Customer Reviews (1)

Removes the mystery from soccer, hockey, etc.
I wish I had had this book during the telecast of the women's soccer championship -- now I know what the commentators should have told me!Bartges's great illustrations and down-to-earth text likewise make theinfathomable rules of ice hockey easy to understand -- I can't wait for theseason to start so that I can test my newly gained expertise.My wife readthe chapter on football and has already watched some exhibition NFL games-- and enjoyed them!

With the proliferation of sporting events ontelevision, this book should be sitting beside every TV set. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Vaughan scores with this book!
This book gives a fascinating look into the origins of ice hockey. Vaughan provides the reader with evidence of the early development of hockey in Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada. It is a very easy and entertaining read and is interlaced with several interesting photographs and illustrations. From learning the game's early rules, to how the first skates, sticks and pucks were made, to interesting anecdotes about the first Stanley Cup, each page gives the reader a wonderful look into the history of the game. A must read for any hockey fan!

Fascinating
A fine read, with mountains of evidence to suggest that the great game of hockey that we know in modern times was invented in Nova Scotia, not Kingston, Ontario or Montreal. I particularly enjoyed the descriptions of life in the early to mid 1800's in Canada and the advertisements for hockey equipment from that era. Die hard hockey fans will enjoy this. ... Read more

Book Description
Portland, Oregon, has an old and rich hockey tradition. The City of Roses was home to six professional hockey teams that took the ice in fi ve different leagues, including two major league clubs. It all started with the Rosebuds (1914–1918), who earned the distinction of being the fi rst United

States–based team to compete for the Stanley Cup. The

tradition continued with a second version of the Rosebuds (1925–1926), the original Buckaroos (1928–1931), a second version of the Buckaroos (1933–1941), the Eagles/Penguins (1944–1951), and the Western Hockey League (WHL) Buckaroos (1960–1974). The WHL Buckaroos won three Patrick Cup titles and iced several minor league hockey legends, including Gordon Fashoway, Guyle Fielder, Don Head, Andy Hebenton, Norm Johnson, Art Jones, Connie Madigan, and Bill Saunders. Several Hockey Hall of Famers—Tommy Dunderdale, George Hay, Dick Irvin, and Moose Johnson—also spent time on Portland teams. ... Read more

Book Description
This second edition features the games approach to coaching hockey, which makes practice more fun for the kids and teaching more effective for you, the coach. Also included are chapters on communicating with athletes and parents, planning and conducting practice, and coaching during games.

Developed by the American Sport Education Program (ASEP), the nation's number one coaching education program, Coaching Youth Hockey provides volunteer coaches with both an explanation of their role and concrete instructions on how to fulfill that role. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Useless
Clearly not written by hockey people.

I could give numerous examples like pg 40 "Get Your Players' Attention""Make sure they aren't looking into the sun or at some distracting activity."

Practic plans are a joke.No way someone could run a 50 min practice based on these practice plans.

Hockey review
I needed to understand how to teach children under 10 the game of Hockey and start towards gaining a coaching award in this age group. This book gives me a greater understanding of what turns on a childs interest and haw to maintain this interest.

A Must for the Hockey Coach's Toolkit
This book offers a comprehensive set of introductory materials needed for the first time or experienced hockey coach. It is useful for either ice or roller hockey.I particularly appreciated the author's including thesocial, communication, and motivational aspects of coaching youth sports. Full of handy checklists and drills to emphasize the needed skills, thisbook provides a solid foundation for developing "your own" hockeyteaching and coaching program.The drills and progressions are excellent. The book would be better with more technical emphasis on skating skills andtechniques.But overall, I would recommend it for any coach or parent whois close to this fast-growing sport! ... Read more

Book Description

The most comprehensive guide to the art and science of goaltending

The past decade has seen a tremendous surge of interest in hockey. More colleges and universities have added programs. Hockey leagues are sprouting up in such unlikely places as Florida beach communities, New Mexico desert towns, and the Texas flatlands.

Coauthored by Jim Corsi, goaltending coach for the Buffalo Sabres, The Hockey Goalie's Handbook is the most comprehensive guide to mastering the most demanding hockey position: goalie. Drawing upon his extensive coaching experience at all levels--from peewees to pros--Corsi explores all facets of goaltending. From the psychology of being a goalie to choosing and purchasing the right equipment for an individual's style and needs, to drills for improving timing, coordination, reach, and speed, Corsi covers all the bases with invaluable advice and guidance as well as tips and techniques for aspiring goalies, parents, and hockey coaches.

Customer Reviews (7)

Great for beginners, wish there was more
This book is an amazing general overview of becoming a goaltender. the beginning of the books is more-or-less common sense for goaltenders that are already playing, but the middle of the books and the drills at the end serve as a great refresher course. If your a beginner, this book is great. If you want a refresher course in goaltending, you should also buy this. I believe that the only thing lacking in this book is a more in depth section on equipement. Not everyone understands what they are supposed to be looking for.

Best of the Bunch!
I used to play hockey when I was much younger and now that I am getting back into it, I wanted to get as many books and videos as possible to remember the old skills and to find out how much has changed since I used to play. Of all the books that I bought and read, this one was the best in my opinion. I felt that it went deeper into the "How's and Why's" of techniques than Hockey Goaltending by Brian Daccord, which is my second favourite book. The way that Jim Corsi presented the concept of the Goaltender's "toolbox" was excellent for getting the information to stick in my head.

Bravo, and thank you!

Endorsements
Several testimonials provided to the authors and publisher that are sure to be of interest.

Jim Corsi and John Hannon have written the most comprehensive goalie book I have ever seen.Jim has a great grasp of goaltender coaching and how the goaltending position has radically changed over the last decade.I, too, would encourage young goalies to study the game and learn as much as they can.

- Dominik Hasek, Buffalo Sabres & Detroit Red Wings

The approach to goaltending that Jim and John describe in this book has helped me understand the position better.As a head coach, I need to know that our goalies are well taken care of.Jim is both well liked and well respected by all of our goalies (from prospects to all-stars).Given the rich content of this book and the authors' attention to the smallest details, it is no wonder Jim is held in such high regard.

- Lindy Ruff, Buffalo Sabres

In order for me to make the big jumps from major junior to the AHL and then the AHL to the NHL, it became increasingly obvious that I had to expand upon my save skill repertoire.Jim Corsi, applying the concepts he and John Hannon cover in this book, helped me improve and successfully make this transition.If you, too, seek to become a serious student of the goalie position, then read this book cover to cover.It will change your whole philosophy about goaltending and make you more and more effective.

- Martin Biron, Buffalo Sabres

Goaltending by Daccord is better
If you already have or are considering Brain Daccord's Goaltending, then leave this one alone.It's not bad but Daccord's is better.

Helps me and my coach
Goalies are always looking for help so there coach can help them be better. The book has got good pictures so me and the coach can get along. The cool pictures of the pro goalies are awssome too. My coach says he likes the drills. Its a really good goalie book. ... Read more

Book Description
NICKY TAG! NICKY TAG!
All his life, crowds have been cheering for Nick Taglio.
He’s been skating since he could walk, scoring goals since he picked up a hockey stick. He’s only a sophomore but he rules the ice, because Nicky Tag’s a fighter. Which means you have to take some hits; concussions come with the territory. When he gets another head injury, his doctor, his parents, and his coach tell him he can never play again.Too dangerous, they say. He can’t risk his future.
But they don’t understand that without hockey, Nick has no future. It’s not a game, it’s his life. And nobody can stop him from playing.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

It's a great book, but I wouldn't recommend it for kids 11 and under because of inaproprit things,onther than that it was good
If you are looking for a great book check out open ice.
The things I liked most about this book is that it had to do with my favorit sport hoskey, and the was exactly how a teen aged hockey layer would act. The things I diden't like was that if you don't know much about hockey you wouldn't understand it, and theres a lot of inaproprit things.
This book is about a teen Nick Tagilo the best hockey player on his high school hockey team that can't play due to a brain ingery he got from being blind sided, but to Nick hockey wasn't just a sport, it was his life.

She shoots - she scores!!!
Fast-paced literary skater Pat Hughes showed that she is comfortable on the ice of writing and definitely a senior member of the varsity team
in her latest book Open Ice. She deftly negotiates the delicate edge-of-the-blade teenage dialogue while skating backwards and making it look easy. This sports reader's attention was glued to every page-turning play of her game even ruining his planned Sunday afternoon nap which was replaced by reading the last 160 pages of Open Ice.
>
>I loved this book. Hughes placed me directly in the midst of these people and their thoughts. I feel like I know them and, the ultimate sign of great writing, I wonder what they are doing now that I've finished reading the book. Not only does Hughes think like a teenager but, as she's done in her previous books Guerrilla Season and Breaker Boys, she comes across like an authentic teenage guy! This book felt like it was told to me by Nick himself, a little wiser, more mature, but definitely by the guy who lived the experience.
>
>And then the layers...When Devin was distancing herself from Nick and
>urging him to pressure his parents to play again I thought I was SO smart that I could see right through her motives. I had her pegged for what she was. Then I smiled as it occurred to me that I get NO credit for my revelation. Hughes had me right where she wanted me. Seeing only what she wanted me to see. But then at the after-game party when the details about her and Ramsey came out I stopped hating her and felt bad for her instead. Her intentions were not as clear as I had been ready for them to be earlier in the book. Hughes didn't take the easy literary route and stop at Devin being a hockey groupie. She had deeper problems and insecurities. I rode the roller coaster that Hughes laid out for me and what a great ride it was!
>
Every family of a traumatic brain injurypatient should read this book. My heart skipped a beat when Nick accidentally sent the Instant Message to the wrong person knowing that he would never have done that prior to the concussion, and knowing that it was the tip of the iceberg of his problems. As he became more contentious and more aggressive and
impulsive I was scared for the fallout. And sure enough it came. The standoff between Nick and his Dad was stressful. Working around rehab I have seen the disintegration of many marriages and families because the TBI patient "isn't who he used to be". This book has the power to let others have a peek inside the mind of a person suffering from post-concussive syndrome.

Hughes is a talented, authentic and entertaining writer. With this one she's also done a great service to the community of families living with mild brain injury patients.

Captures the politics of teenage life
I thought Pat Hughes captured perfectly the politics of teenage life.Setting her novel in the world of school sports enhances its themes of relationships, friendship, love and personal growth.I truly enjoyed Open Ice.

Open Ice - I couldn't put it down.
I gave Open Ice to my boyfriend (24) who does not read often for fun.He was reluctant to start the book, but as a hockey player, he was intrigued. He read it in 2 days and then told me to start right away so we could talk about it. I read it the next day and it was great! It was so cool to be able to talk about the book with him.
I would recommend this book to anyone.
After reading it, I e-mailed the author to express my delight with the book and she responded within 24 hours. I was so excited to actually communicate with an AUTHOR!
Check this book out, even if you don't care about hockey, you'll get so involved with the characters and Nick's plight.

Open Ice = love
I am a 14 year old girl and I just finished reading Open Ice. It was by far the best book I have read in awhile. I am a hockey player so I know how important hockey was to Nick. This was an inspiring book for me because I appreciated how much Nick fought to play, if something like that happened to me I would fight too. I think all teens should read this book whether you play hockey or not, it makes you realize a lot of things. Nick is an inspiring character to me because I could completely relate to everything he was talking about. Overall this book was amazing! ... Read more

Book Description
As kids, we all had passions -- something we loved doing, experienced with our friends, dreamed about every spare moment. For Jay Atkinson, who grew up in a small Massachusetts town, it was hockey. When Bobby Orr scored the winning goal in the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals against the St. Louis Blues, Atkinson became a fan for life. In 1975, he played on the first Methuen Rangers varsity hockey team. Once and always a rink rat, Atkinson still plays hockey whenever and wherever he can.

Twenty-five years after he played for the Rangers, Atkinson returns to his high school team as a volunteer assistant. Ice Time tells the team's story as he follows the temperamental star, the fiery but troubled winger, the lovesick goalie, the rookie whose father is battling cancer, and the "old school" coach as the Rangers make a desperate charge into the state tournament. In emotionally vivid detail, Ice Time travels into the rinks, schools, and living rooms of small-town America, where friendships are forged, the rewards of loyalty and perseverance are earned, and boys and girls are transformed into young men and women. Along the way, we also meet his five-year-old son, Liam, who is just now learning the game his father loves.

Whether describing kids playing a moonlit game on a frozen swamp or the crucible of team tryouts and predawn bus rides that he endured himself, Atkinson carves out the drama of adolescence with precision and affection. He takes us onto the ice and into the heart of a town and a team as he explores the profound connection between fathers and sons, and what it means to go home again.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

My brother is one of the Captains
I guess I would be a bit bias, but this amazingly discriptive narrative really pulls you in to the book. My older Brother Thom DeZenzo was one the the captains of the Methuen Hockey team in 2000 and I recall the author very vividly. It was at my house that the team died their hair bleach blonde. The author truly captured all aspects of a team that I knew personaly.

terrific memoir
This is a terrific memoir connecting three threads: the author's youth playing hockey, his work as a volunteer coach for his old high school hockey team, and his efforts to introduce his young son to hockey. The focus rarely leaves these three threads, making this one of the most well-structured memoirs I've read in years. In addition, the prose is lyrical and poetic, often in sharp contrast to the rough-and-tumble sport and the gritty neighborhood settings. (The reviewer who gave this book one star totally misses the point that a memoir *must* include the author as a major character. This is memoir, not journalism.) Highly recommended for everyone, not just hockey enthusiast, because of the great writing, sharp descriptions, connections between past/present/future, and wise reflections.

A Game Misconduct
When I first learned about this book, I was more than excited that someone had finally written book about high school hockey. I had already read the great accounts of high school sports in Friday Night Lights, and In These Girls, Hope Is A Muscle. Thirty pages into the book, I was more than impressed with the author's beautiful descriptions of Methuen, hockey, and his growing up in this area of New England.

Suddenly, things began to change, as I was now embedded in the author's autobiography of his past hockey and athletic exploits! He makes a very clear statement in the beginning that he doesn't want to be back in his high school years, but simply remember them. Oh, he does remember everthing and anything, and certainly lets the reader know of his dauntless exploits. Who really cares how many goals he scored on a frozen pond playing against a bunch of kids, or popping in nine goals in a pickup game with a senior group pretty much out of shape, or being one of the three stars in the annual JV intersquad scrimmage! Give me a break.

Atkinson managed to work his way into his old high school with the pretense of collecting background for his book. What he did was to live vicariously through this new Ranger team and maybe better his own team record of 5-15-1. He committed the inexcusable error of a writer; allowing your own life to intermingle and become part of what you were trying to write about.

As for the team, too bad Atkinson created an almost Neanderthal mentality and impression of these boys. The naive reader might think this is what hockey is all about, but what a terrible injustice to a group of athletes. As for the coaches, between the locker room expletives, bench outbursts during games, and the pre-game talks about "mating sperm whales" with your female goalie standing in the doorway, I feel this is a reasonable estimate of inappropiate juvenile behavior and thinking with some of the Methuen coaching staff.

At the end, as I struggled to finish his "memoirs," I had to laugh at his mention that he didn't feel quite the same and welcomed going back to Methuen High School after his year. They were probably happy he was finally gone. Typical of "volunteer" coaches or staff, their impression of what they are doing and accomplishing is usually far from reality. The author may have felt he was imparting "words of wisdom," and valuable pieces of experience to members of the team, but Mr. Bobb you really missed the target here. A sixteen, seventeen year-old boy barely hears the words of his parents, much less his teachers, and certainly nothing from a 42 year-old "want-to-be."

If you know anything about high school sports, and/or hockey, save yourself from this self-indulging book. Oh, by the way, why can I be so critical? I have just finished my 34th season coaching high school hockey, ninety-percent of it as a head varsity coach. Along with this, twenty-five years as a head varsity coach in two female sports, and thirty-six years as a high school classroom teacher have all allowed me to see just about everything. In my career, the players and teams of the past are in the books. Next season, all the pages start to be written again.

Something was missing...
The author is constantly searching for emotional resonance and relevance, using events and information from the players', coaches and parents' lives, without ever really revealing much about his own life except in relation to his hockey playing.Yes, the absence of mention of Liam's mother is a very big gap and a weakness of the book, because the question is always there for the reader.

Worthy of Conn Smythe Trophy
I don't really know what the Conn Smythe Trophy is- only hear them mention it during hockey highlights on TV.I never played hockey and I'm not a huge fan of the sport.But I am big fan of this book.

What 40-ish guy hasn't thought that he could go out and still compete with high school athletes?One could say Ice Time is a nostalgic look at the past (Atkinson's HS memories), or a hopeful look into the future (his son's), but I say it is about being present.That is appreciating who and where you are at the moment.Slowing life down an focusing on the present. There's lots of references to memories and how things come back to us, how much happens that seems significant at the time, but we never get the satisfaction of remembering it because it gets wiped from our brains.

Chapter 25 where J.A. describes a Xmas eve jog around his childhood neighborhood is a great example.This whole chapter is masterful writing.Most of the book is.He slips into vain self-indulgence as he describes all the goals he scores and cheerleaders he dates but the good parts make it well worth it.In many of the hockey game descriptions, I had to skip ahead because I couldn't wait to see if the Rangers won or lost the game.4 3/4 stars. ... Read more

Book Description
Describing all aspects of playing and coaching, Coaching Girls' Ice Hockey was written because most women's hockey books are too simple or too basic. This book has detailed all aspects of the game, including the mental game. The book is divided into the following topics: Section I, INDIVIDUAL SKILLS: Skating, Puck control and Goaltending; Section II, PHYSICAL CONDITIONING: Fitness, Injuries and Medical; Section III, MENTAL SKILLS; Section IV, COACHING DUTIES: Practice planning, Statistics, Coaching aids, Scouting, Communications, Leadership and Decision Making; Section V, TEAM SKILL AND STRATEGY: Basic Strategies, Breakout Play, Three-two System, Box Strategies, and Other Strategies. No matter what level of play, coaches will benefit from the Walfords' expertise and team preparation techniques. ... Read more

Book Description
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 to goad opponents into costly errors. His talents made him an NHL all-star and one of the cornerstones of a Toronto Maple Leaf 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. At what should have been the peak of his career, he abandoned the game, embarking on a lifelong search for meaning in his life. Along the way he met Susan Foster, and together they would discover that purpose. The Power of Two tells the story of how Carl and Susan successfully battled the hockey establishment over the issue of player pensions. Together they uncovered fraud, corruption, and betrayal of trust, ultimately helping bring down the powerful Alan Eagleson. The Power of Two also provides intimate insights into Brewer, who was aptly remembered as a magnificent, misunderstood fanatic, and his enduring bond with the life partner and ally whose tireless support he depended on ... Read more

Book Description
Using personal accounts from star players, interviews with sport insiders and striking photographs, On the Edge provides a dramatic look into the business and politics of women's hockey. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The greatest book written about women's hockey!!!!
I loved all the stories about National Team players. Without that book I would of never found out about the greatset player ever,Hayley Wickenheiser! I recomend this book to anybody who loves women's hockey with a passion. Carrie Horbatuk Age 1 ... Read more

Book Description
From the peewees to the pros, no sport can match Ice Hockey for fast-paced action and thrill-a-minute play. A Basic Guide to Ice Hockey tells you what you need to know about the fundamentals of the sport, whether you're sharpening your playing skills or rooting for your favorite team. You'll learn how to tell an icing from an offsides, how to kill penalties, and how to cash in on the power play. You'll also read the inspiring stories of the U.S. men's teams that won Olympic gold medals against overwhelming odds in 1960 and 1980.
• Profiles of the U.S. men's and women's Ice Hockey teams for the 2002 Olympics
• Dramatic accounts of the “Team of Destiny” and the “Miracle on Ice”
• Clear, concise explanations of Ice Hockey rules
• Basic skills and advanced strategies
• Nutrition, health, and fitness tips
• Guidelines for parents, fans, volunteers, and team members ... Read more

Book Description
The history of hockey is filled with the bizarre, the unexpected, and the hard to believe. Hockey's Most Wanted chronicles 700 of the most outrageous players, coaches, and owners in hockey history. In humorous detail, Floyd Conner describes hockeys top-ten strange plays, inept players, bizarre nicknames, craziest fans, colorful characters, unlikely heroes, odious owners, worst coaches, beleaguered officials, most brutal fights, and more. Learn why Dave Reece was nicknamed the Human Sieve, and find out which goalie once gave up fifteen goals in a game. Meet the player who was whistled for a record sixty-seven penalty minutes in a single game and another who played in the National Hockey League for five years before scoring his first goal. Imagine scoring the winning goal in the seventh and deciding game of the Stanley Cupfor the opposing teamor how it felt to be the defenseman traded for a net. You can find all this and more in Hockey's Most Wanted, a book that every hockey fan will enjoy. ... Read more

Book Description

No sport is as important to Canadians as hockey. Though there may be a great many things that divide the country, the love of hockey is perhaps its single greatest unifier. Before the latest labour unrest in the National Hockey League (NHL), however, it was easy to forget that hockey is also a multi-million dollar business run, not by the athletes or coaches, but by corporate boards and businessmen. The Lords of the Rinks documents the early years of hockey’s professionalization and commercialization and the emergence of a fledgling NHL, from 1875 to 1936.

As the popularity of hockey grew in Canada in the late nineteenth century, so too did its commercial aspects, and players, club directors, rink owners, fans, and media had developed deep emotional, economic, and ideological interests in the sport. Disagreement came in the ways and means of how organized hockey, especially at the elite level, should be managed. Hence, some coordination, by way of governing bodies, was required to maintain a semblance of order. These early administrative bodies tried to maintain a structure that would help to coordinate the various interests, set up standards of behaviour, and impose mechanisms to detect and punish violators of governance. In 1917, the NHL held its first games and by 1936 had become the dominant governing body in professional hockey.

Having performed extensive research in the NHL archives – including league meeting minutes, letters, memos, telegrams, as well as gate receipt reports – John Chi-Kit Wong traces the commercial roots of hockey and argues that, in its organized form, the sport was rarely if ever without some commercial aspects despite labels such as amateur and professional. The Lords of the Rinks is the only truly comprehensive and scholarly history of the league and the business of hockey.

Book Description
High-Performance Skating for Hockey provides the very best instruction by one of the world's top skating instructors, Steve Cady. From essential fundamentals to advanced techniques, learn and master every key skating move to gain the confidence, control, and speed you need to excel on the ice.Improve efficiency, power, and stamina quickly using the book's 37 practice drills.

Serious hockey players and coaches know that every split second counts. High-Performance Skating for Hockey will give you the winning edge every time you take the ice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Almost has it all...
I really like the format and the progression from basic skating through advanced skills. The author tried to make it a comprehensive skating resource, but didn't quite make it. If you have some skating experience or have attended a hockey skating school, this book should catapault you to the next level of your game. The drills are excellent and after doing them for a few months, I noticed a HUGE change in my skating style and fluidity as well as my speed incresing.

If you're new to skating, I'd recommendtaking a hockey skating class at your local rink or at worst get the Laura Stamm book (bring with to the rink for practicing) or get your hands on the Robby Glantz "secrets of hockey speed" videos and "dry-land" train yourself while watching them. Those will show you in slow motion and real time on-ice foot and body positioning to make you an efficient skater as well as some advanced skating techniques.

Once you have skating down, you can go full-steam into this book as the descriptions make much more sense and the drills won't feel so uncomfortable. You should notice a change in your skating abilities in no time.

Pales In Comparison To Laura Stamm's Power Skating
This book was extremely disappointing. I expected a book similar to Laura Stamm's Power Skating book, which I already own. However, this book was not even close to the quality of Stamm's book.

My biggest complaint about Cady's book is the lack of detail the author gives about each skating technique. The book is very short and only takes a couple of hours to read. Most of the techniques are covered in about 1 page of text. Then some tips are given, covering about 1/2 page. Then several pages of drills are given. So very little info is given on the actual mechanics of each skating technique. All the techniqes are discussed in a very general sort of way, and all the details which are essential to mastering the technique are missing. Furthermore, the techniques are very hard to visualize since no illustrations at all are provided - only general photographs in which it is hard to see what the author is emphasizing.

If you really want to improve your skating, I would highly recommend Power Skating by Laura Stamm and Herb Brooks. Stamm's book is a masterpiece and goes into great detail on each skating technique. Best of all, Stamm's techniques are very intuitive, so it is easy to apply when you actually go on the ice. Stamm's book is filled with illustrations and detailed photos so that you clearly understand each technique. As soon as I started applying the skills I learned in Stamm's book my entire game improved dramatically. I've been skating for 20 years, and this is by far the best book to teach you how to skate like a pro.

Good fundamentals
Everyone who has played hockey knows that the most important aspect of the game is skating. This book and Laura Stamm's book on power skating are must reads for anyone seriously picking up hockey for the first time. Even players who have been slogging around the ice for some time will find his or her skating will improve after reading this book.

This book goes into step-by-step detail on forward stroking, backwards stroking, forward and backwards crossovers, hockey stops and transitions from forwards to backwards skating. If you read this book and practice hard you'll be the top player on your hockey team next season.

The best book I ever read
When I started hockey I wanted to be very good. After my first hockey season I got this book in Toronto. I used this book over the summer and now I'm one of the two fastest players on my team. This book concentrates on key points like good form and bad form. I would recommed this book for anyone who wants to be better.

Very helpful for the first time skater.
As a first time hockey player this book made all the difference! The book is set up in such a way that you can progress at a good pace. The instruction on stopping was worth (to me) the cost of the book. As Iprogress the other drills will help all areas of ones skating. This book Iwould recommend without hesitation. ... Read more

Book Description
The Conacher name is well known across the country asthe first family of hockey. Continuing in the tradition,Brian Conacher brings 55 years of experience in the sportto life in As the Puck Turns . He is the son of legend LionelConacher, Canadas Athlete of the First Half-Century (1900-1950), as well as the sixth family member to have played inthe NHL. Playing in minor and major leagues, on CanadasOlympic and National teams, and then going on to coachand manage teams at the major professional level like theEdmonton Oilers, Brian knows and understands the gameinside and out.

In his years of hockey, Brian has seen the realities of theworld of sport at every level and from many angles. From theearly stages of his career, Brian offers up childhood memoriesabout stars like Maurice Rocket Richard and Gordie Howe,playing at Maple Leaf Gardens and managing the buildingin later years. He shares his insights on the influence of theNHL, on the sport, and what it is like to have been on thelast Leafs team to win the Stanley Cup.

As the Puck Turns is a fascinating personal journey throughthe hockey arena and what an iconic figure of the sport seesfor the future of his beloved game. ... Read more

Book Description
Hockey has become the toughest sport around.Despite the controversy over violence in the NHL, fans have always appreciated the roughness of hockey, a sport known for vicious checking, on-ice fights, and determined players who refuse to let an injury slow them down.Hockey's unofficial warrior code stems from a long tradition of physical contact, endurance, mental toughness, and an honorable acceptance of pain.The player who does whatever is necessary is revered by teammates and coaches alike.He may not always score a goal or make the headlines, but his hard work forms the backbone of a successful team.

It is this warrior-player that Crunchuncovers. Crunch introduces bodychecking and shotblocking players, power forwards, agitators, and fighters, from the legendary warriors-on-ice such as Gordie Howe and Bobby Baun, to the current tough-guy stars of the NHL, including:

* Darren McCarty
* Stu Grimson
* Keith Tkachuk
* Eric Lindros

Read stories about players who go back into the game with painful injuries, on-ice rivalries, powerful checks, and great shot blocks.The history of fighting and the future of violence in hockey is addressed in this powerful tribute to the players who go out there night after night and fight for their team. The book includes 60 Black & white and sixteen color photographs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A great book by a great writer !
The Hockey News recently listed the 100 most influential people in hockey. Read "Crunch" and you'll know why Kevin Allen was on that list. An informative and entertaining book that chronicles the sport's physicalside, it's a MUST read for every fan of the "Coolest Game onEarth"!

Crunch
Kevin Allen shows why hockey is more than just a contact sport. He speaks of the grit and guts required to succeed in the sport.It is also well written and the style does not become burdensome.This book is great. ... Read more

Book Description
A perennial favorite now in its third edition, Ice Hockey Made Simple: A Spectator's Guide helps guide viewers through the rules of the fast-moving and often confusing sport of ice hockey.This book helps answer the questions the growing number of people who would like to learn about hockey are afraid to ask!!

This soft-covered handbook covers everything a new fan needs to know to understand and appreciate hockey.Short, easy-to-understand chapters along with diagrams and action photographs explain:

*The object of hockey
*The simplified rules of the game
*Strategy
*What viewers should look for during the game
*Biographies of famous hockey personalities, past and present

The book also helps guide the reader through the confusing jumble of numbers and statistics published in the sports page every day.

The existing hockey fan will also be attracted to this book for its coverage of the latest National Hockey League (NHL) rule changes and updated statistics through 1998.Each chapter reflects all changes relevant to the 1998-99 season.With the growing popularity of this sport all over the United States, especially in California, Florida, Texas and Colorado where newly established teams are flourishing, this book is a must.

Follow the action with this handy reference guide.

A complete glossary and index makes finding information a snapMakes a great giftPocket-sized - take it to the game ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Good book for an introduction to hockey
Needs to be updated to reflect significant rule changes in NHL in last 3 years, but otherwise it is a good introduction to hockey.Has lots of good, clearillustrations.The greatest value of this book is the illustrations of referee signals since when watching amateur hockey or league hockey the ref's signal is not announced over a PA system.

Beginner Hockey Fans!
I liked this book very much. It's a great book for the beginner hockey fan. The games are more enjoyable for me to watch. I know there are more in-depth hockey books on the market, but this is a great starting point.

Ice Hockey
This book is wonderfully writen and easy to understand for people who want to learn the basics of hockey.I have been an occasional spectator of the sport since 1965 and enjoy watching high school, college and professional games (especially the Minnesota Wild!).Unfortunately, I wasn't familiar with all of the rules and types of penalties (except for of course, high sticking, hooking and slashing).So just the other day, while watching an intense college game, I decided it was time to buy a book.I am pleased with my selection and am buying another copy for my friend.By the way, were women! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A nessesity for all players and officials of hockey.
This book contains all rules for the game of icehockey.However, it can be difficult to read at times. ... Read more

Product Description
The Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes was formed in 1895 in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Comprised of the sons and grandsons of runaway American slaves, the league helped pioneer the sport of ice hockey, changing this winter game from the primitive "gentleman's past-time" of the nineteenth century to the modern fast moving game of today. In an era when many believed blacks could not endure cold, possessed ankles too weak to effectively skate, and lacked the intelligence for organized sport, these men defied the established myths. The Colored League was one of the most complex sports organizations ever created and was led by Baptist ministers and church laymen. Natural leaders and proponents of black pride, these men represented a concept in sports never before seen. Their rule book was The Bible. Their game book, the coded words and oral history derived from the experiences of American slavery and the Underground Railroad. Their strategy, the principles and teachings of American black leader Booker T. Washington (the founder of the Tuskegee Institute) and a believer in the concept of racial equality through racial separation. Twenty-five years before the Negro Baseball Leagues in the United States, and twenty-two years before the birth of the National Hockey league, the Colored League would emerge as a premier force in Canadian hockey and supply the resilience necessary to preserve a unique culture which exists to this day. Unfortunately their contributions were conveniently ignored, or simply stolen, as white teams and hockey officials, influenced by the black league, copied elements of the black style or sought to take self-credit for black hockey innovations. Seven years of research has gone into this book. This is the first book ever written on the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great Story, but this book has so much more
Being a diehard hockey fan and history teacher, I bought this book wanting to learn more of the history of the game, but the historical perspective of the establishment of blacks in Canada and the development of their communities is a great addition that I did not foresee.
If you are looking for chronicals of the games and league alone, this book is not for you.Only a few chapters are dedicated to these accounts.But, if you can appreciate historical ideas that may challenge your previous assumptions during this era, I would highly recommend, Black Ice.

where can i find this book>??
i saw the story about this book that was shown on espn. As a student who is pursuing a masters in history and a loyal hockey fan, this book would have been a very interesting/enjoyable read for me. I am disappointed though that I cannot find this book anywhere. what gives amazon? I figured with the promotion of this book seen on espn this book would be readily available. thats not the case. i still hope to someday read this book as the authors have put vast amounts of time and effort in the rearching of this topic to write a great book of history. ... Read more