For twenty-six straight seasons from 1978 to 2003 Mount Saint Charles Academy captured the hearts of its fans and the state s high school hockey championship. Attributing the streak to a near-mystical force called Mount Pride, beloved coach Bill Belisle and his team have built the most successful hockey program in Rhode Island. In the thrilling 2013 season, they recaptured the Mount glory as state champions. Yet the high school hockey team is much more than its wins and losses it s a culture and a family. Beginning with the earliest days when Rhode Island s four-team league took to the frozen ponds with tree branches serving as rudimentary hockey sticks, author Bryan Ethier chronicles the history of the MSC Flying Frenchmen. Join Ethier as he takes to the ice with the great games, the star players and the unforgettable moments to tell the remarkable story of Mount Saint Charles Hockey.

The U. S. hockey team's victory at the 1980 Olympics was a "Miracle on Ice"--a miracle largely brought about by the late Herb Brooks, the legendary coach who forged that invincible team. Famously antagonistic toward the press at Lake Placid, Brooks nonetheless turned to sportswriter John Gilbert after each game, giving his longtime friend and confidant what became the most comprehensive coverage of the '80 team. This book is Gilbert's memoir of Brooks. Neither strictly biography or tell-all expose, Herb Brooks: Born to Coach is the story of an extraordinary man as it emerged in the course of a remarkable friendship. Gilbert, writing for the Minneapolis Tribune, first met Brooks during his coaching days at the University of Minnesota, whose hockey program he resurrected in the 1970's. The two became fast friends, and here, for the first time, Gilbert relates anecdotes--his own and former players'--that illuminate Brooks' oftentimes hard-nosed coaching methods, his dramatic successes, and his incomparable character. From Brooks' beginnings in East St. Paul and his stint with the 1960 gold medal-winning Olympic team (from which he was famously the last player cut), Gilbert goes on to dissect the coach's tenure with the Gophers (including three national titles) and the Lake Placid story, from the selection process and yearlong barnstorming tour to the Games themselves. Throughout this and later chapters of Brooks' career--including coaching turns with St. Cloud State University, four NHL teams, and the 2002 U.S. Olympic squad--readers are treated to impossibly colorful quotes, rare photographs from Brooks' playing and coaching careers, and pertinent sidebar pieces that originally appeared in the Minneapolis Tribune.

Small-area games have been proven to increase a player's ability to excel in tighter spaces, increase explosive speed, improve decision making, and enhance efficiency on the ice. Used with some of hockey's most elite players, this small game methodology can now be used by coaches everywhere to develop players' skills and put a winning team on the ice. In Coaching Hockey With Small-Area Games, Hockey Canada skills consultant Dave Cameron shares the games and coaching tips he uses with players ranging from pros (NHL, AHL, and ECHL) to young athletes just learning to play the game. He breaks down more than 50 small-area games covering all major aspects of play: Offensive skills and tactics Defensive skills and tactics Transitions Face-offs Power plays Penalty killing More than just the how, you'll learn the why. Cameron explains the skills being developed, what to focus on during the games, and how to recognize and correct common player mistakes. And each game can be modified to match the skill level of the players. For maximum effectiveness, turn to the game finder and select the games that are most applicable based on player skill and intended developmental outcome. And to allow more time for coaching instead of planning, use the ready-made practice sessions designed for practices of different lengths and for developing specific skills. Coaching Hockey With Small-Area Games will help you create game-like situations in practice so your players can develop the skills to play smart and with precision, speed, and confidence.

A riveting graphic novel that reminds us to never stop dreaming. This honest, engrossing graphic memoir tells the story of professional athlete and activist Akim Aliu's incredible life as a hockey prodigy in Canada. Akim Aliu - also known as "Dreamer" - is a Ukrainian-Nigerian-Canadian professional ice hockey player whose career took him all around the world and who experienced systemic racism at every turn. Dreamer tells Akim's incredible story, from being the only Black child in his Ukrainian community, to his family struggling to make ends meet while living in Toronto, to confronting the racist violence he often experienced both on and off the ice. "With honesty and courage, Akim Aliu's Dreamer will inspire readers of all ages to move confidently in the direction of their future." - Colin Kaepernick Full-colour illustration Sure to inspire young readers everywhere Akim has partnered with the Time to Dream Foundation and the Hockey Diversity Alliance to help their mission to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey Akim continues to play hockey professionally in Europe

Hockey players are stronger, quicker, and more agile than ever before. To compete and win in today's game requires superior stamina and strength. Complete Conditioning for Hockey can help get you there with a year-round training plan that will get you primed for a winning season. Author Ryan van Asten, one of the game's leading strength and conditioning coaches, shares the same approach he's used with top athletes and teams at the professional and national levels-including NHL Stanley Cup winners, Canada's Olympic gold medal-winning women's hockey team, and multiple world championship teams. Complete Conditioning for Hockey covers every aspect of physical preparation, including these: Movement optimization Endurance and stamina Functional strength and power Acceleration and speed Change of direction and reactivity Recovery and injury risk reduction Throughout, you'll find more than 145 exercises, each with progressions and variations, to optimize your training in order to continue your development season after season. The position-specific guidelines will help to personalize training to your skill set, experience level, and role on the team. Training plans provide specific information and exercises for the off-season, preseason, in-season, and postseason to ensure optimal peaking and recovery. Complete Conditioning for Hockey also features a detailed analysis of player movement and conditioning needs, taking the process of physical preparation for hockey to a whole new level. CE exam available! For certified professionals, a companion continuing education exam can be completed after reading this book. The Complete Conditioning for Hockey Online CE Exam may be purchased separately or as part of the Complete Conditioning for Hockey With CE Exam package that includes both the book and the exam.

An in-depth look into the origins of how each NHL team was named, received their logo and design, with interviews by those responsible. Written by those most knowledgeable, you'll learn why every hockey team to every play in the National Hockey League looks the way it does. Nothing unites or divides a random assortment of strangers quite like the hockey team for which they cheer. The passion they hold within them for the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, or Boston Bruins allows them to look past any differences which would have otherwise disrupted a perfectly fine Thanksgiving dinner and channels it into a powerful, shared admiration for their team. We decorate our lives with their logos, stock our wardrobe with their jerseys, and, in some cases, even tattoo our bodies with their iconography and colors. They're so ingrained in our lives we don't even think to ask ourselves why Los Angeles celebrates royalty; why Buffalo cheers for not one, but two massive cavalry swords; or why the Broadway Blueshirts named themselves for a law enforcement agency in Texas (or why they even wear blue shirts, for that matter). All that and more is explored in Fabric of the Game, authored by two of the sports world's leading experts in team branding and design: Chris Creamer and Todd Radom. Tapping into their vast knowledge of the whys and hows, Creamer and Radom explore and share the origin stories behind these and more, talking directly to those involved in the decision processes and designs of the National Hockey League's team names, logos, and uniforms, pouring through historical accounts to find and deliver the answers to these questions. Learn more about the historied Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks, as well as the lost but not forgotten Hartford Whalers and Quebec Nordiques, all the way to the lesser-known Kansas City Scouts and Philadelphia Quakers. Whichever team you pledge allegiance, Fabric of the Game covers them in-depth with research and knowledge for any hockey fan to enjoy.

Hard-hitting, nonstop action (and that's just what happens off the ice).

Hockey is the fastest of all team sports―an emotional, exhilarating, and highly entertaining blend of speed, finesse, intensity, and bone-crunching physical impact. And the NHL's Nashville Predators are, in every respect, a team to watch. But the story leading up to, and through, the Predators' triumphant first season is every bit as exciting as the game itself.

"Hockey Tonk" tells of one man's dream of bringing a pro team to a city best known for its music industry. The journey from that dream to its fulfillment in an arena filled with 17,000 screaming fans is a story of vision, passion, hard work, perseverance, and commitment to long-term success. It's a story of teamwork and hard-nosed competition, both on and off the ice.

Just a few short years ago, the majority of Nashville, Tennessee, didn't know the difference between a blue line and a line dance. But now Music City has become a pro sports town, thanks to a fiercely competitive hockey team, its business-and community-minded front office, and fan support that, according to "USA Today," is second to none.

A classic David & Goliath tale, complete with colourful heroes, cold-hearted villains, and nail-biting games—with the hockey rink serving as an arena for a nation’s resistance. During the height of the Cold War, a group of small-town young men would lead their underdog hockey team from the little country of Czechoslovakia against the Soviet Union, the juggernaut in their sport. As they battled on the ice, the young players would keep their people’s quest for freedom alive, and forge a way to fight back against the authoritarian forces that sought to crush them. From the sudden invasion of Czechslovakia by an armada of tanks and 500,000 Warsaw Pact soldiers, to a hockey victory over the Soviets that inspired half a million furious citizens to take to the streets in an attempt to destroy all representations that they could find of their occupiers, Freedom to Win ranges from iconic moments in history to courageous individual stories.  We will witness the fearless escape by three brothers who made up the core of the national team, thrilling world championship games and gold medal matches.  We will watch as a one brave player takes a stand and leads ten thousand people in a tear-filled rendition of the Czechoslovak national anthem amid chants of “freedom!� while a revolution raged in the streets of Prague. At the heart of Freedom to Win is the story of the Holíks, a Czechoslovak family whose resistance to the Communists embodied the deepest desires of the people of their country. Faced with life under the cruel and arbitrary regime that had stolen their family butcher shop, the Holík boys became national hockey icons and inspirations to their people.  Filled with heart-pounding moments on the ice and unforgettable slices of history, Freedom to Win is the ultimate tale of why sports truly matter.

The tragic death of hockey star Derek Boogaard at twenty-eight was front-page news across the country in 2011 and helped shatter the silence about violence and concussions in professional sports. Now, in a gripping work of narrative nonfiction, acclaimed reporter John Branch tells the shocking story of Boogaard's life and heartbreaking death. Boy on Ice is the richly told story of a mountain of a man who made it to the absolute pinnacle of his sport. Widely regarded as the toughest man in the NHL, Boogaard was a gentle man off the ice but a merciless fighter on it. With great narrative drive, Branch recounts Boogaard's unlikely journey from lumbering kid playing pond-hockey on the prairies of Saskatchewan, so big his skates would routinely break beneath his feet; to his teenaged junior hockey days, when one brutal outburst of violence brought Boogaard to the attention of professional scouts; to his days and nights as a star enforcer with the Minnesota Wild and the storied New York Rangers, capable of delivering career-ending punches and intimidating entire teams. But, as Branch reveals, behind the scenes Boogaard's injuries and concussions were mounting and his mental state was deteriorating, culminating in his early death from an overdose of alcohol and painkillers. Based on months of investigation and hundreds of interviews with Boogaard's family, friends, teammates, and coaches, Boy on Ice is a brilliant work for fans of Michael Lewis's The Blind Side or Buzz Bissinger's Friday Night Lights. This is a book that raises deep and disturbing questions about the systemic brutality of contact sports-from peewees to professionals-and the damage that reaches far beyond the game.

There is no greater authority on all things sports than Sports Illustrated magazine. Now, they turn their expert eye to the action on the ice in the fourth book in the bestselling Greatest Series with Hockey's Greatest, which takes you onto the ice and into history like no other book about hockey ever has. Who is the greatest goalie of all-time, Patrick Roy or Dominik Hasek? Where does Martin Brodeur land in the rankings? Would fans select Sidney Crosby or Mario Lemieux as the better center? Sports Illustrated has polled its hockey experts to determine the top 10 in more than 15 categories, including best rivalry, best single-season team, and best game in history. SI's stunning photography and classic stories from the Sports Illustrated archives accompany every ranking, making this the most authoritative survey of the sport of hockey available, and the perfect gift for anyone who revels in the fast-paced, oftentimes bloody action on the ice.

Book in slipcase. Before the NHL, and even before the Pacific Coast League, British Columbia was a land of vibrant hockey. Now Craig Bowlsby has uncovered and revived the old legends and given us a rink-side glimpse into this exciting past. He has included never-before published photos, paintings and drawings, plus new stories of the famous Patrick brothers in Nelson before they launched the Pacific Coast League. The book is highly detailed, including every known BC player at the time, women's teams and team and goalie records.

The Hartford Whalers were a beloved hockey team from their founding in 1972 as the New England Whalers. Playing in the National Hockey League's smallest market and arena after the World Hockey Association merger in 1979, they struggled in a division that included both the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens-but their fans were among the NHL's most loyal. In 1995 new owners demanded a new arena and, when it fell through, moved the team to North Carolina, rebranding as the Hurricanes. Unlike fellow franchises that have folded or relocated with little fanfare, the Whalers' fan base stayed with the team, which remains as popular as ever. Even though more than two decades have come and gone since Connecticut's only professional sports team moved, nobody has truly forgotten the Whalers, their history, and their unique-and still highly profitable-logo. And while the NHL continues to thrive without them, their impact stretches far beyond the ice and into an entirely different cultural arena. Christopher Price grew up in Connecticut as a diehard Whalers fan, experiencing firsthand the team's bond with the community. Drawing from all aspects of the team's past, he tells the uncensored history of Connecticut's favorite professional sports franchise. Part sports history and part civic history, Bleeding Green shows vividly why the Whalers, despite an inglorious past and a future that unexpectedly vanished, remain firmly embedded in the American milieu and have had a lasting impact on not only the NHL but the sports landscape as a whole.

When Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens opened in 1931, manager Conn Smythe envisioned an arena that would project an aura of middle-class respectability. In A Night at the Gardens, Russell Field shares how this new arena anticipated spectators by examining varying spectator behaviours, who the spectators were, and what the experience of spectating was like. Drawing on archival records, the book explores the neighbourhood in which Maple Leaf Gardens was situated, the design of the arena’s interior spaces, and the ways in which it was operated in order to appeal to respectable spectators at a particular intersection of class and gender. Examining a ticket ledger compiled by arena staff for the 1933–34 National Hockey League season, the book reveals that the average subscriber purchased more than two tickets, suggesting that attending hockey games was a social experience. It also shows that while ticket subscribers were overwhelmingly middle-class men, women were also present. Oral history interviews with twenty-one former spectators at the Maple Leaf Gardens detail the experience of watching the spectacle that unfolded on the ice during each hockey game. A Night at the Gardens tells the fascinating story of how one prominent public building became such an important part of Toronto society.