I've found another hockey book site that I want to share with everyone.

Trevor Alexander has an amazing blog going on, and it's worth checking out. Between hockey books reviews, and hockey news in general, it's definitely a site to go back to often.

http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/

Enjoy!

p.s. I will have a review of my own up in a day or so...

I've been busy reading up a storm lately with a new hockey book. However, it's taking a bit longer to read than I was anticipating.

Patience, readers... it's well worth it. I'm reading a good one. Details to come soon... probably just after the Labor Day weekend.

Today, I'm looking at Minor in Name Only: The History of the Adirondack Red Wings, by Mike Kane.

In 1978, after a 20-year hiatus, professional hockey was returning to the Capital District of New York, specifically the town of Glens Falls. With a population of only about seventeen thousand people, many wondered how long the team would actually be able to last before either folding or leaving.

As it turned out, the Adirondack Red Wings, not only stayed but thrived. As the top minor league team for Detroit, the so-called revolving door had players moving back and forth between the minors and the pro ranks. Some of the names read like a who's who in more recent Detroit Red Wings history.

Five of the nine men who coached for Adirondack, up through 1994, ended up making it to the NHL. Barry Melrose, for instance, would not only lead the WHL's Medicine Hat Tigers through that league's playoffs, but challenged for the Memorial Cup. Melrose would eventually make it to the pro ranks, coaching the Los Angeles Kings to their first Stanley Cup final in 1993.

The stories are fun, and sometimes heartbreaking; incredible highs and terrible lows. Along the way you get a glimpse at a lot of players. Some of them were on the way up to the pro ranks. For example, Bob Probert, one of the most feared fighters of his day.

Some of them were on their way down, or on injury rehab assignments. Dave “Tiger” Williams, the all-time career leader in penalty minutes played for Adirondack in the early years. There is an alphabetical list in the back of the book with everyone who has played for the team, and the years they were with the team.

In all, it's quite the tale of how a minor league team got started in a small town, and how that small town embraced the team. From heartbreak Game 7 losses, to amazing comebacks, to Calder Cup championships, Adirondack has led their fans through it all. An inspirational story as much as an entertaining tale.

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/66-9781571670045-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Minor-Name-Only-History-Adirondack/dp/1571670041/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376948154&sr=1-1&keywords=Minor+in+Name+Only%3A+the+History+of+the+Adirondack+Red+Wings

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/minor-in-name-only-mike-kane/1103479316?ean=9781571670045

Today, we're looking at Bulldogs on Ice: Yale University's Men's Ice Hockey, by Daniel K. Fleschner.

Yale University is located in New Haven, Connecticut.

Their first ever hockey game was played on January 31^st, 1896. It was a 3-2 loss. The next day, they played to a 2-2 tie against Johns Hopkins. From those humble beginnings came a hockey program that has developed a number of players and has quite a history.

David Ingalls, ('20) was the first Navy Ace in World War 1, and the arena at Yale bears his name. He would later go on to become Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Aviation, and would retire as a Rear Admiral. How's that for a hockey player?

John Bent was one of 5 Yale players on the American team that won silver at the 1932 Olympic Winter Games in Lake Placid, NY.

Ding Palmer also was on that 1932 team. He scored an amazing 52 goals in the 1927-28 season, and in his 3 varsity years the team went an unbelievable 46 wins 6 loss-2 ties. He is also in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

John Snyder has the career best goals against average, at 2.58

When Yale went to play Cornell on January 7^th, 1967, no one in the entire hockey world expected anything less than a Cornell blowout victory. Cornell would play their backup goalie, and by the end of regulation play, Yale had him figured out and the two teams were going to overtime tied 3-3. When Yale finally won the game, it would be the only defeat of the season for the eventual national champion Cornell team. For Yale, it was one of their biggest, most treasured wins of all time.

Bob Ufer played in 1971, went to Harvard Law and would eventually become the legal counsel for the International Hockey League.

More recently, into the 80s, Randy Wood went undrafted, but still managed to play 12 seasons in the NHL, more than anyone in Yale history. Bob Kudelski is the Yale all-time leading scorer with 158 points. He played 9 seasons in the NHL with Los Angeles, Ottawa and Florida. He is the only Yale graduate to play in the NHL All-Star Game.

All in all, Yale hockey history goes back well over 100 years, and there is much to be proud of. Never count out the Elis, as they have shown time after time they are a tenacious bunch.

Special thanks to Arcadia Publishing for making this book available for reviewing purposes.

Link to Arcadia Publishing: http://www.arcadiapublishing.com/9780738513287/Bulldogs-on-Ice-Yale-University-Mens-Ice-Hockey

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9780738513287-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bulldogs-Ice-University-Hockey-Images/dp/0738513288/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376768492&sr=1-1&keywords=Bulldogs+on+Ice%2C+CT%3A+Yale+University+Men%27s+Hockey

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bulldogs-on-ice-daniel-k-fleschner/1112766974?ean=9780738513287

In the last 5 weeks or so, I have received two books from Skyhorse Publishing. I thought I would pass along a little more info about them.

For more than twenty years, Sports Publishing did an outstanding job recognizing and fulfilling the demand for sports titles of both regional and national interest. As an imprint of Skyhorse Publishing, our goal is to continue the tradition of publishing books that appeal to the passionate, often underserved, fanbases of both pro and college teams across the nation by offering fresh, innovative books in a variety of attractive series. We have breathed new life into many of the best-loved books on the Sports Publishing backlist, and we have invigorated the imprint with new books on individual teams, prominent sports personalities, and newly-crowned champions.

Welcome to the improved Sports Publishing.


This can all be seen under the Sports Publishing tab at the top right of their home page, which is located at www.Skyhorsepublishing.com

Special thanks to Lauren Burnstein for the books I've received and reviewed.

Today, I'm looking at Rayzor's Edge: Rob Ray's Tough Life on the Ice, by Rob Ray, with Budd Bailey.

Rob Ray was considered one of the toughest NHL players in the 1990s. Twice in his career he led the NHL in penalty minutes. But playing with the Buffalo Sabres had its ups and downs. From a run at the Stanley Cup to the team hitting bankruptcy, he saw it all.

Razor, as his teammates called him, speaks candidly about literally fighting his way into a regular spot on the Sabres roster, his teammates, and what life is like off the ice. He doesn't hold anything back, and writes it in an easy-to-follow style.

One notable subject he talks about is the jersey-tiedown rule that the NHL put into effect during his career. Ray would usually leave his jersey untied, and when he got into a fight, then his opponent would grab hold of the jersey,and it would come loose, and the opponent would have nothing left to grab and balance, giving an edge to Ray. The league a rule in that stated a player MUST tie his jersey down. The rule quickly became known as the “Rob Ray Rule.”

I say this a lot, but this is a book that you don't have to know a lot about hockey in order to understand what's going on. He talks about watching players traded to and from Buffalo.

I think what I really liked most were the laid-back stories about this and that, the parties, the trips to the hospitals to cheer up kids, things like that.

After his playing days were over, Ray went into broadcasting, and, at least as of the time of the book, he was still living in Buffalo. As he put it, and I'll quote here... “Where else would I go? This is home.”

Excellent book in my opinion... worth the read.

Special thanks to Lauren Burnstein at Skyhorse Publishing for sending me this book for reviewing purposes!

Link to Skyhorse Publishing: http://www.sportspubbooks.com/book/?GCOI=58261100216460&

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/61-9781613210253-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Rayzors-Edge-Rays-Tough-Life/dp/1596702834/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1376092995&sr=1-1&keywords=Rayzor%27s+Edge%3A+Rob+Ray%27s+Tough+Life+on+the+Ice

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rayzors-edge-budd-bailey/1100163494?ean=9781613210253

...and today, we're looking at Brodeur: Beyond the Crease, by Martin Brodeur and Damien Cox.

Where to begin with Martin Brodeur? Some have said that he's the greatest goalie of all time. I personally would be hard pressed to disagree. He's a giant in the NHL, and, an anachronism of sorts because he's played with one team his entire career. Marty, as many call him, has three Stanley Cups and three goals to his credit.

It's a wonderful book; I had a good time reading it. The story is laid out in what seems like a haphazard way, jumping around in Brodeur's career. At one point, he may be talking about his first games in the NHL, then next chapter, he bounces backwards 10 years to when he was growing up as a kid. But, it's still easy to follow, and I think the bouncing around makes for a different approach to a narrative.

He talks candidly about negotiating with agents, his relationship with teammates, and observations about various players that he's seen in the league. As a player who's played his entire career with the New Jersey Devils, he has seen a lot happen over the years, from losing seasons to Stanley Cup rings.

Brodeur even talks at length about international play, traveling overseas, and his family. Speaking of family, although not mentioned in the book because it just happened at the NHL Entry Draft in late June of 2013, Martin Brodeur had the honor of calling his son's name, Anthony, for the New Jersey Devils.

All in all, I’d say that this was definitely one of the best reads I've had in awhile. Superstar players don't always have the best stories, but Brodeur's is one to remember, and enjoy.

Link to Powell's: http://www.powells.com/biblio/2-9780470838518-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Brodeur-Beyond-Crease-Martin/dp/0470838515/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1375661796&sr=1-1&keywords=Brodeur%3A+Beyond+the+Crease

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/brodeur-martin-brodeur/1100299309?ean=9780470153772