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.

I haven't posted anything for about two weeks now. This is because of some unpleasant family circumstances. My wife's father is dying, and all of us are spending as much time with him as possible.

I haven't done much reading at all lately, let alone any hockey books.

With Christmas thrown in as well, I highly doubt I will be posting any reviews until after the new year.

Thanks for your support... Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays.

 Today, I'm reviewing My Last Fight: The true story of a hockey rock star, by Darren McCarty, with Kevin Allen.

McCarty made his way to the professional ranks the old-fashioned way; he earned it. He fought tooth and nail, threw body checks, and basically clawed his way to the Red Wings. He would become a huge fan favorite as part of the “Grind Line,” a fourth line checking unit who's job was mostly to shut down and prevent the other team's top players from scoring.

He speaks candidly about the issues that he faced and dealt with during his career; drugs, alcohol, trying to deal with the fame that came as a popular player at bars and clubs. His never-back-down attitude was likely seen by many as a facade, and yet, as an NHL tough guy, that was his role on the ice that spilled over into life off the ice.

McCarty's book is a no-holds-barred trip through his 4 Stanley Cup titles, the ups and downs of his career, and a very honest look at his post-hockey life. Some of the language may not be for the faint of heart, and yet, it seems to suit whatever story he may be telling at any given moment. It's easily a wonderful tale of a player that had quite a bit, was at the peak of the sport, and came crashing back to earth, and is content with where he has settled at present. Perhaps that's the best way to finish... being content with life after everything else has come and gone...

Special thanks to Triumph Books for making this title available for reviewing purposes!

Link to Triumph Books: http://www.triumphbooks.com/products/my_last_fight_/1572436631.php

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781600788857-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/My-Last-Fight-Story-Hockey/dp/1600788858/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1386113271&sr=1-1&keywords=My+Last+Fight%3A+The+True+Story+of+a+Hockey+Rock+Star

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-last-fight-darren-mccarty/1115150419?ean=9781623686796

One more review for today... I'm reviewing Fighting Back: The Chris Nilan Story, by Chris “Knuckles” Nilan.

Chris Nilan played nearly 700 games in the NHL, racking up more than three thousand penalty minutes. It is safe to say that he probably took on every single heavyweight player in the league in his career, plus anyone else who was willing “to go” as well.

But there was more to him than just the penalty minutes. From his upbringing in some mean streets in Boston, to playing NCAA college in Boston, he managed to not only prove himself, but make a name for himself. Drafted 231^st of 234 in the 1978 NHL Entry Draft by Montreal, he faced the longest of odds just to even make it to training camp or the minors in the AHL, but Nilan managed to not only make it, but he would become a mainstay of the Montreal roster for several years. He would win a Stanley Cup ring in 1986 as well.

But it was after his career ended that the most difficult of challenges began to mount. Alcohol and drugs began to take their toll on Chris, making family life difficult.

This is the story of a man who rose to the highest highs in the NHL, won a championship, fell all the way down, somehow cheated death, and fought tooth and nail all the way back. In an ironic twist, Nilan is now counseling teens against bullying. He even has his own brand of hats and shirts to promote his message: Never Back Down, Never Stay Down. I’d say that it's an apt message. You can check that out on his page at www.knucklesbrand.com or his own page at www.knucklesnilan.com

In closing, I was eagerly waiting for a chance to read this book. I was not disappointed. I am fairly certain that, by the time you reach the end, you will not be either.

Special thanks to Triumph Books for making this book available for reviewing purposes!

Link to Triumph Books: http://www.triumphbooks.com/products/fighting_back_/1572436676.php

Link to Powell's City of Books: http://www.powells.com/biblio/62-9781600789670-0

Link to Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Back-Chris-Nilan-Story/dp/1600789676/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1385786336&sr=1-1&keywords=Fighting+Back%3A+The+Chris+Nilan+Story

Link to Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/fighting-back-chris-nilan/1115221716?ean=9781600789670