Hockey Dynasties: Bluelines and Bloodlines

by Jack Batten, George Johnson, Steve Milton

Family ties have been an enduring part of hockey history since the beginning of the NHL. Ken Dryden was asked why it is that hockey ties are so prevalent in hockey compared to other professional sports leagues. Part of it, he theorized, was the nature of the long Canadian winter that leaves kids without much else to do. Dryden also thought that hockey's rural roots may have something to do with it, "Hockey players have historically come from smaller places rather than bigger places. In a smaller place you have fewer options and it is more likely in a smaller place that if one kid from a family gets involved in hockey, other kids are going to get involved too."

Hockey Dynasties is an era by era look at the proliferation of family ties in professional hockey. The book will examine why there are so many families in professional hockey, and will include tales by the players about their time at center ice playing with and against their siblings/ fathers/cousins/uncles.

Hockey families included are: Ken and Dave Dryden, Wayne and Brent Gretzky, Eric and Brett Lindros, Charlie, Roy and Lionel Conacher, Bobby and Brett Hull, Maurice and Henri Richard, Pete and Frank Mahovlich, Gordie, Mark and Vic Howe, Marcel and Gilbert Dionne, Brian and Joe Mullen, Sylvain and Pierre Turgeon, Russ and Geoff Courtnall, The Sutter Brothers (Ron, Brent, Brian, Darryl, Duane, Rich), Phil and Tony Esposito, The Stastny Brothers (Peter, Anton, and Marian), Pavel and Valeri Bure, The Hunter Brothers (Dale, Mark, Dave), Lynn, Lester and Craig Patrick, Neil, Aaron and Paul Broten, Max, Doug and Reg Bentley, Bun and Bill Cook, George and Frank Boucher, Neil and Max Colville, Dennis, Bryan, Sr. and Bryan, Jr. Hextall.

256 pages, Hardcover

First published October 7, 2002

About the author

Jack Batten, after a brief and unhappy career as a lawyer, has been a very happy freelance writer for many years. The author of thirty-five books, Batten writes the weekly Whodunnit column in the Toronto Star, has reviewed jazz for the Globe and Mail, and has reviewed movies on CBC Radio for twenty-five years. He has written over thirty books on subjects that include biography, crime fiction, law and court cases, and sports. Not surprisingly, jazz, movies, and crime turn up frequently in Crang’s life. He lives in Toronto.