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A chronicle of Minnesota's hockey excellence in the world's top hockey league--the NHLThe years 1960 to 1982 were a watershed moment for Minnesota hockey, and the Land of 10,000 Lakes has enjoyed hockey success ever since. In that time, pioneering homegrown players like Bill Nyrop, Dave Langevin, Reed Larson, Mike Ramsey, Dave Christian, Neal Broten, Paul Holmgren, and Phil Housley established themselves as bona fide stars at the games'highest and most competitive level. More recently, another remarkable group of native sons--including Zach Parise, Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglein, and T. J. Oshie--left their mark on the league.Profiling more than seventy players and compiling Minnesota NHL records gathered nowhere else, Jeff Olson celebrates the brilliant achievements of Minnesotans in the National Hockey League.

An entertaining look at one of hockey's most unique traditions: the emergency backup goaltender Tom Fenton was in a barber's chair when he got the call. Nathan Schoenfeld was giving his 5-week-old twin boys a bath. Eric Semborski was teaching kids to play hockey at a suburban rink. Within hours, each was wearing a mask, pads, and an NHL uniform as an emergency goalie, perhaps the most unusual position in all of sports.Odd Man In shares the stories of these unlikely masked heroes, tracing the origins of this quirk of the game while profiling those who have experienced the chaotic thrill of suiting up on short notice for an NHL team. David Ayres, a Zamboni driver, became an overnight sensation with the Carolina Hurricanes after beating his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Accountant Scott Foster signed on the dotted line then played an unforgettable 14 minutes for the Chicago Blackhawks, finishing his one-day career with a perfect 1.000 save percentage.Their stories and more are celebrated in this fascinating volume for all hockey fans.

A tribute to the larger than life story of a hockey icon and hero. The hockey world mourned when Pat Quinn died in November 2014. Tough guys sobbed. Networks carried montages of Quinn's rugged hits, his steely-eyed glare, and his famous victories. Quinn made a few enemies over the years, but there was no one who didn't respect the tough working-class kid who had fought his way to the very top of the hockey world. He had butted heads with superstars, with management, and with the league itself. And he had also succeeded at every level, finishing his journeyman's career as the captain of an NHL team, then quickly emerged as one of the best coaches in the league. He gathered executive titles like hockey cards, and done things his own way, picking up a law degree along the way. He was brash, dour, and abrasive--and people loved him for his alloy of pugnacity and flair, his three-piece suits and cigars, his Churchillian heft and his scowl. In the end, the player who would never even have dreamed of being inducted into the Hall of Fame was the chair of the Hall's selection committee. That is Quinn's story: an underdog who succeeded so completely that his legacy has become the standard by which others are judged. Told by bestselling author Dan Robson, and supported by the Quinn family and network of friends, Quinn is the definitive account of one of the game's biggest personalities and most storied lives.

THE DEFINITIVE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A SPORTS LEGENDThe NHL may never see anyone like Gordie Howe again. Known as Mr. Hockey, he led the Detroit Red Wings to four Stanley Cups and is the only player to have competed in the league in five different decades.In Mr. Hockey, the man widely recognized as the greatest all-around player the sport has ever seen tells the story of his incredible life...Twenty consecutive seasons among the top five scorers in the NHL. One hundred points after the age of forty. Playing for Team Canada with his two sons. Gordie Howe rewrote the record books. But despite Howe's unyielding ferocity on the ice, his name has long been a byword for decency, generosity, and honesty off of it.Going back to Howe's Depression-era roots and following him through his Hall of Fame career, his enduring marriage to his wife, Colleen, and his extraordinary relationship with his children, Mr. Hockey is the definitive account of the game's most celebrated legacy, as told by the man himself. FOREWORD BY BOBBY ORRINCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

One of North America's best-known hockey writers examines the strangest rituals and superstitions within the NHL.Why did Wayne Gretzky start every pre-game warm-up by shooting wide to the right of the net (a rather funny habit, given that he scored more goals than anyone in the game's history)? Why do many hockey players seem to believe performance is tied directly to facial hair? Why does Geoff Sanderson use a different length stick for every period? And why did Petr Klima break his stick after every goal he scored? Hockey Superstitions, by one of Canada's best-known hockey writers, Andrew Podnieks, explores the fascinating and fun world of hockey superstitions: their origins, their quirks, and the mythology around them. Along the way, it gives us an original look into the minds of the players and coaches behind them.

What makes players simply the best? That's what coach Mike Johnston and former NHL great Ryan Walter set out to discover in Simply the Best: Players on Performance. The authors interviewed these top competitors to discover how they prepare to be the best in the world, how they lead a dressing room from the inside out, and how coaches best inspire their winning performances. In their previous book, the hugely successful Simply the Best: Insights and Strategies from Great Hockey Coaches, Johnston and Walter asked top hockey coaches to talk about the methods they use to get the best performance from their players. In seeking the players'perspective, the authors have again compiled fascinating information that is as relevant to the game of life as it is to hockey. Young and old alike will be inspired and motivated as they gain access to exclusive insights directly from the players. Simply the Best: Players on Performance is not only a must-read for hockey fans, players, and coaches, but will also resonate with anyone pursuing excellence, individually or as part of a team.