Today, I'm reviewing Why I Didn't Say Anything: The Sheldon Kennedy Story by Sheldon Kennedy.

First and foremost, this book is not for the squeamish; it is going to go places that many readers do not want to think about.

Sheldon Kennedy was a 14-year-old kid on his way to the WHL, with all the potential of a star player. He was headed towards the top, and had people talking about his playmaking abilities. Unfortunately, he ran afoul of a coach with a problem, a problem that most people do not want to discuss.

The sexual and mental abuse Coach Graham James did to Kennedy is unspeakable, and it went on for years, until Sheldon was able to move on to the pro ranks. But instead of slowly healing, Kennedy's lifestyle began to spiral out of control with a string of injuries and constant rumors of drug and alcohol abuse.

This is a tale of one person's journey through a personal hell, and how he managed to come out on the other side as a survivor. The ultimate battle is still going, but Sheldon Kennedy is, from all appearances, going to come out on the victor's side.

As I said, this is not for the squeamish. On the other hand, it's a very interesting journey into the dark side of abuse, and how one young man managed to come out on the other side.

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781897178072-1

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Why-Didnt-Say-Anything-May-22-2006/dp/B009CN0LRS/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361672455&sr=1-2&keywords=why+I+didn%27t+say+anything

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/why-i-didnt-say-anything-sheldon-kennedy/1111667456?ean=9781897178072

Today's book review is The Death of Hockey, by Jeff Z. Klein and Karl-Eric Reif.

First thing to keep in mind is that this book was written before the last round of expansion teams; Atlanta, Columbus, and Minnesota entered the league. That's mentioned just to put things in perspective.

The authors make a very strong case that the owners of the NHL franchises are taking the wrong path to success. They provide multiple examples of ineptitude, mistakes and just plain idiocy on the part of the commissioner's office in some of what has been done.

Historical examples are given to show how things were in the past, and to show how things can still be repaired to lead the NHL back to success.

All in all, I’d say it's an entertaining romp through history looking at the ups and downs of the NHL. It's laid out in an easy-to-follow manner, with very little technical language, and whatever there may be is easily explained. Plenty of humor is thrown in throughout the books as well to keep the reader engaged.

Highly recommended in my opinion...

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/17-9780771576225-1

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Hockey-Little-Killing-Greatest/dp/0771576226/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1361309645&sr=1-1&keywords=the+death+of+hockey

I would like to give a very special and sincere thanks to Arcadia Publishing for mentioning my hockey review site on Facebook today.

Their books, in case you haven't read any, are very well put together. Heavy on pictures, with some descriptions, they provide a historical perspective on just about everything to some degree. While my interest is, for the most part, hockey first, Arcadia Publishing has, to quote their webpage, over 8,000 titles in their catalog.

No doubt, you can find something of interest in your neck of the woods. I'd highly recommend one of their books, in any subject, if you feel the desire to explore history. In many cases, the photos you see in these books may be some of the only photos that exist.

Here is their webpage; be sure to give it a really good once-over and see if anything jumps out at you. If you look long and hard, you will likely find something of interest.

www.arcadiapublishing.com

As for hockey books, I am currently on a new title, and should have a review up in a short time. Patience, please.

Cheers!

This time around, I'm looking at Eleven Seconds, by Travis Roy and E. M. Swift.

Travis Roy had everything going his way. He was playing hockey at prestigious locations in Massachusetts as a kid, he was starting college at Boston University, and was well on his way to living every kid's dream; Division one hockey with a well-known program.

He suited up for the first home game, which included the raising of the championship banner from the previous season. His girlfriend was in attendance, as well as his family. He went over the side and hit the ice for his first shift, and headed for the corner to deliver a solid bodycheck.

What happened eleven seconds later would not only change his life, but his entire outlook on life.

The journey that he takes is inspirational, through the highs and lows. His never-give-up attitude and ability to always look on the upside of what's going on is truly worth reading about. Be prepared, once you start reading, you won't want to stop.

UPDATE:  I came across the following link on Youtube. It chronicles, in a nutshell, the entire story. It makes a wonderful companion to reading the book. Very moving to watch. It's about 12 1/2 minutes long.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZ7jUwV1_80

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780446521888-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eleven-Seconds-Tragedy-Courage-Triumph/dp/B000IAZOYY/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360524689&sr=1-1&keywords=eleven+seconds

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/eleven-seconds-travis-roy/1100622900?ean=9780446521888

Greetings everyone, today we're looking at Hockey in New Haven, by Heather Bernardi and Kevin Tennyson.

Pro hockey in New Haven, Connecticut, goes back to 1926. Nine teams have called New Haven home, and this book, another from Arcadia Publishing, is full of wonderful pictures, and rare memorabilia.

A lot of talented players came through New Haven; names like Emile “the cat” Francis, John Brophy, future Stanley Cup champion Chico Resch, and the wonderfully named Frank “Never” Beaton.

This book covers the history of the multiple teams who played in New Haven, from proud beginnings in 1926, through the only championship team, the Blades, from 1955-56, all the way through to the demise of the Memorial Coliseum in 2005, and demolition on January 20^th, 2007. To borrow a quote from the last page of the book:

“The authors left this charade feeling empty and disgusted.”

Unfortunately, New Haven hockey hasn't taken hold since. Time will tell, but if history is any indication, never say never to New Haven.

A special thanks to Arcadia Publishing for making this book available to me for reviewing. Thanks!!

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780738554556-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hockey-New-Haven-Images-Sports/dp/0738554553/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1360474334&sr=1-1&keywords=hockey+in+new+haven

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hockey-in-new-haven-connecticut-images-of-sports-series-heather-bernardi/1100604766?ean=9780738554556

Link to Arcadia Publishing: http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738554556/Hockey-in-New-Haven

Bonus review! Now I'm going to be looking at Hockey in Seattle, by Jeff Obermeyer.

This is another from Arcadia Publishing, with loads of pictures. Again, I really like their style and format.

Hockey in the city of Seattle goes back to the early 1900s, with the Metropolitans being the first US-based team to win the Stanley Cup in 1917. They challenged again in 1919, but that series was called off, unfinished due to the influenza outbreak.

Hockey returned in the 1920s, as Seattle built the Civic Arena, and hockey would remain in Seattle, going strong until after World War 2. The Civic Arena would remain the mainstay of hockey in Seattle for 67 years.

Pro hockey returned as the PCHL went professional in 1948, and Seattle entered a team known as the Bombers. In the 1952-53 season, a young player joined the team, soon to be one of the best known players in Seattle hockey history... a player known as Guyle Fielder.

There is an entire chapter devoted to Fielder and his exploits in Seattle. It's well deserved if you ask me.

Finally, there is a chapter on the return of hockey at the junior level with the Breakers and Thunderbirds in the WHL.

A number of future NHL players started their careers in Seattle; Petr Nedved for one, Mark Parrish, Patrick Marleau and Brendan Witt among others.

Glen Goodall is another name well known to Thunderbird fans, and his record for games played in a career will likely stand the test of time.

A lot of people don't know that Seattle has a rich hockey history of about 100 years, and this book sums it up nicely. I’d highly recommend this to anyone that lives in Seattle, the Northwest, or anyone that's interested in hockey in general. All in all, a wonderful read.

Again, a special thanks to Arcadia Publishing for making this book available to me for reviewing purposes. Thanks!

 

Link to Arcadia Publishing: http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738529233/Hockey-in-Seattle

Link to Powell's Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780738529233-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hockey-Seattle-Images-Sports-Washington/dp/0738529230/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359943647&sr=1-1&keywords=hockey+in+seattle

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hockey-in-seattle-washington-jeff-obermeyer/1100106853?ean=9780738529233

Today, I'm reviewing Playing with Fire, by Theo Fleury and Kirstie McLellan Day.

Pro hockey has been getting bigger and bigger over the last 25 years, and it's no surprise now to see much of a team's roster with players at six foot six or taller. But even back in the late 80s, when players were still routinely spotted over six feet tall, one stood out because he was so short; Theoren Fleury.

Fleury rapidly gained a reputation for hitting anything and everything that moved on the ice, as well as scoring goals. Lots of goals. He also gained a reputation for mouthing off at opposing players, coaches and even the on-ice officials. All of this was taken in stride by his teammates, who enjoyed the benefits of this behavior. He won a Stanley Cup in 1989 and Olympic Gold in 2002. His off-ice behavior, though, was a little more than strange.

Fleury went through trouble in junior hockey before making it to the pros. The kind of trouble that would scar him for his entire hockey career; the kind of situations that would lead him to reckless gambling, drinking and drugs. He was in and out of rehab many times, and ultimately, while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, it led Fleury to simply walk away from the game, just like that.

It's a tale of incredible highs and lows, triumph, and professional tragedy. Be warned, some of the things he talks about are not for the timid. The subject matter and language can get coarse at times, but you truly get a handle on where Mr. Fleury is coming from. He bares his soul as he reveals it all.

You can see and feel the pain as he finally comes to grips with the situations in his life. It's a moving tale, as well as something that makes you think... “What would I have done in that situation?”

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781600786372-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Playing-Fire-Theo-Fleury/dp/1600786375/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1359941668&sr=1-2&keywords=playing+with+fire

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/playing-with-fire-theo-fleury/1102044116?ean=9781600786372