Lions in Winter

by Chrys Goyens, Allan Turowetz

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction

422 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1986

Reviews

[Simon Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellently researched book about the history of the team leading up to their '86 Cup win over Calgary. Very coherent, tries to link the '86 team to the past greats through some clever analysis but the '86 team was not the Habs team of the past, of course. Great insight into Canadiens legends - Morenz, Béliveau, LaFleur, etc.

[Marshall Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be the best book I have ever read in my life. Lions in Winter has been on my shelf for TEN years - a gift from my late grandfather in August of 2015. The book tells the history of the Montreal Canadiens' glory years from (Ken Dryden quote): "A story from say, oh, the mid-40s to the end of the 70s." The story ends in 1986 - the Canadiens 23rd Cup won on the backs of a neat mixture of leaders: Robinson, Gainey, and Tremblay mixed with a youthful cohesion of talent in Naslund, Dahlin, Lemieux, Skrudland, Chelios and Roy. A really neat book that also shines a light on the Montreal Canadiens as a cultural icon in Quebec that really explodes during the precursor to the Quiet Revolution in the 40s and the 50s. A really eye opening read on the cultural significance of a "hockey team" for a Hab loving anglo-Ontarian.