Today, I'm reviewing Blood Feud: Detroit Red Wings V. Colorado Avalanche: The Inside Story of Pro Sports' Nastiest and Best Rivalry of Its Era by Adrian Dater.

Starting in the mid-90s, for a period of about 10 years, The Red Wings and the Avalanche were the hottest ticket in the entire NHL, and possibly the entire hockey world. In that time, each team would win the Stanley Cup multiple times.

Ironically, the Red Wings may have created the feud simply by running up the score one night against Montreal. That goalie was Patrick Roy, and he would be traded three days later, to Colorado. That gave the Avalanche instant credibility, and All-star goaltending for a team that was already loaded with talent.

But there's more to this book than just the play-by-play, of sorts, of the entire decade of feuding. The author gives detailed biographies on key players, such as Lemeiux, giving insight into the character and history of the players who played a key role for their respective teams. Details of the early career of Lemeiux and Roy, and how they came to be acquired, almost stolen away,  by Colorado, and their  immediate impact on the Avalanche.

A close look at each season is given, with a behind-the-scenes look at the darker side of hockey, where players and coaches are yelling profanities at each other. Players who hold grudges for weeks, months, and even years before a chance to even the score... Darren McCarty finally avenges a team-mate, Claude Lemeiux turtles... we see it all.

The author takes you inside the entire feud, setting it up slowly, allowing the reader to see the pieces being assembled by each team, the punch and counter-punch movements by Detroit and Colorado. When the action finally explodes, the author manages to keep track of multiple fights in games, and keep the reader interested.

The best part, in my opinion, is that you don't need to know a lot about hockey to truly enjoy this book. As a huge hockey fan, I found the list of names involved to be a wonder. So many of those players could easily end up in the Hall of Fame, if they're not already there.
If you're not a hockey fan, the entire story is laid out in easy-to-understand words. The book does not rely heavily on hockey "lingo" and thus is easier to follow.

To purchase this book through Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon

http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781589793194-0

Amazon link:      http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Feud-Colorado-Avalanche-Nastiest/dp/1589793196/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1350508504&sr=8-1&keywords=Blood+Feud%3A+Detroit+Red+Wings+V.+Colorado+Avalanche%3A+The+Inside+Story+of+Pro+Sports%27+Nastiest+and+Best+Rivalry+of+Its+Era