Last year was a great one for Canadian hockey: Hockey Canada turned 100, both the men's and women's ice hockey teams won gold at the Sochi Winter Olympics and Montreal and Toronto co-hosted the IIHF World Junior Championship (with Team Canada winning gold at the end of the tournament, in January 2015).
Now, while you eagerly wait to see if your favourite NHL team makes it to the playoffs, check out some of these great hockey books:
There are many fantastic books out there for young hockey fans. A must-read is Roch Carrier's iconic The Hockey Sweater, which features hilarious illustrations by Sheldon Cohen and tells the story of what happens when your mom orders you the wrong team's jersey: Quelle horreur!
For children just learning to read, there is Hockey Opposites by Per-Henrik Gürth, which explains basic hockey lingo and concepts with colourful illustrations.
Elementary school age puck enthusiasts will enjoy The Highest Number in the World by Roy MacGregor, which is about a young Hayley Wickenheiser fan, and My Day with the Cup by Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby.
Finally, middle school students should check out Home Ice Advantage by Tom Earle, which recently won a BC Young Reader's Choice Award.
For adults, there are many exhilarating player memoirs to check out, including
Orr: My Story by the Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr is a must-read. Orr is personable and humble, and gives great insight on both the past and current state of the game.
If you prefer reading tell-all memoirs, Orr's big bad Bruins teammate Derek Sanderson's Crossing the Line: The Outrageous Story of a Hockey Original reveals how Sanderson went from being the highest-paid athlete in the world to losing it all.
Other autobiographies include: Detroit Red Wings legend Gordie Howe's Mr. Hockey; Montreal Canadiens and Chicago Blackhawks defenceman Chris Chelios' Overtime; nine-time Stanley Cup winner Larry Robinson's The Great Defender: My Hockey Odyssey; and the late, great Canadiens forward Jean Béliveau's My Life in Hockey.
For those interested in behind-the-scenes stories, TSN's Bob McKenzie's Hockey Confidential: Inside Stories from People Inside the Game includes interesting and heartfelt interviews with current players and industry insiders. Chapters include "Uncle John, Young John" on the National Lacrosse League's all-time leading scorer John Tavares and his namesake nephew, New York Islanders Captain John Tavares; and "Recalculating," which features an all-encompassing discussion with Karl Subban about his move from Jamaica to Sudbury as a child and raising his three sons P.K., Malcolm and Jordan, who were all drafted into the NHL.
Another excellent read is Hockey Card Stories by Sportsnet's Ken Reid, which takes a hilarious look at old hockey cards through the eyes of the legends themselves, including the New York Islanders' Denis Potvin and the Bruins' Phil Esposito. A highlight is Rogatien Vachon's 1971-'72 card from before the invention of Photoshop, where his head was crudely pasted onto the body of a different LA Kings player: "Every time I sit down and answer my mail, that card is always creeping up. And I always get a laugh when I see it." This book is perfect for anyone who still has their prized O-Pee-Chee card collection sitting somewhere in their parents' attic or those who like to laugh at 1970s fashion and hairstyles.
Countless more hockey books can be found at your local library: Score!
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Jamie McCarthy works at Coquitlam Public Library.
