into the NHL, for those who did not know..... the growing Sutter name would soon elevate the younger brothers to high first round picks in the NHL draft, and the promotion of the youngest Sutter's to the big league would be costly for the Lethbridge Broncos, a Memorial Cup contender that would be relocated a few years later back to Swift Current, where the franchise originated. Recounting the brothers young years playing hockey in the barn loft is awesome, especially for anybody who had the pleasure of such a game as a youngster.... Another good hockey book, and the fact that is dated makes for an interesting read ..... Rating : Top Corner Searching for Bobby Orr by Stephen Brunt This is a classic hockey book, starting off by travelling back in time and chronicling Bobby Orr as a youth hockey player, toiling anonymously in Parry Sound, Ontario. Simply put, this is a fascinating book, detailing the Bruins and their debate over whether or not to sign the kid, and even more stunning, the manner in which the Toronto Maple Leafs outright dismissed Orr's talents. Brunt pulls few punches in this book, laying out the recruitment and planning of the Bobby Orr career, complete with how Orr would come to be tangled up with one of the original crooked sports agents, Alan Eagleson. Not mentioned much these days is the role Orr played in bringing the Oshawa Generals to prominence before moving on to Boston and kickstarting the rebirth of the Bruins. The portrayal of Orr is interesting, and does not seek to make him out to be a perfect person, rather showing him as a real, live human being, faults and all. For Bobby Orr fans, this is a must read. For hockey fans, this book will make you a Bobby Orr fan. When you close the book, you can't help but wonder, " What If ?? ", regarding Orr's knee injuries, and what he could have accomplished if he had not damaged his hinges so badly. It will make you feel sad, but all the same, this is a well written book, and a great account of a player who changed the game of hockey and was the face of the NHL .... Rating : Top Corner The Rebel League .... The Short and Unruly Life of the World Hockey Association by Ed Willes Hockey Histroy buffs absolutely have to read this chronicle of the WHA, a well written peice by Ed Willes. The league was a curiosity from the 1970's, but what a colorful and story rich legacy it has left the hockey world. Willes' book gets it right, beginning by describing the idea for and formation of the league, and the manner in which teams immediatley began moving across North America. From there, we get to go back in time to all the characters that made up the WHA, from rough and tumble minor league knuckle draggers ( No offense to the Carlson brothers, who inspired the " Hanson " brothers in the ultimate hockey move, Slapshot ) to big name NHL talent like Bobby Hull and Bernie Parent, not to mention Gordie Howe and his sons, who brought Hockey to Houston, Texas, thank you...... The league fought for its existence seemingly everyday, generating all kinds of wacky stories, and eventually raided Major Junior Hockey of its baby faced seventeen year old stars, players you may have heard of such as Wayne Gretzky..... Willes does a fantastic job relating the final few years for the WHA, as teams targeted a merger with the NHL, eventually placing 4 teams in the established league, the Oilers, Jets, Nordiques, Whalers. So much well researched history packed into 265 pages, this is definitely a good addition to every hockey buff's library... Rating : Top Corner Gretzky's Tears by Stephen Brunt Another great job by Brunt. Reliving the early career of Wayne Gretzky, and the events leading up to the trade of the premier player of the day, a record shattering, Stanley Cup winning, Soviet conquering hero, a national icon. Brunt accurately captures the shock and outrage following the unbelievable trade of Gretzky to the LA Kings. He tells the story with comments from various parties, and provides good background on Bruce McNall, who at the time was the Golden Boy of hockey owners and business types. Gretzky fans will want to clear their calendar to read this book, because the history and events, as told by the Globe and Mail writer, are riveting. When the trade went down in the Eighties, well before the internet was widespread, rumors and gossip were rare in the hockey papers. Brunt digs up the old fare and relays it in a manner that is heavy hitting. Making no bones about the fact that hockey is first and foremost a business at the NHL level, Brunt lays out his take on the biggest trade in North American sports history and the effect it has had on the NHL and pro sports ...... not to mention the Edmonton Oilers, hockey's last true dynasty, as they heard the bell begin to toll on their days as a dominant crew of free wheeling buddies. Again, a fascinating work by one of the top hockey writers Rating : Top Corner
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