My mother, who’s 86, has put away her rosary beads and is no longer experiencing anxiety attacks. My nails are now growing again. Since our home team did not make it to the Stanley Cup playoffs, we are now sitting back and enjoying some terrific games during this playoff season.
For hockey fans, it’s thrilling to see great young talents on the ice — the likes of Connor McDavid and Lyle Richardson (Oilers); John Gibson (Ducks); Brendan Gallagher (Canadiens); Sean Monahan (Flames); Morgan Rielly (Maple Leafs); and Jimmy Vesey (Rangers).
But as we enjoy watching these upcoming stars, we are reminded of others who entertained us for years and whose names are etched numerous times on the Stanley Cup: players who later became coaches. In this article, I will pay tribute to the other talent behind the bench, the men who are ultimately responsible for all the action on the ice.
Quinn: The Life of a Hockey Legend is a moving biography of a man with looks, class and dignity by Dan Robson, a writer for Sportsnet magazine. Robson details Pat Quinn’s life from a working-class kid to playing in minor hockey leagues, to coaching the Flyers and the Canucks, to victories for Canada in the Olympics and the World Cup.
Straight Up & Personal: The World According to Grapes by Don Cherry reveals things we may not have known. Apart from hockey, there are other matters that are near and dear to Cherry’s heart: the war in Afghanistan, his friendships, his family, the state of the world, among many things. In this book, the Hockey Night in Canada Coach’s Corner personality, known for his outrageous attire, shares his thoughts on a broader range of issues than he has ever before, telling stories from as long ago as his boyhood, his coaching days with the Bruins to the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Cherry is upfront and straightforward — there is no other way — about his personal experiences on and off the ice, and offers the lessons he has learned along the way.
Scotty Bowman, Hockey Hall of Fame coach, said that Art Ross: The Legend who built the Bruins by Eric Zweig is “a fascinating read… I could hardly put it down.” Because Art Ross last played the game nearly 100 years ago, this book not only traces his career in hockey, it also gives us invaluable insight into the history of the game and the NHL in North America. Ross has been credited for making the NHL a success in the United States and was integral to the modernization of hockey. To this day, Ross remains connected with some of the greatest stars in hockey: Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr; Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby as they have all won the award that bears his name, the trophy given annually to the NHL’s top scorer.
Roger’s World: The Life and Unusual Times of Roger Neilson by Wayne Scanlan, covers some wonderful and memorable years in the world of hockey and will bring back many happy hockey memories to boomers. As a child, Neilson enjoyed playing several sports: baseball, hockey and rugby football. By 2002, Neilson had coached 1,000 games in the NHL, including with the Leafs, Canucks, Panthers, Flyers and Senators. Who can forget game two of Campbell Conference Finals in 1982 between the Canucks and Blackhawks, when Canuck head coach Neilson, upset with the officiating, waved a white towel on the end of a hockey stick as a sign of mock surrender. Neilson was ejected from the game and the Canucks lost 4-1. When Vancouver returned home from Chicago for the following game, fans supported both Neilson and the Canucks by waving towels, first at the airport when the team arrived and then during the next game. FYI, Vancouver would beat the Blackhawks and lost in the Stanley Cup finals against the Islanders. That was the start of towel power at hockey games in North America.
The Red Kelly Story by L. Waxy Gregoire and David M. Dupuis is an interesting and lively autobiography about Kelly as he reminisces about his childhood days, to his playing days with the Leafs, during which time he served as a member of Parliament in Lester Pearson’s government, and to his coaching days with the Kings, Penguins and the Leafs. This is a fascinating biography of a life well-lived — both on and off the ice — with many hockey stories.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Teresa Rehman works at Coquitlam Public Library.
