Book Description
In this third book in their Unofficial Guide series, hockey trivia mavens Don Weekes and Kerry Banks delineate that rarefied realm of play: the twilight zone of hockey stats. A world apart from the standard off-the-shelf record book, this irresistible read reveals never-before-published stats in a concise but dramatic storytelling format that takes the hockey-record genre to another level. Who has taken the most penalty shots without scoring a goal? What was the most money bid for a date with an NHL player? Which NHLer owns the record for the most regular-season wins? Who has been traded the most times without ever playing an NHL game? From Abel to Zamboni, this insider guide covers not only the well-known champions of goal scoring and goal saving, but also those unsung heroes and zeros who skated away from the game without fanfare - until now. ... 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

"Hockey is a game that demands good sound skills as the foundation for both individual players and the team, " writes Mike Smith. And team success, he adds, is simply a reflection of coaching success.

In The Hockey Coach's Manual: A Guide to Drills, Skills, Tactics and Conditioning, Smith presents a winning formula for the hockey season.

Complete with over 125 step-by-step diagrams, this book helps coaches set up a season-long program and walks them through a host of dryland and on-ice training regimens that will build team cooperation and enhance individual ability. Dozens of skill-building drills provide coaches with the tactical and strategic advantage vital for matching a tailor-made hockey system--whether based on conservative or aggressive play -- to the achievement level of players aged 9 to 18.

A timeless and accessible handbook, The Hockey Coach's Manual is invaluable both as an introduction and as a quick refresher course to the challenging responsibility of coaching hockey.

Customer Reviews (3)

a decent book
this book was decent I got it because I wanted to get in shape like a hockey player due to a class offering for the next semester at my college of ice hockey (they never had it) there where not many hockey fans at my school so it was next to impossible to do half the workouts because they involved more then 1 person but with a little tinkering you can help it fit your needs

Bland at best
All in all, I picked up very few ideas from this generally bland manual, and the illustrations (clay figurish poseables) can, in their most flattering light, be described as abstract (or boring or unhelpful). There is not a single photo of an actual hockey player in the entire book. Large sections provide mostly-irrelevant info, in a well printed format trimmed in color.Towards the back their is some basic strategy that is useful, but as w/ many hockey manuals, these require a great deal of patience to piece together from the diagrams--nothing new.

Good book on all the basics.
Since the publishing of this book, Micheal Smith has become the General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After reading his book, I can understand why. Mr. Smiths insights into hockey coaching are very easy tofollow, with increasing skill level for various ages, from 8 year olds tojunior. He covers all aspects of hockey coaching, from preseasonpreparation,including off ice drills and individual skill development,through to description of systems for defence and offence. Well balancedthat covers a lot. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

If you are interesting in playing, this is not for you
It's not a very indepth book.If you just want some goaltending highlights go for it, but if you are serious about learning more choose something else.

Adult or kids
This book is mainly geared towards kids, but is extremely helpful to a beginning goalie of any age. The full-color pictures and advice from NHL goalies are applicable no matter how old you are. The equipment section is not very in-depth (neither is most of the book), but it is an inexpensive way to get a solid overview of the goaltending position.

Excellent for young goaltenders!
Although I am not very familiar with the 'Hockey The NHL Way' series, this book is a great buy! Many of the pictues in the book are not only of NHL goaltenders, but of young players in the minor and 'pee wee' type leagues. It is written in very simple language, so it's not a difficult read for younger players. Although those of us a little older may find it a tad simplistic, the advice is pretty much what you'll find in any other 300 page book on goaltending, only it's something you can whip through in about 20 minutes. Practical as a quick-reference type thing for those of us older folks who are just getting into the game (if the kiddie pictures don't damage your ego too much, that is!).

Loaded with full color photos and practical advice on how to play well, play fair, and be prepared; it also offers more technically oriented information like the strengths and weaknesses of both the stand-up and butterfly styles of goaltending, as well as the proper way to take care of equipment.

Other things about this book I found to be noteworthy:

- the entire book is written in a format that is not gender specific, and although all the pictures are of young boys or NHL players, there is a quote by Danielle Dube; goaltender of the Canadian Women's National Hockey Team. I have yet to find anything in most of the other books I've purchased that includes any input from female players, or is non-gender specific ... a great book for female goaltenders!

- there is some pretty amazing advice on the less technical and physiological elemets of goaltending, like how to be prepared and how to maintain a good level of concentration, as well as team work and good sportsmanship.

- there is a strong emphasis on non-violent competition.

- the book includes some very basic stretches and exercises for young goaltenders.

All in all this book is valuable for just about anyone who is still learning about the wonderful world of netminding. Most definately a great buy for hockey moms and dads as well, since it's a quick read that will help you undrestand what your child needs as a young goaltender, and what s/he needs to work on to improve. The good majority of the book is full colour photos, but it's cheap and the advice is practical. A pretty good investment by my standards!

Clearly Presented Goaltending Techniques
Goaltending is an excellent choice for anyone interested in being a young goaltender. Good photographs and concise information which offers tips on goaltending techniques. All the books in this series are "a goodbuy". ... Read more

Book Description
The Story of the Greatest Sports Moment of the Twentieth Century

Once upon a time, they taught us to believe. They were the 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team, a blue-collar bunch led by an unconventional coach, and they engineered what Sports Illustrated called the greatest sports moment of the twentieth century. Their “Miracle on Ice” has become a national fairy tale, but the real Cinderella story is even more remarkable.

Wayne Coffey casts a fresh eye on this seminal sports event, giving readers an ice-level view of the amateurs who took on a Russian hockey juggernaut at the height of the Cold War. He details the unusual chemistry of the Americans—formulated by their fiercely determined coach, Herb Brooks—and seamlessly weaves portraits of the boys with the fluid action of the game itself. Coffey also traces the paths of the players and coaches since their stunning victory, examining how the Olympic events affected their lives.

Told with warmth and an uncanny eye for detail, The Boys of Winter is an intimate, perceptive portrayal of one Friday night in Lake Placid and the enduring power of the extraordinary.


Also available as an eBook ... Read more

Customer Reviews (26)

Left Wanting More
The book is 288 pages with extremely wide margins.To tell this story properly the book should be in the 400-500 page range.I wanted to know more about the American players, the ones who brought home the gold as well as those who, like Her Brooks in 1960, were among the last cuts.What were their feelings after "The Miracle" knowing that they had been that close to being a part of it.I wanted to know more about Brooks himself.His relationship with his wife and kids, did he ever get tired of talking about the 1980 games?I wanted to know more about the Russian players.Is the loss still talked about in Russia?How long did it take the players and hockey in the Soviet Union to get over the upset?

All of these subjects were touched upon, but that's the point--they were only touched upon and nothing was delved into completely so as to peel away layers of a more interesting story.

The 1980 U.S. hockey team is one of my favorite subjects.I found the team back then, and still find their achievement today, a tremendous source of inspiration.I just didn't learn very much new about them in this book.

I couldn't put it down
The 1980 Olympic hockey game between USA and USSR was the kind of event that you remember where you were, when we won.This book takes you back to that special time, that could be considered a turning point for US/USSR relations.After reading the book, I bought 2 DVDs.The movie about the game and the HBO documentary on the same subject.All were completely enjoyable.

We'll probably never have a team like the young amateurs that played for our country just because the loved the game.....a special book about some special kids and their coach.

boys of winter ....
this book is without a doubt the best book i've read on the 1980 usa hockey team .outstanding in every way.mr. coffey takes you inside the locker room of both teams and inside the lives of most usa players .

USA! USA! USA!
I can still hear the chants. Still feel the excitement. Still remember where I was, on the day a group of little known athletes beat the worlds best to move on to the gold medal game.

Mr. Coffey does a good job of bringing those moments back, although his concentration is soley on the one game itself.

A nice glimpse into those involved....both prior, during and since that momentous night (afternoon).

I enjoyed his job of retelling the event, although I have to admit, I popped "Miracle" into the DVD player about half way through the book in order to get a quick fix.

All in all.....a quick read and a nice way to bring those memories back to the surface.

I do believe
Although I wasn't born yet to witness the Miracle on Ice, this book almost makes up for it. Truly inspirational, especially the stories of Eruzione and Wells. A must read if you love to root for underdogs or if you are interested in what happened to the boys after Lake Placid.




... Read more

Book Description
Through research, interviews, and profiles, this book tells the story of 100 years of women's hockey. Endorsed by the Canadian HockeyAssociation Too Many Men On The Ice will inspire buddingHaley Wickenheysers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Well intentioned but superficial.
Given that this is virtually the ONLY book in existence concerning women's ice hockey, I'd give this book a 5.The authors and publisher deserve plaudits for writing about this subject.On the downside, this book, when compared to objective standards of quality and editing, stands in need of improvement and could have benefited from further refinement.One example: One entire chapter is devoted to just one woman from the sport (out of many that could have been chosen) who blathers on and on and on about her views of ice hockey.(Who cares?)This chapter of the book reads as if the two writers just set a tape recorder down in front of the person and then typed everything she said verbatim.If I wanted to read a magazine interview, I could have gone elsewhere such as reading women's ice hockey stories and interviews in some of the hockey trade journals.A book is supposed to be a SYNTHESIS of various points of view.I appreciate the two authors showing me their raw interview material but this kind of self-promotion by one individual female ice hockey player belongs in an appendix at the BACK of the book, and NOT in a book chapter. Certainly everyone would agree that this kind of monologue by one single female ice hockey player SHOULD NOT HAVE CONSTITUTED AN ENTIRE BOOK CHAPTER!C'mon!Let's do some of our own writing and research.And what qualifications does this person have to presume to speak for the entire sport anyway?Second point of criticism:While the story of women's ice hockey is in part a story of sexism and the struggle between the sexes, I think the tone of the book and the title could have been less adversarial and resentful toward the existence of men's ice hockey."Too Many Men on the Ice" makes it seem like a zero sum game.Can't men as well as women play the sport?The title suggests not.In fact, the title and the tone of the book suggest that there are "too many men on the ice" playing the sport to the exclusion of women.This is not what wome! n's ice hockey is about.There should be enough room in the sport for both men and women to play ice hockey.This isn't a war between the sexes.Women just want to be recognized and granted equal rights to train, get appropriate coaching, ice time, etcetera just like the men.Do the authors really believe that there are "too many men on the ice?"If so, I am disappointed in them as people and as female journalists and authors.The authors' book title and their hostile and adversarial tone toward male ice hockey players undercuts what these fine women players stand for:No one should be saying that there are "too many men on the ice!"Nor should anyone ever say that there are "too many women on the ice."There should be enough ice time for everyone who wants to play the sport.The book comes off as a well intentioned but somewhat superficial attempt to cover the sport.I suspect other writers will come along and pick up where these two left off.But nonetheless, hats off to these two young authors for devoting themselves to a worthy subject. ... Read more

Book Description

The bible for hockey coaches at all levels of competition.

The Hockey Play Book is a practical handbook for coaches seeking better players and better team-play.

The book features systems for defensive, offensive and special-team situations, all accompanied by annotated, easy-to-understand diagrams. The systems range from conservative to aggressive -- some are intended for big, physical teams; others for fast-skating and highly skilled teams; and some work for both. Also included are teaching methods and drills for honing specific skills.

The first challenge for every coach is to determine the abilities of each skater. The approach in The Hockey Play Book is effective with players of all ages and levels of ability. Coaches can match systems with team strategy, bringing a special creative magic to one of the fastest team sports in the world.

The Hockey Play Book includes:

• 500 step-by-step diagrams
• Dozens of plays and skill-building drills
• Conservative and aggressive systems
• Teaching strategies for all levels of play

Customer Reviews (6)

Learning Hockey movements....organizing the Chaos
I remember learning basketball as a kid...watching it on TV was boring, one team scored, the other scored and not much looked different.

Then I learned about offense and defense and it all changed...became a lot more enjoyable and to this day I can watch a game and get involved.

Well, I'm learning Hockey now...as an adult.I don't have coaches around me to teach me...this book gives a good insight on what to look out for in a game...Offense and defense.

After one reading I went to a game....and it was a different experience.More enjoyable...a deeper connection with the game.

I didn't know exactly what was happeneing on the ice, but knew the basics and was able to more fully follow what the guys were trying to do.

I look forward to a few more readings through this book...and getting ready to watch the playoffs this year....with a more tuned in eye.

Very nice layout
The book is layed out well, and the drills are helpful.My only disappointment was that the book is taylored to older kids who can more readily grasp the basic concepts.Most of the book is too advanced for Mites and squirts.

A good resource for more advanced teams
A good resource for an inexperienced coach to find the info needed to introduce the X's and O's to a house Pee Wee team. Very helpfull

Great Coach's Manual
My son is the head coach of a Tier 1 girls hockey team.This manual has been invaluable for developing plays, systems and a players manual.I highly recommend this to any serious coach.

A good book
Over-all this was an easy to read and understand book. The special teams aspect of the book lack 5-3's on the power plays and penality killing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A Book We Can All Relate To
Brian Kennedy's Growing Up Hockey will take you back to the playground, reminding you of the politics of childhood.For Brian, this meant having the right hockey stick and having the rare hockey cards.But do not be fooled.This book is not just for hockey fans.Anyone can relate.As kids, we all wanted to be able to brag to our friends about our possessions or our accomplishments.And those things we loved as children we often take with us as adults.This is what this book is all about.

And the writing style?Brian writes in a way that makes it hard to put the book down.He does not waste words, but he gives all the detail needed.I read the book in three days, even after having to steal it back from my wife.

A Christmas Story, Hockey Style
"Growing Up Hockey" is about a little boy, this one a real-life hockey player named Brian Kennedy. If you enjoyed "A Christmas Story" and love hockey, you'll be glad to know that reading Kennedy's account of his love affair with hockey is like listening to Ralphie Parker talk about his obsession for a Red Ryder BB gun. The major difference is that Kennedy schemes for not a rifle to fend off Black Bart but rather a hockey stick with a banana curve and then a Ken Dryden hockey card so that he can boast to his playground pals. You read this story, and you'll boast to your hockey friends that you've read the funniest hockey book you've read in years.

A MUST Own for Hockey Fans
Brian Kennedy's story of the average hockey lover/player growing up in Canada is one I think everyone who loves hockey will enjoy. Growing Up Hockey chronicles Mr. Kennedy's life as he grew up in Canada and later went to the US and England for school or work. Although I grew up in the US, where hockey was not the main sport, I enjoyed reading about what life is like for those who grow up with hockey as an integral part of their lives.

It's great that the US has so many options, but I found myself wishing I knew what it was like to be able to discuss hockey with almost anyone around. Since I've been a fan of hockey, I've always had a couple friends who enjoy the game about as much as I do, but it would be something else to experience an environment where those who did not follow hockey were the exception.

Mr. Kennedy's detailed account of his life growing up with hockey as a central influence is very interesting. He tells stories about playing hockey, watching hockey, hockey cards, living without being able to see much hockey, the differences between the NHL and ENL (in England), and life in Canada.I couldn't recommend this book more for anyone in your life who loves hockey!

Loved it even though I'm not a hockey fan.
My husband bought this book and I was curious about it when I read the title. I started reading and just couldn't stop. This is a book full of memories and moments that stayed in the mind of the narrator, and they take us (as readers) back to our own memories. These stories made me think about friends in the playground, about that one fleeting moment of athletic success and how it feels to be so close to my dreams of glory. Reading story after story reminded me about that past that we very often take for granted and easily forget, but that will always be a series of defining moments that make us who we are. It's also gratifying to read where the narrator ended up, since he reflects also on his own present life. I am not a hockey fan, but I enjoy good stories, especially when they're written in a way that grabs you.

Just sit back and enjoy the ride
Life is ultimately about love. We all recognize love, although we do not love in the same way. None understands the logic of our individual passions, but we count ourselves fortunate to be near its mystery. LA Car Editor-at-Large and sports journalist Brian Kennedy writes about his lifelong love and passion in Growing Up Hockey (Folklore Publishing, 2007). The book draws you in at the beginning, with Brian's preschool adventure onto ice in Montreal, and ends with his touching the Duck's Stanley Cup in Los Angeles. The section titles of his book say it well: Learning the Game, Living the Game, Loving the Game. This is a story of a boy who grows up in Canada 's suburbs living for his pee wee league and collecting NHL cards. This is a story of a man who still is the consummate fan watching games over and over so that the video wears thin. He played until it got too rough, he refereed, he bought tickets from scalpers. He finally finds opportunity to worm himself nearer the game by becoming a sports writer. Here is another instance where he writes so he can be closer to his favorite sport. You see, Brian has another passion and love. Brian also writes about cars and car racing. Hockey and cars are about the adrenaline of gliding speed. But why analyze. Growing Up Hockey should be approached in much the same way as Brian's automotive articles: Just sit back, hang on and enjoy the ride. ... Read more

Book Description
The fun and easy way to coach youth hockey – no experience required!

Hockey is growing in leaps and bounds around the world, but the demand for qualified coaches far outstrips availability. Moms and dads are being recruited to step in and assume the role of coach even with nothing more than feigned interest for credentials. Coaching Hockey For Dummies is ideally suited to meet these growing needs: its message is clear, the information thorough and user friendly, and it brings along a great attitude.

For anyone new to coaching, Coaching Hockey For Dummies will provide an invaluable reference. Unlike other coaching books, which only cover what happens on the ice, Coaching Hockey For Dummies covers every aspect of hockey coaching, from what equipment a coach needs, to holding player-parent meetings, to the perfect drills to develop individual and team skills. ... Read more

Book Description
Coaching Hockey Successfully is your blueprint to a successful hockey program. The book covers every aspect of the coach's role, including fundamentals like developing a coaching philosophy, building a program, planning for practices, handling game situations, and evaluating performance. Much of the material centers around teaching the sport's skills and understanding the Xs and Os. Throughout these sections are coaching points, related drills, and practice tips that will benefit your team immediately.

Author "Red" Gendron has coached at all levels of competition, and his teams have won everything from high school state championships to a Stanley Cup. In Coaching Hockey Successfully he shares his wealth of knowledge and winning approach to help you strengthen your own hockey program.

Whether you're new to coaching or looking for more effective ways to coach the sport, take advantage of the expertise and experiences available in this all-encompassing manual. If you do, you're sure to be a more successful hockey coach. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Best Hockey Coaching Book Out There!
This is geared for Bantams, Midgets, and High School.But has tons of info and great detail.I basically took the info that applied to my team and made it out team manual.
Systems, drills, coaching advice, how to present, how to motivate, etc... its all in there.

Bottom line, it's a great book.If you're a hockey coach for these levels you need this.Its that good

Keep in mind as a coach you have to know your team and what applies to your team.You cant read this book and expect everything to work.Like most coaching book you have to use the info that applies.Be open, be creative.Don't be a coach who lives inside a book to give him/her the Xs and Os.This is a guide....a great guide.But you have to understand your team first for this to work.

Dynamite Book for Coaching Midgets
Coaching Hockey Successfully has a loads of valuable information from hockey philosophy (teach your players to create space and time and teach them the concept of support) to good drills to teach your players hockey sense. This book would get five stars but sometimes Gendron loses you e.g. a description of a drill to which he does not have a diagram and one you do not understand. I thought it was my problem until I talked it over with a friend. This book is so valuable. If you are coaching Bantam and above, it's a top notch resource. Thanks, Red! ... Read more

Book Description
The Scholastic Ice Hockey Playbook: Strategies of a high school coach offers a unique approach at dissecting the game in a way coaches, players and fans will appreciate the fundamentals of hard work while understanding the vast array of systems and formations used in today's game.Co-authors Harvey Cohen, an award-winning coach, and Mike G. Morreale, a distinguished scholastic sports writer in New Jersey, guide readers through the B.E.S.T. approach for creating team comradery in Chapter 1 to the finer details of specialty teams in Chapter 5.

The Scholastic Ice Hockey Playbook: Strategies of a high school coach also reminds us that ice hockey players are also people and must be treated as such. Players must learn to respect their peers to improve their game and their overall character.The book is a guide for all skill levels and gives the reader a better understanding of the sport, its concepts and that interpersonal relationship between coach and player. The relationship between coach and player should, according to co-authors Cohen and Morreale, not be taken for granted. Players must listen to their coaches and coaches must find time for their players to establish a mutual respect. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

Once upon a time, Teena Dickerson endured months of hockey mania every year followed by endless weeks of playoff insanity while her husband sprawled out on the couch guzzling beer and shouting at the TV. Then she decided to change all that and become a devoted fan of this popular game.

The Girlfriend's Guide to Hockey demystifies the arcane language of hockey (such as butt-ending and chippy play), explains the rules and the rituals, and identifies the Stanley behind the championship Cup. It's all here: the teams, the players, the history and the trivia, written with clarity and humor. And there's the complete scoop on women's hockey, too.

With its simple, direct style and sprinkling of colorful anecdotes, this book is the perfect introduction for anyone new to the game and the traditions that accompany it.

This new edition is updated to include recent new stars, Cup winners and "best" teams.

Customer Reviews (2)

Not just for girlfriends
I had two reasons for buying this book. First I'm a Will Ferguson fan; I've read and loved most of his books and his being listed as co-author was good enough for me. Second, despite being Canadian, I am completely ignorant of ice hockey, which comes mostly from a lack of interest. As a Canadian living abroad, I realize that I have ambassadorial duties regarding the promotion of Canadiana, and ice hockey tops the list of Canadiana must-know items. So since girlfriends are seldom interested in sports (he he he) a book written by a woman for women would logically need to drum up interest in the topic, and this it did for me.

Teene Spencer wrote most of it and presents the history of the game, a basic overview of the rules, a survey of the organization, and lists of the greatest players and teams. Husband and boyfriend Bruce Spencer and family friend Will Ferguson pepper the pages with comments and disputes, most prominent of which is the fight-to-the-death over the Montreal Canadiens.

Good read, and informative if you want to get into hockey.

Flip on ESPN and pass me a beer
Like the author, I found myself engaged to a die-hard hockey fan. This book is a great place to start for the newly-initiated hockey girlfriend. It's a quick read, the author's racy innuendos give it a Girls' Night Out tone that's a lot more inviting and easier to relate to than other intro books. The stats and trivia are great, but will need to be updated eventually. Nice to see coverage of women's hockey, too.
PS - the bit about defensemen on page 19 is totally true ;).

Also recommended:
* Without Fear: Hockey's 50 Greatest Goaltenders
* Hockey's Best Shots: The Greatest NHL Photography of the Century ... Read more

Product Description
Minnesota's ice arenas are featured in this creative look across the state. Pictures capture the unique characteristics of each rink, and interesting facts are included. Former Minnesota North Star Don Beaupre contributes the foreword. ... 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
Cecil Harris outlines the personal and professional battles as well as the victories of such hockey pioneers as Herb Carnegie and Willie O'Ree--men whose determination, skill and sheer love of the game smoothed the way for black players to follow. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Breaking the Ice
This is a great book!Highly recommended for hockey fans and non-hockey fans alike.

could have been so much more
Unfortunately, this interesting topic is ultimately undone by the book's facile approach & its author's lame, 4th grade prose.

Mainly, the book collects biographical information & creates portraits of many of the game's black players. Some chapters are devoted to a single player, e.g. Jarome Iginla or Willie O'Ree (the first black man to play in the NHL). Other chapters focus on players with a common thread, e.g. black goaltenders. The book is rounded out by brief looks at the opportunities (or lack thereof) for coaching & organizational positions for blacks, and at youth & diversity programs that aim to increase access to hockey for minorities.

I enjoyed reading the players' stories, how they have handled racism in their careers, and about their passion for the game. Particularly good were the chapters about early players like Herb Carnegie, who never made it to the NHL, and those who first broke the color barrier. Most of the men profiled in the book have encountered overt racism along their way to becoming elite hockey players. In some cases, the racism was totally outrageous and shockingly premeditated. Fans throwing bananas or chicken bones on the ice. The organist at an opposing team's arena leading the crowd in singing racist taunts. The mind boggles.

However, a few players featured in the book faced hardly any racially-motivated opposition to pursuing hockey, while others experienced much more adversity. Here is where the book falls short of what I would have hoped for. Why would this be? Were there circumstances that made some towns or youth leagues more accepting? Were there significant social factors or immigration patterns that had an effect? The reader is left wondering. The book is also begging for a thoughtful treatment of the fact that <2% of Canadians are of African or Carribean etc. descent, which would obviously be a factor limiting the total # of hockey-playing blacks and contributing to racism generally.

Also annoying was the consistently faux turgid and/or florid sportswriter's prose. There were countless references to players benefiting because their predecessors "smoothed the ice" for them. And check out this groan-inducing passage that opens the chapter about youth programs for minorities:

"It would be easy to mistake the group's name for a dreadful situation comedy on the television network, UPN. But Ice Hockey In Harlem only sounds like a program that could follow `Homeboys In Outer Space' on a fledgling network's prime-time schedule. Fortunately, though, Ice Hockey In Harlem is a program worthy of attention."

Geez. Get an editor.

Bottom line: Barely Recommended. I learned things, so I can't condemn it outright. Only for hockey fans with low expectations.

Exploring Black Hockey accomplishments despite adversities
Despite the fact that I am not a sports fan, I became engrossed in the book Breaking The Ice. This literary work is a true page turner. In comparison to the typical sports book, which is filled with statistics and plays, Harris; expertise in this field yielded an exploratory history of Black Hockey Players? successes and many obstacles in pursuit of reaching the pinnacle of their game. For most that meant achieving the goal of being a National Hockey League player. Breaking The Ice examines those Black Hockey players who in their attempt to obtain this goal endured much inhumane treatment but continues to persevere. Along with the players? mental anguish, Harris? documents how players such as: Carnegie, Marson, O?Ree, and Mayers (to name a few) love of the game inspired them to continue following their dreams even in the face of outrageous resistance from the spectators, fellow players and coaches. The Black Hockey players were determined to make it and to overcome no matter what.

Exploring Black Hockey accomplishments despite adversities
Despite the fact that I am not a sports fan, I became engrossed in the book Breaking The Ice. This literary work is a true page turner. In comparison to the typical sports book, which is filled with statistics and plays, Harris; expertise in this field yielded an exploratory history of Black Hockey Players? successes and many obstacles in pursuit of reaching the pinnacle of their game. For most that meant achieving the goal of being a National Hockey League player. Breaking The Ice examines those Black Hockey players who in their attempt to obtain this goal endured much inhumane treatment but continues to persevere. Along with the players? mental anguish, Harris? documents how players such as: Carnegie, Marson, O?Ree, and Mayers (to name a few) love of the game inspired them to continue following their dreams even in the face of outrageous resistance from the spectators, fellow players and coaches. The Black Hockey players were determined to make it and to overcome no matter what.

What doesBuck Leonard have in common with Herbie Carnegie?
Cecil Harris has chronicled the history of black hockey players attempting to professionally compete in the National Hockey League.Parellels abound with the countless Afro-American baseball players attempting to play professional baseball from the early 1900's to the ground breaking Jackie Robinson inclusion in 1947.
Bonafide NHL candidates like Herbie Carnegie and Manny McIntyre were denied entry into the NHL simply because they were black...yet they were permitted to play for the Quebec Aces along with Jean Beliveau...and excelled.
Read about Willie O'Ree becoming the first black to play in the NHL with the Boston Bruins.Enduring the insults and indignites just to professionally compete in the game of hockey, O'Ree was hockey's version of Jackie Robinson.
Today, thanks to Carnegie and O'Ree, we can view black players like Jarome Iginla leading Calgary's Stanley Cup quest, as one of the major stars of the 21st century.
Carnegie, McIntyre, O'Ree and countless others (meticulously outlined in Harris' text), clearly led the way for today's Iginla, Anson Carter and Nathan Robinson...
Cecil Harris provides a timely snapshot of a welome addition to the NHL, the black professional hockey player competing at the highest level as skilled players. ... Read more

Book Description

Meet the women of Team USA: twenty high-achieving, defiant female athletes, both seasoned players and enthusiastic rookies. Follow this dream team for the many months of training in practice arenas and tournaments across the United States and Canada in anticipation of Nagano.Join them in the locker room and feel the tension of pregame strategies and the Olympic team selection process. Experience the drama of the battles on the ice and the friendships that were made along the way.Meet their coach, a mythical figure in men's ice hockey who treated his players as world-class athletes, and the families and friends of the team, who encouraged these girls to follow their dreams and challenge all prejudices against contact sports for women.Watch and be inspired by this unforgettable team--the women who risked everything in crashing the net. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

a different aspect
I have a friend who is a female hockey player and this book helped me see her aspect of the game womens hockey is still growing and maybe one day we'll see a women play in an actual NHL game

An amazing book about an amzing team.
This book is wonderful!It gives all young athletes, like mysefl, hope for the future.Plus, this is a team that deserved to have their story told, and Mary Turco did a wonderful job at telling it.

Crashing the Net, my all-time favorite
Crashing the net is my all-time favorite book. This is a well written book that makes you feel that your really there standing beside K.L. or Cammi. It shows you the glory of being an Olympian and one day I want to try to play womens hockey in the Olympics. This book is one of the things that persuaded me! This book shows that anything is possible when you believe in yourself.

Great Book
This is such an amazing book with a true positive message for female athletes and their sports.Mary Turco has done a teriffic job of capturing this team's heart and spirit.This is an excellent book, one that I recommend highly.

Dana

She Shoots.....She Scores!
Mary Turco captures the excitement that surrounded the first U.S. Women's Olympic Ice Hockey Team.Unfortunately, the text wasn't quite as excited.Although the stories were interesting, they were dryly written.It washard to get behind these remarkable athletes as there just didn't seem tobe enough character developement.These wonderful gold-medal winners allhad to fight the prejudices against women's sports to follow their dreamsand serve as inspiration, but this aspect was barely touched upon.Thespirit of the 1998 U.S. Women's Hockey Team and their amazing journey wasnicely remembered and portrayed, but you will not find much of anythingelse. ... Read more

Book Description
Hockey is a game of speed and strength, but it's also a contest of skill and precision. Teams that control the puck also control the game and score more goals. Hockey Drills for Puck Control presents 70 challenging drills to help you better control the puck and help your team put more points on the scoreboard.

Author Vern Stenlund, a former professional player and now a successful coach and instructor for the Huron Hockey School, explains and illustrates how to

&#149; use the drills most effectively,

&#149; help players and coaches reduce the time required to master skills, and

&#149; refine the drills to challenge even the most experienced players.

Improve your puck control skills with these 70 ice-tested Hockey Drills for Puck Control. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Buy for history, not for how-to
I was disppointed in this book, especially since it was touted to have "comprehensive" rules. It has only one chapter on rules, and even then it barely brushes the surface.

If you want to know about the background of how modern hockey came to be, it's great. But I wanted to know more about strategy, rules, penalties, officials' hand signals, etc. and there is very little in it. Had I known what I know now, I wouldn't have bought it. Very disappointing.

not horible
alot of history not allot of strategy or technique.

For trivia lovers only
I bought this book to learn how NHL hockey is played. I read the Complete Idiot's Guide Football and found it to be a very well organized, comprehensive description of the game. This book about hockey is nothing at all like that. If you don't know how hockey is played, you won't be any smarter after reading this. There are 298 pages of history and only 18 or 19 pages on the rules. You will learn what icing and offside penalties are and which way players are not allowed to hit each other with the stick and that's about it. Nothing at all about strategy and tactics and no glossary of terms. I was disappointed. If you want to learn the basics of hockey, look elsewhere. ... Read more