Battle on the Hudson: The Devils, the Rangers, and the NHL's Greatest Series Ever

by Tim Sullivan, Stephane Matteau (Foreword)

The monumental spring 1994 face-off between the New Jersey Devils and New York Rangers is recaptured in this mesmerizing account. Arguably one of the greatest series in NHL history, it changed the face of hockey in the New York metropolitan area through 27 periods in seven games across 13 days, during which Ranger captain Mark Messier guaranteed a game-six victory. The book presents a definitive portrayal of these two determined the Rangers, an original-six franchise desperate to win their first title in 54 years, and the Devils, the underappreciated new kid from across the Hudson River who feverishly wanted to forge an identity of their own. This in-depth retrospective conducts an unforgettable rollercoaster ride of emotions that lives in the hearts and minds of hockey fans forever.

Genres: Sports, Hockey

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Timothy Robert Sullivan was an American science fiction novelist, screenwriter, actor, film director and short story writer.
Many of his stories have been critically acknowledged and reprinted. His 1981 short story "Zeke," a tragedy about an extraterrestrial stranded on Earth, has been translated into German and was a finalist for the 1982 Nebula Award for Best Short Story. "Under Glass" (2011), a well-reviewed semi-autobiographical short story with occult hints, has been translated into Chinese and is the basis for a screenplay by director/actor Ron Ford. "Yeshua's Dog" (2013) was also translated into Chinese.

Reviews

[Tom Gase · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book really took me back and is a great description of yes, possibly the greatest series, especially non-finals of all time (although the 1993 Western Conference Finals between the Kings and Leafs gives it a run for its money). You'll read all about players like Mark Messier, Scott Stevens, a young Martin Broudeur, Kevin Lowe, Claude Lemiux, Bernie Nichols and his haunting year, Mike Richter, Brian Leetch and Mike Keenan to name just a few. The author, Tim Sullivan, does a great job explaining in a few chapters how the two teams to the point they were at in 1994 -- the Devils still a relatively new franchise trying to win over fans in their own territory, while the Rangers had gone at that point 54 years without a title and seemed to be cursed. The two squads playing just a few miles from each other, hooked up for an epic series in a right to play for the 1994 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vancouver Canucks. Really takes me back to a great time in hockey. I won't tell you who wins, or how many games the series goes, but each game gets at least one chapter, with a few games getting two. If you're a hockey fan, you have to read this. Good stuff.

[This is V! · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book about a magnificent Hockey Season, could have had a little bit more interviews and stories but still i give it a 4 stars

[Russell Siminoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent review of the great series. Pretty good amount of research with quotes from most of the players. But something was missing that kept the book from being great. I don't feel I really learned much about the series that I didn't already know.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice quick read. Not much more that what we already know and there were a lot of misses in terms of comments from major players and coaches who now after 20 years distance might have a different POV.