I'm back with a new review! Today I'm looking at Frozen in time: A Minnesota North Stars History, by Adam Raider.

The North Stars entered the NHL as part of the Great Expansion in 1967, becoming one of six teams to join the league. While the team never won a Stanley Cup during its tenure in Minneapolis, they had two improbably runs at the title in 1982 and 1991.

This book was a fun look at the team and their history. First, the lean years as they tried to establish themselves against stronger competition. Rivalries were forged, especially against the Chicago Blackhawks. These would produce some of the best games in North Stars history, both wins and losses.

The merger with the Cleveland Barons is discussed, as are various other highlights in small sidebars throughout the book.

There is a chapter titled Fan Favorites, highlighting some of the best loved, most memorable players to suit up for the North Stars, followed by a chapter of the "best of the rest." For the stats gurus, there is a section with all the players who ever suited up, and their point totals, as well as the entire draft history of the team.

Finally, there is a postscript to the North Stars, a section about the rebirth of the NHL in Minnesota. They talk about the Wild, and their slow but steady rise in the NHL, and how Minnesota deserved to be in the NHL a second time.

All in all, it's a wonderful book. Very well laid out, easy to keep up with, definitely worth reading.

Special thanks to University of Nebraska Press for making this book available for reviewing!

Link to Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/frozen-time-minnesota-north-history/dp/0803249985/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=utf8&qid=1415140356&sr=1-1&keywords=frozen+in+time+north+stars


Link to Powell's City of Books:   http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9780803249981-0


Link to Barnes & Noble:   http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/frozen-in-time-adam-raider/1119277681?ean=9780803249981


Link to University of Nebraska press:  http://nebraskapress.unl.edu/product/frozen-in-time,675997.aspx

A lot has happened since my last post. Family has come first, and as a result my hockey book reviews have fallen by the wayside. I have published my first novel, although it's not hockey related. Cascade Caper is available on Amazon.com

I am hoping to be able to resume hockey book reviews soon...

Patience is the key word at this point.

 After a very long delay, we're back at it! Today I'm reviewing The wait is over: The New York Rangers and the 1994 Stanley Cup, by John Kreiser.

The 1994 Rangers were a team built for one mission: winning the Stanley Cup. Every transaction, every player movement from the minors to the pros and back was made with a definite goal in mind. However, the biggest trade was made a couple of years earlier. That was the trade that brought Mark Messier to the Rangers. He proved more than capable of leading this club through the season and into the playoffs.

The book is laid out somewhat simplistically. It takes the reader very clearly through the season, past the multiple deals at the trade deadline and to the end of the season. Then there is a chapter for each round of the playoffs, and highlights are given. Box scores are also provided for statistics. The chapter about the Finals is a little longer, and highlights each game as it unfolded.

Finally, there are two chapters definitely worth reading. They are about Mark Messier and Brian Leetch, and their respective contributions to the winning season. The last chapter is the aftermath, including the lockout, and the eventual raising of the championship banners.

All in all, for the Rangers fans out there, this is an excellent look back at the 20-year anniversary of the championship. Definitely a must-read for Rangers fans everywhere!

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781613216859-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wait-Over-York-Rangers-Stanley/dp/1613216858/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1400103982&sr=1-2&keywords=the+wait+is+over

Link to Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-wait-is-over-john-kreiser/1116430934?ean=9781613216859

Special thanks to Lauren at Skyhorse Publishing for making this book available for reviewing purposes!

 It is with much sadness I report that my father-in-law passed away on January 10^th, 2014. He will be deeply missed by my family. My wife has also had two surgeries in the last three months, so life has been a challenge lately, and there has not been any time for hockey book reviewing.

Now, however, things have settled down. I am slated to receive a book in the very near future, and this will mark my return to the hockey book review “world.” Keep an eye out for my next review...

As a side note, although not hockey related, I have published an adventure novel. The title is Cascade Caper. It's available on Amazon. Check it out.