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