On the fortieth anniversary of the historic Miracle on Ice, Mike Eruzione--the captain of the 1980 U.S Men's Olympic Hockey Team, who scored the winning goal--recounts his amazing career on ice, the legendary upset against the Soviets, and winning the gold medal. It is the greatest American underdog sports story ever told: how a team of college kids and unsigned amateurs, under the tutelage of legendary coach--and legendary taskmaster--Herb Brooks, beat the elite Soviet hockey team on their way to winning the gold medal at the 1980 Lake Placid Olympics. No one believed the scrappy Americans had a real shot at winning. Despite being undefeated, the U.S.--the youngest team in the competition--were facing off against the four-time defending gold medalist Russians. But the Americans' irrepressible optimism, skill, and fearless attitude helped them outplay the seasoned Soviet team and deliver their iconic win. As captain, Mike Eruzione led his team on the ice on that Friday, February 22, 1980. But beating the U.S.S.R was only one of the numerous challenges Mike has faced in his life. In this inspiring memoir, he recounts the obstacles he has overcome, from his blue-collar upbringing in Winthrop, Massachusetts, to his battle to make the Boston University squad; his challenges in the minor leagues and international tournaments to his selection to the U.S. team and their run for gold. He also talks about the aftermath of that stupendous win that inspired and united the nation at a time of crisis in its history. Eruzione has lived a hockey life full of unexpected twists and surprising turns. Al Michaels' famous call in 1980--do you believe in miracles? YES!--could have been about Mike himself. Filled with vivid portraits--from his hard-working, irrepressible father to the irascible Herb Brooks to the Russian hall of famers Tretiak, Kharlamov, Makarov, and Fetisov--this lively, fascinating look back is destined to become a sports classic and is a must for hockey fans, especially those who witnessed that miraculous day.

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.

Entering the 1978-79 season, the Boston Bruins had been one of the best teams in the National Hockey League for more than a decade-but they could not shake the infuriating jinx the Montreal Canadiens held over them in postseason play. Against all odds, the Canadiens had ousted the Bruins in 13 consecutive playoff series dating back to the 1940s. In 1979, the Bruin veterans and their passionate fans wanted one more shot at their nemeses after coming up short in both the 1977 and 1978 Stanley Cup finals. Colorful but embattled coach Don Cherry's coterie of lovable, selfless, hard-working, team-oriented players got their desired chance in the semifinal round. The underdog Bruins battled the Habs in seven heart-stopping games, and sweet victory seemed within their grasp-only to have it snatched from them in the cruelest fashion imaginable: an untimely penalty for too many men on the ice in the dying minutes of Game #7. This book looks back at the Boston Bruins' 1978-79 season from Opening Night at Boston Garden to the catastrophic conclusion seven months later at the Montreal Forum. It is prefaced by the history of the Bruins' frustrating playoff jinx versus the Canadiens that dated back to 1930, the tribulations and events that marked Boston's 1978-79 regular season, and a recap of the team's quarterfinal playoff victory over Pittsburgh. Along with detailed accounts of all seven of the Boston-Montreal semifinal games, it also contains a post-mortem of what caused the infamous bench penalty and provides glimpses of all the Bruin personnel who made that season so memorable and heartbreaking.

Ryan Minkoff was blessed with athleticism, perseverance, and an unquenchable passion for playing hockey. So were ten thousand other young players in Minnesota. Throw in nearly three-quarters of a million other young players across the country and millions in Canada--all hoping for one of the limited spots on a Division I team-and you have some serious competition. In the tradition of against-the-odds sports titles such as The Blind Side and Hoosiers, Ryan Minkoff's story is for anyone who roots for an underdog whose dreams will not fade in the face of overwhelming odds

Journeyman is a first-person biography of Ojibwe rightwinger Jamie Leach, son of the legendary NHL superstar Reggie Leach. Follow the fascinating hockey trajectory from his childhood years watching his father play for the Philadelphia Flyers, to Jamie’s first goal in the NHL.Journeyman touches on Jamie’s summers on Lake Winnipeg, the World Junior Hockey Championships, his life in the minor leagues, and his eventual draft into the NHL as a Pittsburgh Penguin. Discover how some of hockey’s biggeststars such as Bobby Clarke, Jaromir Jagr, and Mario Lemieux influenced Jamie’s life.Written in close consultation with Jamie and his mother, readers will learn about the struggles Jamie conquered, including his father’s alcoholism and his own crippling self-doubt.A story of determination, heartbreak and perseverance.

In the first edition of Classic Pens readers were reminded of the franchise's most memorable contests, from its beginnings in the 1960s through the 2010s. is new edition brings the team's standout games up to date, including their triumphant 2016 Stanley Cup victory. During the Penguins' early years, it wasn't uncommon to buy a $5 ticket for a seat at the top of the Civic Arena (the "Igloo") and at the end of the first period move to a seat in the first row behind the glass. Except for a few winning moments scattered through their first three decades, the idea of a full-season sold-out arena was too farfetched, never mind the thought of a Stanley Cup. The only constant was that the Penguins were always in financial trouble and often threatening to move out of the Steel City. The 1983-84 campaign proved to be the season that turned everything around. e Penguins' prize was Mario Lemieux, an 18-year-old center from Montreal, Quebec, who would lift the Pens out of the canyon of last-place finishes to the lofty heights of backto-back Stanley Cup championships in 1991 and 1992. Lemieux went on to become one of the greatest players the game had ever seen. He and teammates such as Jaromir Jagr, Tom Barrasso, Ron Francis, Joe Mullen, Kevin Stevens, Larry Murphy, and Paul Coffey soon made the Civic Arena the place to be. In 1999 Mario Lemieux, now in his 30s, headed a group that purchased the club. e new ownership began a renaissance in which players like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Kris Letang, and Jordan Staal again made the Pens a powerhouse on the ice, led them to a third Stanley Cup championship in 2009, and secured one of the best new buildings in the NHL: the Consol Energy Center. In 2016 the Penguins qualified for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season, winning their fourth Stanley Cup by defeating the San Jose Sharks in a 4-2 series. In Classic Pens, author David Finoli's tour of the best moments in the Penguins' long history will evoke special memories from longtime fans and delight those who currently follow the team.

In late 1975 and early 1976, at the height of the Cold War, two of the Soviet Union’s long-dominant national hockey teams traveled to North America to play an eight-game series against the best teams in the National Hockey League. The culmination of the “Super Series� was HC CSKA Moscow’s faceoff against the reigning champion Flyers in Philadelphia on January 11, 1976. Known as the “Red Army Club,� HC CSKA hadn’t lost a game in the series. Known as the “Broad Street Bullies,� the Flyers were determined to bring the Red Army team’s winning streak to an end with their trademark aggressive style of play. Based largely on interviews, Ed Gruver’s book will tell the story of this epic game and series as it lays out the stakes involved: nothing less than the credibility of the NHL. If the Red Army team had completed its series sweep by defeating the two-time Stanley Cup champion Flyers, the NHL would no longer have been able to claim primacy of place in professional-level hockey. Gruver also describes how the game and series affected the styles of both Russian and NHL teams. The Soviets adopted a more physical brand of hockey, while the NHL increasingly focused on passing and speed.

Every year since 1968, Leaf fans hope that the new season will be the one that breaks the Stanley Cup drought. Sadly, those hopes are usually dashed mid-season. In the biggest hockey market in North America, with such a huge and loyal fan base, how has the team missed it for so long?

It' s the question that every Leafs fan asks (and has been afraid to have answered). Now updated to include both the disastrous 2009- 10 season and the 2010- 11 season, Al Strachan covers what' s gone wrong and why. With behind-the-scenes access and forty years of fascinating Leafs personalities and stories, Al discusses How the downfall started and how Harold Ballard perpetuated itWhy fans were once again ill-served in the battle for club ownership after Ballard' s deathThe three wasted first-round draft picks in one seasonWhy the Leafs passed on Wayne GretzkyHow the Phil Kessel trade will impact the team for years to comeWhy Brian Burke may not be the saviour Leafs fans are hoping forAnd most important, what can be done-- how other teams have had success and thrived in the salary-cap era

For fans who love the Leafs (and those who love to hate them), Why the Leafs Still Suck is a revealing and sometimes shocking inside look at professional hockey.

The Montreal Canadiens are one of the most successful teams in the NHL, with 24 Stanley Cup victories and stars like Guy LaFleur, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price, who have all left their mark on hockey history. Author Pat Hickey, as a longtime beat writer for the Montreal Gazette, has witnessed more than his fair share of that history up close and personal. Through singular anecdotes only Hickey can tell as well as conversations with current and past players, this book provides fans with a one-of-a-kind, insider's look into the great moments, the lowlights, and everything in between. Habs fans will not want to miss this book.

When the Rogers Place arena opened in downtown Edmonton in September 2016, no amount of buzz could drown out the rumours of manipulation, secret deals, and corporate greed undergirding the project. Working with documentary evidence and original interviews, the authors present an absorbing account of the machinations that got the arena and the adjacent Ice District built, with a price tag of more than $600 million. The arena deal, they argue, established a costly public financing precedent that people across North America should watch closely, as many cities consider building sports facilities for professional teams or international competitions. Their analysis brings clarity and nuance to a case shrouded in secrecy and understood by few besides political and business insiders. Power Play tells a dramatic story about clashing priorities where sports, money, and municipal power meet.

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 perhaps 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. It is a legacy of hope, hard work, and homegrown triumph. It is a chronicle of everyday heroes who just wanted to play hockey happily ever after. It is still unbelievable.
"The Boys of Winter is an evocative account of the improbable American adventure in Lake Placid, New York. Drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews, Wayne Coffey explores the untold stories of the U.S. upstarts, their Soviet opponents, and the forces that brought them together.
Plagued by the Iran hostage crisis, persistent economic woes, and the ongoing Cold War, the United States battled a pervasive sense of gloom in 1980. And then came the Olympics. Traditionally a playground for the Russian hockey juggernaut and its ever-growing collection of gold medals, an Olympic ice rink seemed an unlikely setting for a Cold War upset. The Russians were experienced professional champions, state-reared and state-supported. The Americans were mostly college kids who had their majors and their stipends and their dreams, a squad that coach Herb Brooks had molded into a team in six months. It was men vs. boys, champions vs. amateurs, communism vs. capitalism.
Coffey casts a fresh eye on this seminal sports event in "The Boys of Winter, crafting an intimate look at the team and giving readers an ice-level view of the boys who captivated a country. He details the unusual chemistry of theAmericans--formulated by a fiercely determined Brooks--and he seamlessly weaves portraits of the players with the fluid, fast-paced action of the 1980 game itself. Coffey also traces the paths of the players and coaches since that time, examining how the events in Lake Placid affected and directed their lives and investigating what happens after one conquers the world.
But Coffey not only reveals the anatomy of an underdog, he probes the shocked disbelief of the unlikely losers and how it felt to be taken down by such an overlooked opponent. After all, the greatest American sports moment of the century was a Russian calamity, perhaps even more unimaginable in Moscow than in Minnesota or Massachusetts. Coffey deftly balances the joyous American saga with the perspective of the astonished silver medalists.
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.

"From the Hardcover edition.