No comments about Brad Richards: A Hockey Story.

5 comments about So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL.

1. Since reading "So your son..." nearly two years ago, through various routes, my son and I have become good friends with both Dan and Jay Bylsma and the rest of the Bylsma family. I can honestly say that these guys really do "walk the talk" by putting into practice what the book says. It's a great read if you're a hockey fan but its not just about how one of kid made it to becomming a professional sportsman - their emphasis on a moral compass, sound family values and good educaton really can be used as a practical guide to parenting. Kids don't come with an instruction manual and most of us parents need all the help we can get! I would suggest to anyone wanting a "how do you do it" guide to practical, commonsense, no nonesense child rearing "GET THIS BOOK!" and read it. Great stuff!



2. It's not easy raising a successful athlete, and it is even more difficult raising a successful adult. Your Son Wants to Be in the NHL shows us a young adult who seems to have become both. It tells the tale of how Dan Bylsma grew from childhood success to success in the NHL. More importantly, it shows us how a boy can grow into manhood and become a person you would like to have as a neighbor.

   OK, the first few chapters, when the never ending succuesses of the Bylsma boys in athletics became almost as difficult to read as the phone book are a bit numbing after a while. Once parental pride calmed down the book turned into a compelling look at how difficult it is for a parent to find balance in their children's lives, to teach life lessons as well as sports techniques and to turn out a good person who also happens to be an NHL player.

   The struggles Dan had after leaving home at such a young age are dealt with forthrightly, which multiplies the shock you feel at stories of sexual abuse and the physical sacrifice players at the lower minor level make to reach the NHL. That shock is no stronger than when the reader learns that Dan and his wife lost their first child just as he was establishing himself in the NHL.

   This book gives the parent of an athlete much to think about. In a society where it seems more and more boys go through life without their fathers this book shows you that those boys lose something that may be irreplaceable.




3. I highly recommend this book to any father, coach or athlete of any age. I think if I had read it in high school, it may have changed my outlook on sports and life. The book takes you from a player and his father's beginnings in sport, through other people's (parent's) interferences to show how following one's goals can lead to success.



4. I thought this book was very self serving. I almost didn't finish reading it until I got to the chapter where Dan's son decided to go to Canada. I think it's great that his family was blessed with all the talent but I felt like he was stuffing down my throat. Having a son that has the dream of being in the NHL, it was worth finishing the book to finally get to know what it really takes to get there.



5. We have several hundred books in our hockey library. Ken Dryden's "The Game" was at the top of my list until I read Dan & Jay Bylsma's book. My son and I play on 4 roller hockey teams year round, play ice hockey during the summer, go to Kings games, watch the Ice Dogs and college hockey on TV, and are devout readers of "The Hockey News". Without a doubt, "So Your Son Wants to Play in the NHL" is the single best publication I've read as a hockey parent and amateur adult player.

No comments about Top 10 Hockey Goalies (Sports Top 10).

5 comments about Goon: The True Story of an Unlikely Journey into Minor League Hockey.

1. There are some great stories, I was shocked coming from Johnstown,Pa how many references and quotes there were from former Chiefs and guys whose names I hadn't heard in years..truly could not put it down!



2. I bought this book for my dad who is also the father of a Junior A hockey player in Montana. He LOVES this book- quotes from it and laughs so hard he can barely talk. Highly recommend this one!



3. Excellent book. Well written, first-person account of life in the minors. Really enjoyed it. This is the first book I've ever read start to finish in one sitting. It ain't Shakesphere--and that's a good thing. I hate Shakesphere. This is an easy read, fun and enjoyable.
   
   Roger Snow
   Las Vegas



4. Doug and Adam do a wonderful job of bringing you into the world of minor league hockey thuggery. If you're a lover of the sport, regardless of whether you are a fan of the boys that drop the gloves, it's a must for your library.



5. I just finshed the book and wished Doug had played for more teams over the years so the story could continue. Doug comes across as a very likeable guy who happens to get his thrills by dropping the gloves with anyone who wants to go. Great insight into the workings of minor league hockey. The book's not expensive, it's easy to read, and very entertaining. Thanks for your memories, Doug!

No comments about Hockey's Fearless Goalies (The Sports Heroes Library).

No comments about Lowering the Boom: The Bobby Baun Story.

1 comments about Mark Messier (Ice Hockey Legends).

1. Mark Messier (Ice Hockey Legends) is a suprisingly informative book that takes an in-depth look at the career of one of sports must decorated champions. From his days in Edmonton, were Messier won 5 Stanley Cups, to his Stanley Cup season as a New York Ranger this book is a wonderful read!

   One of the must exciting aspects of the book, are the actually quotes from Messier himself. It really adds to the diversity of the book and shows the type of character & leadership that Messier is so famous for. As for the pictures themselfs, I very impressed! They are black & white, but that does not diminish the book in anyway and there are some great shots of Messier from his earlier days as an Oiler.

   Bottom line. Get the the book, it truely is a great read! Messier is without question one of the all time great leaders and champions of any sport!

3 comments about The Game: A Thoughtful and Provocative Look at a Life in Hockey.

1. I could not put this book down because this book symbolized what it takes to succeed in life. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for what it takes to be successful at whatever you want to do with your life.



2. Dryden may be the Canadian hockey equivalent of basketball's Bill Bradley. I wouldn't be surprised if Dryden becomes Prime Minister of Canada in 20 years.

   Dryden studied at Cornell and took a year off playing hockey (after winner a playoff MVP award and Rookie of the Year)to complete his law degree at McGill. He won a fistful of trophies and Stanley Cup rings during his brief Hall of Fame career as a goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens. The rare combination of scholarship and athletic brilliance results in an very well written book.

   The book is a diary of the last part of his final season. While light on anecdotes, it delves into the heart of what is right and wrong with hockey.

   Is is most likely the best book ever written by an athlete.




3. This is the definitive book of hockey. Dryden's thoughts on goaltending, the city of Boston, and on the state of hockey cannot be matched. Dryden had an incredible insight on what was wrong with the game and where the game was headed, even back in 1983. I read this book once a year, it is that good.

2 comments about Mario Lemieux: Best There Ever Was.

1. This was a fantastic book compiling the story of the greatest player ever and his comeback from Hodgkins Disease and major back surgery. If you enjoy reading stories of courage this is the one for you!



2. This book is a very good summary of Mario career, including highlights and memorable events in his life.

No comments about As the Puck Turns: A Personal Journey Through the World of Hockey.