Hockey

The Waterloo Black Hawks' first Thanksgiving game was not on the original United States Hockey League schedule in 1964/65. Nevertheless, the Black Hawks played on that holiday evening, starting a tradition which today draws thousands of eastern Iowans to the rink each November after turkey, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie. The 2019 game between Waterloo and the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders marked the 50th time the Hawks have played on the holiday. The memorable games have been an opportunity for players at all positions to shine in a unique atmosphere. Some - like Joe Pavelski, Brandon Montour, Vinnie Hinostroza, and Cal Petersen - have gone on to remarkable careers in college or the NHL. For others, scoring a goal to start the annual Teddy Bear Toss or making a key Thanksgiving save might be among their most significant hockey memories. In a commemorative look back, 50 Thanksgivings; Waterloo's Hockey Holiday revisits each Thanksgiving game, with background information about many of those who starred when the puck dropped and details about some of the other things which were happening in the Cedar Valley as hockey fans headed for the arena. Includes a forward by 2010 Thanksgiving standout Ryan Papa, dozens of photos, and box scores from each matchup.

Since 2012, our NHL Draft Black Book has raised the standard for NHL Draft Publications. Our 2017 edition of the Black Book will feature even more pages of draft eligible prospects than last year's book. This year's book includes:2017 NHL Draft: 388 Player Profiles2018 NHL Draft: 214 Player Profiles2019 NHL Draft: 97 Player ProfilesScouts Game Reports

From the distinct and vibrant voice behind Hockey Night in Canada Punjabi comes the story of pursuing a dream and defying the odds, reminding us all of hockey's power to unite.BoninoBoninoBonino!Ask a hockey fan if they have heard the wonderfully electric call of Nick Bonino's overtime-winning goal from the 2016 Stanley Cup Final and they will almost surely answer with a resounding yes! That's because video clips of the Hockey Night in Punjabi broadcast immediately went viral, amplifying the profile of Harnarayan Singh, the voice behind the call. Growing up in small-town Alberta, Harnarayan was like many other kids who dreamed about a life within the sanctum of the game they idolized. There was only one small difference--he didn't look like any of the other kids. And when he sat down on Saturday nights to tune in to Hockey Night in Canada with the rest of the nation, he couldn't ignore the fact that the broadcasters or analysts didn't look like him either. Undeterred, Harnarayan worked his way from calling imaginary hockey games with his plastic toy microphone as a child, to funding secret flights from Calgary to Toronto every weekend in the early days of Hockey Night in Punjabi, to making history as the first Sikh to broadcast an NHL game in English. Full of heart, humour, and bursting with personality (and maybe a few family prayers for Wayne Gretzky), One Game at a Time is the incredible and inspiring story of how Harnarayan Singh broke through the longstanding barriers and biases of the sport he loves. But more than that, Harnarayan blends his unabashed love of hockey with a refreshing and necessary positive message about what it means to be a Canadian in the world, making him one of the most influential ambassadors of the game today.

Sixty-two current and former Broadway Blueshirts players and coaches share their memories of their time with one of the NHL's most beloved franchises in You Never Forget Your First: A Collection of New York Rangers Firsts. Mark Rosenman and Howie Karpin have collected reminiscences from such fan favorites as Rod Gilbert, Brad Park, Pete Stemkowski, Dave Maloney, Don Murdoch, Barry Beck, John Vanbiesbrouck, Brian Leetch, Mike Richter, Stephane Matteau, Henrik Lundqvist and many others. Spanning more than 60 years, from Eddie Shack in 1958 to Adam Fox in 2019, these proud Rangers cover everything from playing for and with their first coaches and captains to their first training camps, playoff games, and even their first fights and so much more. As former Rangers captain Ryan Callahan writes in his foreword to this unique book, "the players provide a look into the life of a professional hockey player with their stories and recollections. Starting with when they were kids and then as they progressed into manhood and a career in the NHL, the players in this book all bring something to the table that will enlighten any hockey fan."

For over 40-years the NY Islanders have called Long Island, NY home (with the exception of a handful of years during which they played in Brooklyn). And over the course of those 40-plus seasons, the Islanders have authored some of the greatest moments in NHL history.They came from nothing. They were an expansion franchise with money problems that lost more than they won. But then came along a Coach by the name of Al Arbour and together with GM Bill Torrey, the two of them built the Islanders into a perennial playoff powerhouse.First came playoff upsets of the Rangers and Penguins. Then came some epic playoff series against the Rangers and Sabres. And finally, after falling just short year-after-year, the 1980 Islanders did it. They captured Lord Stanley's Cup, kickstarting a run of four-straight Cup championships and 19-straight playoff series victories.But nothing lasts forever. And even though they haven't won a Cup since 1983, they have still authored some iconic moments.Nobody and I mean nobody will ever forget the Easter Epic, which lasted into the fourth-overtime period before Pat LaFontaine won it for the Isles at just shy of 2:00AM on Easter Sunday 1987. Then there was the Shawn Bates penalty-shot goal against Toronto in the '02 playoffs. And if you prefer something more recent, how about the John Tavares' double-overtime series-clinching goal against Florida in the 2016 playoffs that ended 23-years of playoff frustration. Or, how about the Isles emotional return to The Coliseum after thinking they would never be back?Thanks to the cooperation of the writers, broadcasters, scouts, PR Directors and several former players who have been around the team for decades, Author Matthew Blittner was able to interview the likes of: Neil Best, Greg Bouris, Larry Brooks, Frank Brown, Brendan Burke, Pat Calabria, Hawley Chester, Brian Compton, Eric Compton, Stan Fischler, Alan Hahn, Shannon Hogan, Chris King, Allan Kreda, Steve Mears, Barry Meisel, Bobby Nystrom, Glenn "Chico" Resch, Howie Rose, Neil Smith, Arthur Staple, John Sterling, Rich Torrey, Ed Westfall and Alyse Zwick to bring these -- and other -- unforgettable Islanders moments to life.

Where do great NHL players come from? You might have a plethora of answers, but one that people tend to overlook is the ECHL (formerly East Coast Hockey League). Most people just see it as a mid to low level league... It might surprise you to learn that the ECHL has successfully played a hand in developing 662 NHL players. An avid hockey fan himself, Germond does not write as an outsider looking in. He gets onto the ice and shows you the practical and straightforward ways that the ECHL forges some of the NHL's talents. Germond has a strong connection to minor league ice hockey and truly believes the ECHL does not get the recognition it deserves for the developmental league that it is. ECHL 2 NHL: Developing NHL Players explores the intersections of prospect development, how to better the minor league developmental model, and ECHL success stories and what can be learned from them.This book includes not only Germond's personal experiences and knowledge but also that of professional players such as: * Jacob MacDonald of the Colorado Avalanche (NHL) & Colorado Eagles (AHL) * Shane Harper of Örebro HK (SHL) * Connor LaCouvee of the Laval Rocket (AHL) & Maine Mariners (ECHL) * And more...No matter what brought you to the rink, you will undoubtedly enjoy the view into the inner workings of professional hockey. Germond takes you on a tour through the ECHL and beyond.

Rest In Peace to the paper hockey game program. For decades it was a ubiquitous game day companion for fans at pro hockey games, but now it is sadly replaced by electronic team web pages or cellular phone updates. Slowly, from the 1990s onward, the paper game programs were reduced in page count, and then in physical size, and then in frequency of publication. Then they were gone altogether. Actual paper game programs once were king of the informational grapevine for hockey fans. At their peak - in the golden age of 1970s major league hockey expansion - they were full sized 8 1/2" x 11" magazines, with color covers and 50-75 page interiors. They contained player rosters, and game schedules, action photos, and statistics. And feature stories. They had so many fascinating feature stories. Paper game programs were especially vital promotional tools for the fledgling 1972-1979 World Hockey Association. They not only provided advertising income for the home team, but they gave print space to include team-made feature stories about favorite players, opponents, or the league itself. These features contain behind-the-scene glimpses about the personalities that made the WHA game possible - and that is why I love them so much. You must understand, though, these stories were rarely hard-boiled news items written by independent news sources. They were positive in tone, and shied away from controversies. They most certainly were promotional in nature - but they also reveal so much humanity about 1970s major league hockey players and their WHA teams. Together these feature story highlights from the 1972-1979 WHA era help paint a more complete picture of the people who populated this unique major league. It is those people - those colorful, talented, rambunctious people - who make the World Hockey Association so memorable. We are able to remember them now largely because of the late, great, paper hockey game program.

When major league hockey came to Indianapolis in 1974, no one knew the sport's two greatest players would wear the Racers' red, white & blue. But the Racers story is so much more than just a launch pad for Wayne Gretzky & Mark Messier - it is a time when the city's love affair with hockey grew to dizzying heights, then crashed in heartbreaking defeat. Journalist & WHA expert Timothy Gassen was there, and details the only firsthand account of the golden era for pro hockey in Indiana: The World Hockey Association Indianapolis Racers.

Paper media guides were once the norm for all professional hockey teams. They were small in physical dimensions, usually around 6" wide and 8" long - perfect to fit into a pocket or briefcase. Their main purpose was to give newspaper, radio, and TV media professionals a quick reference guide for their reporting, but they were also used widely by team and league personnel. Like paper game programs, the paper team media guides were phased in the early 2000s, and today they are sadly replaced by electronic download files and web site pages. Back in the 1970s each World Hockey Association team would publish their own media guide, and the league would also print a tome that covered the entire circuit. It is those WHA league guides, from 1972-1979, that we have restored as an archive and are reproducing here. They are fascinating artifacts of a major league's birth, expansion, contraction, and then concerted stab at promoting a merger with the rival NHL.

A hundred years of waiting finally paid off as the phone rang at Joe Battista's house in the winter of 2005. On the other end, a soon-to-be-billionaire Penn State alum with an interest in hockey and philanthropy. Not long after the puck dropped at Pegula Ice Arena for the first time, Penn State found itself in the thick of the NCAA Tournament. This is the story of how the Nittany Lions got there and people who made it happen.StateCollege.com Sports Editor Ben Jones takes you behind the scenes as the program is built and into the locker room to recount some of the program's most pivotal games.

Follow die hard Buffalo Sabres fan Adam as he drags his loving and understanding wife, Shannon, all across Hell's Half Acre to fulfill his life long dream of watching his Sabres play in every current NHL city!

An Inspirational True Story! Chasing the NHL is the story of a fresh-faced, overlooked, NHL-caliber hockey player named Trent Daavettila and insurance agent Jay Storm. Jay and Trent meet while playing men's league hockey together in small-town Michigan. Jay immediately recognizes that Trent's talents are above and beyond everyone else on the ice and sets off on a quest to get Trent a shot at the NHL, in an attempt to land a pro hockey contract. "Inspirational, funny, and interesting. Great read for hockey players and hockey families of all ages." -Todd Krygier - retired NHL player over 500 games "Trent had the most poise I have ever seen in the ECHL. He was dynamic and was one of the best 200 foot players to play in the league." -Nick Bootland - Head coach Kalamazoo Wings "Releasing Trent was one of the easiest decisions I could make but turned out to be one of my biggest mistakes. After a couple of practices I informed Trent that I wouldn't be keeping him, he came right back into my office and told me he wasn't going anywhere. I truly respected him for this and kept him around for another week but still felt if I played him he would get hurt. I spent the next four years trying to trade for him and get him on my team. His hockey sense and vision was thru the roof but his perseverance is remarkable" -Jarrod Skalde - Retired NHL player and current player development coach with Pittsburgh Penguins This is a story of enthusiasm, optimism, and persistence that transcends professional sports, and is relatable to anyone who has ever thought to chase their dreams and make the most of their talents. Based on the real-life story of a small-town hockey hero, Chasing the NHL offers a nitty-gritty, up-close-and-personal account of the obstacles this extreme athletic talent overcame, as well as the accolades he received. Trent was overlooked until the age most other players at his level had established careers. Along with the late-blooming development of Trent's hockey talent come all the trials and tribulations of adulthood, as well as the joys, such as marriage and children. Follow the story of Trent Daavettila and Jay Storm as the two of them work tirelessly with minor league hockey teams across North America to achieve their dream of reaching the NHL.

As a transplanted, expansion franchise, the NJ Devils have accumulated a wealth of unforgettable games and moments that have come to define the team. Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Devils' broadcast crew, as well as some of the longest tenured writers covering the team, these moments will live on in the hearts and minds of Devils fans forever. Author Matthew Blittner interviewed Larry Brooks, Steve Cangialosi, Ken Daneyko, John Dellapina, Roland Dratch, Mike "Doc" Emrick, Stan Fischler, Andrew Gross, Larry Hirsch, Matt Loughlin, Corey Masisak, Mike Morreale, Deb Placey, Glenn "Chico" Resch, Chris Ryan, Bryce Salvador, Leo Scaglione Jr. and Jim Sullivan to tell the stories of some of the most memorable games and moments in NJ Devils history.

Off beat...Off kilter...Even off the grid. Taro Lives! explores the gags and hoaxes that tagged the author with a"Sui Generis" label: (latin: one of a kind). Sports and sports tv as they've never been seen before-or since.

Renowned sportswriter Stephen Brunt reveals how "the Great One,” who was bought and sold more than once, decided that the comfortable Canadian city where hockey ruled couldn't compete with the slushy ice of a California franchise.Bobby Orr's career ended prematurely, with tears. Wayne Gretzky's tears, unlike Orr's, announced not an ending but another beginning. Gretzky's Edmonton Oilers had four Stanley Cup victories, but Gretzky may then have had other goals in mind.Beginning with his dad, Walter, and continuing with Nelson Skalbania, Peter Pocklington, Bruce McNall, Jerry Buss — and with the CBC's Peter Gzowski as chronicler for the eager masses — the enormity of Gretzky's talent attracted all sorts of people who were after a variety of vicarious thrills.

The complete story of the Edmonton Oilers--from Wayne Gretzky and the dynasty years, to Connor McDavid and the future, and everything in between.When the Edmonton Oilers joined the NHL in 1979, the team owner, Peter Pocklington, proclaimed they would win their first Stanley Cup within five years. A bold statement that turned out to be half right: they not only won the Cup in 1984, but won it four more times over the next six years, forging one of the most dominant dynasties ever. The Oilers have always been a team of determination--fast scoring, hard hitting, and creative hockey that has earned them loyal fans across North America. The team has faced adversity, both on and off the ice. As a small market team, the Oilers have struggled to compete in the NHL, but always found a way. From the biggest trade in history that saw the Great One leave for L.A., to the eleventh hour negotiations that kept the team in Edmonton with a cadre of thirty-seven passionate owners--there is no club like it. And now with super star Connor McDavid leading the roster there's never been greater promise for the future. With forty years of NHL action to celebrate, acclaimed sports writer Lorna Schultz Nicholson takes a journey back to the Oiler's phenomenal highs and challenging lows, the larger than life characters and amazing records, to tell the remarkable story of the hardest working club in the game. Fully illustrated with rare and exciting images, and published in full partnership with the Edmonton Oilers, this is the must have book for Oilers fans, and hockey fans, everywhere.

The incredible story of the life and phenomenal career of hockey's most legendary superstar, told through never-before-seen photographs. Bobby Orr rarely speaks of his accomplishments as a hockey player. He doesn't have to-his play did all his talking for him during his storied career. His was a style of seemingly effortless grace, a style that helped reinvent the sport of hockey. Now, Bobby Orr shares his story through a personal collection of photos, inviting readers into different seasons of his life while introducing some of the people that filled these moments in time. We see him at home and in the dressing room. We are there the day the Boston Bruins first scouted him, at rinkside when he celebrated his first Stanley Cup with his father, and back in Boston the day his famous number four was retired. Yet behind all the statistics, trophies, and public persona, is the man himself. There were losses to go along with the victories, disappointments alongside the accomplishments. Without the people around him, and without the many challenges he faced along the way, the triumphs would have meant much less. Capturing not only a legendary career and incredible person, Bobby: My Story in Pictures also brings into focus a different era. These photos chronicle not only the changing of the game, but also mark many significant milestones of his life. Personal, thoughtful, and full of never-before-seen images of Bobby Orr and those close to him, Bobby shows the varied sides of a player who rewrote the record book. It is a public journey into a world of a very private man.