Ice hockey Books

Book SynopsisMinnesota has more youth, high school, college and pro hockey players than anywhere in the United States. For all that pedigree, and despite fifty years in the NHL, it still waits for a Stanley Cup championship team. This is the improbable tale of when the self-professed State of Hockey came closest to that title with the Minnesota North Stars. Through most of the 1990-91 schedule, the team was among the worst in the NHL on the ice, and dead last at the turnstiles. But in February and March, the North Stars began to win a little more. Future Hall of Famer, Mike Modano, and a cast of characters ranging from better-than-average to journeymen played some of the best hockey of their lives behind a homegrown goalie who made everyone believe in fairy tales, for a while. This is the story of the team with the worst regular-season record in any of the major North American sports leagues to play for a championship. The second half of Mirage of Destiny relates the exhilaration, heartbreak, and the real lives of all those players, coaches and staff who came so close to being part of something historic thirty years ago.

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Book SynopsisAttention Big Apple hockey heads: Want to know where to join a league, play a pick-up game, or get your blades sharpened? Where to grab some grub before heading to the rink or where to find a post-skate brew? In The Hockey Addict’s Guide New York City, Brooklyn-based beer leaguer Evan Gubernick highlights NYC’s best hockey hubs, along with the go-to spots nearby. The local hockey community chimes in, from rink rats to pros, and takes readers beyond Madison Square Garden to discover the best sports memorabilia, pro shops, sneaker boutiques, and more. Whether you’re a New Yorker or a tourist, this is a top-shelf guide to the five boroughs—on the ice and off.

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Book SynopsisAttention hockey heads: Want to know where to join a league, play a pick-up game, or get your blades sharpened? Where to grab some grub before heading to the rink or where to find a post-skate brew? In Hockey Addict’s Guide Los Angeles, beer-leaguer Evan Gubernick highlights the city’s best hockey hubs, along with the go-to spots nearby. The local hockey community chimes in, from rink rats to pros, and takes readers beyond the stadiums to discover the best sports memorabilia, pro shops, sneaker boutiques, and more. For Angelenos and tourists, this is a top-shelf guide to all things hockey—on the ice and off.

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Book SynopsisAttention hockey heads: Want to know where to join a league, play a pick-up game, or get your blades sharpened? Where to grab some grub before heading to the rink or where to find a post-skate brew? In Hockey Addict’s Guide Toronto, beer-leaguer Evan Gubernick highlights the city’s best hockey hubs, along with the go-to spots nearby. The local hockey community chimes in, from rink rats to pros, and takes readers beyond the stadiums to discover the best sports memorabilia, pro shops, sneaker boutiques, and more. For Torontonians and tourists, this is a top-shelf guide to all things hockey—on the ice and off.

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Book SynopsisSo You Think You’re a New York Rangers Fan? tests and expands your knowledge of Rangers hockey. Rather than merely posing questions and providing answers, you’ll get details behind each—stories that bring to life players and coaches, games and seasons.This book is divided into multiple parts, with progressively more difficult questions in each new section. Along the way, you’ll learn more about the great Rangers players and coaches of the past and present, from Mark Messier to Wayne Gretzky, Rod Gilbert, Bryan Hextall, Vic Hadfield, “Gump” Worsley, Ron Greschner, Andy Bathgate, Jean Ratelle, Eddie Giacomin, Adam Graves, Brad Park, Jaromir Jagr, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch, Henrik Lundqvist, and so many more. Some of the many questions that this book answers include:• Who was the first draftee to actually play for the Blueshirts?• The current Madison Square Garden hosted the first Rangers game on February 18, 1968. Did the Blueshirts win? Who’d they play?• When was the only time an opposing goalie was robustly cheered from the opening faceoff to the end of the game?• Who was the first player of Chinese descent to play in the NHL when he debuted for the Rangers in 1947?• Which unlikely Ranger ended the longest shootout in NHL history? This book makes the perfect gift for any fan of the Blueshirts!

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Book SynopsisSo You Think You’re a Chicago Blackhawks Fan? tests and expands your knowledge of Blackhawks hockey. Rather than merely posing questions and providing answers, you’ll get details behind each—stories that bring to life players and coaches, games and seasons.This book is divided into multiple parts, with progressively more difficult questions in each new section. Along the way, you’ll learn more about what has made the Hawks one of the most popular teams in the NHL. The book includes players and coaches of the past and present, from Stan Mikita to Bill Mosienko, Bobby Hull, Pierre Pilote, Glenn Hall, Tony Esposito, Ed Belfour, Jim Pappin, Keith Magnuson, Jeremy Roenick, Chris Chelios, Denis Savard, Corey Crawford, Jonathan Toews, and so many more. Some of the many questions that this book answers include:• A Chicago star of the 1950s set an NHL record that may never be broken by scoring three goals in 21 seconds in a game against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 1952. Who is he?• Which Blackhawks legend appeared in the movies Wayne’s World? and Wayne’s World 2?• True or false: The National Football League once played its championship game in Chicago Stadium?• Patrick Kane set a franchise record in 2015–16 when he had at least one point in 26 consecutive games. Which Chicago Hall of Famer held the previous team record with a 21-game points streak?This book makes the perfect gift for any fan of the Hawks!

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Book SynopsisThe glory years for the Toronto Maple Leafs—four Stanley Cups in the 1960s—may be distant memories, but what the team lacks in recent accomplishments is made up for by their history, which is rich in drama, pathos, and, most of all, humor. Figures connected to the Maple Leafs from the 1950s to the present offer their best stories, including some new takes on the team’s legends. Players, coaches, broadcasters, and team executives come together to share a long list of funny anecdotes about their time with the Leafs. Bobby Baun recalls the unprecedented moment in the 1964 Stanley Cup finals when he slammed a game-winning goal into the net while skating on a broken leg. Bob Haggert, a former Leafs trainer, shares his memories of Conn Smythe, the unyielding military man who founded the team. Also telling tales is Jim McKenny, defenseman-turned-forward-turned broadcaster, whose sense of humor is as deft as his skating. Joe Bowen, long the voice of the Maple Leafs on radio and television, is along for the ride, as are Bob McGill, Glenn Healy, Walter Gretzky, and so many more. Updated to include the Leafs’ centennial 2016-17 season, including the debut of Auston Matthews, this new edition of Tales from the Toronto Maple Leafs Locker Room is a must-have for Leafs fans everywhere.

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Book SynopsisA history of Rangers goalies through the ages! New York Rangers fans have always loved their goaltenders and, throughout their history, the Blueshirts have been blessed with some of the very best in the game. Through the first nine-plus decades of their existence, eighty-eight men from Canada, the United States, and Europe have toiled between the

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Book SynopsisRevised and updated to feature the 2019 Stanley Cup victory! 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.

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Book SynopsisThe 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 becam

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Book SynopsisAn 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.

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Book SynopsisRelive the best stories from throughout Devils history—​newly updated to include coverage of the 2019–​2020 season! From the moment Dr. John McMullen brought professional hockey to New Jersey to the moment Scott Stevens lifted the Stanley Cup over his head for the third time, the Garden State has been in love with its New Jersey Devils. In this newly updated edition of Tales from the New Jersey Devils Locker Room, former New Jersey goalie Chico Resch and coauthor Mike Kerwick bring readers along for a wild ride from the lean early seasons to the three Stanley Cup championships and beyond. The book has it all, including details about John MacLean’s game winner against Chicago, the goal that propelled the Devils into the playoffs for the first time in 1988, Ken Daneyko’s emotional curtain call in Game 7 of the 2003 Stanley Cup Finals, Martin Brodeur’s yearly playoff dominance, and today’s Eastern Conference contenders. Tales From the New Jersey Devils Locker Room is an easy skate through Devils history, revealing insights behind the stories fans have heard and many others they have not heard until now.

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Book SynopsisWhether you’re a casual hockey observer or a passionate fan who can’t get enough of the game, there’s something for everyone in The Science of Hockey. Author Kevin Snow spoke with former players and coaches, along with numerous industry experts and media analysts to discover how science, data, and technology have impacted the sport of hockey over the years. Learn more about the nuances of a skating stride, how a puck is manufactured, the optimal temperature for making ice, and what exactly it is that makes some of the greatest players in the world so special. Even take a look to the future to find out how virtual reality can play a part in player training methods. Just when you thought you knew it all, along comes The Science of Hockey to share even more knowledge about the coolest game on ice. Trade Review"Once I picked up The Science of Hockey, I couldn't stop reading. Kevin Snow bombards the reader with deep insight, the types of facts you didn't think you needed to know until he asked the questions. Be the smartest hockey fan in your group—and win a lot of bar bets—with the trove of information found in this book." —Tim Graham, senior writer for The Athletic "Kevin Snow's The Science of Hockey is a welcome, informative, thorough and necessary dive into where the modern-day game of the NHL stands. It updates the past by bringing the reader to the present in taking into account the many trends—technical, scientific, and analytical— the NHL has incorporated. The book easily adds layers of knowledge to the viewing experience for both fans and sports writers." —John Wawrow, longtime sportswriter

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Book SynopsisSince the inception of the National Hockey League on November 26, 1917, the sport of hockey has been one of the most popular games across the globe.After the National Hockey Association (NHA), which had been founded in 1909, ceased operations, the NHL took over and became a mainstay for the sport. While there had been teams that dated back to the 1800s and many that came and went through the years, there are six teams which are considered to be the Original or Traditional Six: the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings.In The Original Six, Lew Freedman (Clouds Over the Goalpost, A Summer to Remember) takes readers on a trip down memory lane, not only introducing the NHL’s humble beginnings, but how far the game has actually come.Broken up into six sections, Freedman tells the history and stories of the teams that represent the heart and soul of the NHL. From how these teams came to be and the steps that were taken to get them established to their early years and how they helped shape the game we love today, The Original Six is not only for lover’s of these teams, but for the sport itself.Whether you’re a diehard supporter or fair-weather fan, learn how this incredible sport began and of the teams that helped it grow into one of the most entertaining and enjoyable games in the world.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.

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Book SynopsisHockey players are stronger, quicker, and more agile than ever before. To compete and win in today’s game requires superior stamina and strength. Complete Conditioning for Hockey can help get you there with a year-round training plan that will get you primed for a winning season.Author Ryan van Asten, one of the game’s leading strength and conditioning coaches, shares the same approach he’s used with top athletes and teams at the professional and national levels—including NHL Stanley Cup winners, Canada’s Olympic gold medal–winning women’s hockey team, and multiple world championship teams. Complete Conditioning for Hockey covers every aspect of physical preparation, including these: Movement optimization Endurance and stamina Functional strength and power Acceleration and speed Change of direction and reactivity Recovery and injury risk reduction Throughout, you’ll find more than 145 exercises, each with progressions and variations, to optimize your training in order to continue your development season after season. The position-specific guidelines will help to personalize training to your skill set, experience level, and role on the team. Training plans provide specific information and exercises for the off-season, preseason, in-season, and postseason to ensure optimal peaking and recovery.Complete Conditioning for Hockey also features a detailed analysis of player movement and conditioning needs, taking the process of physical preparation for hockey to a whole new level.Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.Trade Review"Ryan van Asten's approach to training hockey players is grounded in the fundamentals. However, he continues to evolve and innovate by seeking the best sources of information and collaborating with the brightest minds in the game. Complete Conditioning for Hockey is an excellent resource for players of all ages and coaches."—Hayley Wickenheiser, Four-Time Olympic Gold Medalist, Seven-Time IIHF World Champion, and Hockey Hall of Fame Inductee"I'm lucky to work with Ryan van Asten. He is an innovator and always ahead of the curve, which has helped me achieve peak performance on the ice. Since working with Ryan, my performance on and off the ice has improved tremendously. His holistic approach to training leaves no stone unturned. Complete Conditioning for Hockey is a must-have resource for all hockey players and coaches alike."—Dillon Dube, Player for the Calgary Flames and IIHF World Juniors Champion and Team Captain"Ryan van Asten is a prominent leader in the strength and conditioning field and continues to drive industry-leading initiatives. His knowledge allows him to navigate the needs of his athletes with ease, ensuring they are reaching their potential and making important gains. Ryan is humble in his approach and always puts his athletes first. It's not about what he knows; it's about what his athletes need. I started to work with Ryan later in my career, and he improved several areas of my game, including my power. Ryan's training helped me stay relevant in a game that was quickly evolving. The success he has achieved is not surprising; his professionalism and work ethic resonate with everyone he works with."—Carla MacLeod, Two-Time Olympic Gold Medalist and 2009 IIHF World Championships MVP"Ryan van Asten helped me reach and maintain peak physical condition during the long and grueling NHL season. His in-season approach to training allowed me to perform at the highest level and avoid injury during the playoffs, when the physical demands are the highest. Complete Conditioning for Hockey is highly recommended, not only for training but also for maintaining performance and avoiding injury during the season."—Alec Martinez, Player for the Vegas Golden Knights and Two-Time Stanley Cup ChampionTable of ContentsChapter 1. Physical Demands of Ice HockeyChapter 2. Assessing and Monitoring Hockey Fitness and MovementChapter 3. Optimizing Movement CapacityChapter 4. Energy Systems DevelopmentChapter 5. Systemic StrengtheningChapter 6. Training for Functional PowerChapter 7. Training for Acceleration and SpeedChapter 8. Change of Direction and ReactivityChapter 9. Recovery and Reducing Injury RiskChapter 10. Technological AdvancesChapter 11. Yearly Training Plan and Program DevelopmentChapter 12. Postseason TrainingChapter 13. Off-Season TrainingChapter 14. Preseason TrainingChapter 15. In-Season Training

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Book SynopsisAs engaging as the great game itself, the stories behind the National Hockey League are entertaining, fascinating and, at times, unbelievable. Faux facts emerge from urban legends, conspiracy theories and coincidences, leaving sports fans to debate truth and fiction in the world of hockey trivia. Few are better qualified to both debunk falsehoods and nail down amazing facts than TSN stats archaeologist Kevin Gibson, whose book Of Myths and Sticks blows the whistle on all hockey matters from the mainstream to the obscure.What was the date of the first NHL game? Who scored the first goal and which team won? Did Gordie Howe ever actually have a Gordie Howe hat trick? Gibson offers definitive answers to these fundamental questions, but also contributes fascinating background nobody else thought to ask about, such as game-time weather, contract disputes and the flu epidemic that claimed the lives of two players and cancelled the 1919 Stanley Cup Final. Gibson scores laughs with true facts from between the posts, noting that legendary Canadiens goalie Georges Vezina sired 24 children (“he was known for saves on the ice and scoring off”), and that the Quebec Bulldogs’ shameful record of 4–20 may have been due, in part, to the worst nickname ever for a goaltender (“Holes”). The myth of the Original Six is down-sized to the Original One, as Gibson points out that the Montreal Canadiens is the only team to have been around at the start of the NHL and to have retained their original team name.Other highlights include hall-of-famers, hall-of-shamers and an extensive “On This Date” chapter that highlights 366 trivia-worthy moments from 95 years of hockey history. Combining extensive research, humor and keen curiosity, Of Myths and Sticks is hockey’s version of MythBusters—what’s true, what’s not, and how can we make finding out almost as entertaining as watching the game.

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Book SynopsisTheNHLis a young man's league. How young? Connor McDavid was twenty years old when he won the scoring title andMVPin2017. Auston Matthews was still a nineteen-year-old rookie when he tied for second in the Rocket Richard Trophy race with forty goals. By the end of theNHL's hundredth season, eight of the top thirty scorersincluding four of the top tenwere twenty-three years old oryounger.Who are these fresh players? How did they get their starts? What did their journeys look like? This new generation of hockey superstars grew up differently than their predecessors and they weren't all skating on frozen ponds like Bobby Orr. Connor McDavid strapped on rollerblades and deked around paint cans in his parents' two-car garage. Auston Matthews learned to play hockey on a tiny three-on-three rink in the desert. Patrik Laine shot pucks at pop cans, William Nylander's dad'sNHLbuddies dropped him off at hockey camp, and Johnny Gaudreau chased Skittles candies around the ice while still in diapers. Each story is different. While Aaron Ekblad was always the biggest and strongest kid even while playing two years above his age group, a late bloomer like Mark Scheifele was continuously knocked around as he fought through obstacle after obstacle on his longer and more arduous path to theNHL. What the players share is passion and perseverancealmost to the point ofobsession.Hockey expert Michael Traikos travelled around the world from Helsinki to Thunder Bay interviewing risingNHLstars, their families, and more than two hundred teammates, coaches, scouts and friends. The result is a first-hand look at how each young star became the player he is todayand what they might become in thefuture.

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