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They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven: A Dream, A Team, And My Comeback Season
Ken Baker wanted nothing more than to play ice hockey with the pros-until a brain tumor cut his dreams short while in college. After surgery and several years of rehab, Baker, who in high school was a top prospect for the U.S. Olympic team, put his successful journalism career on hold to attempt the seemingly a comeback.
He moved away from his family to become the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors, an AA-level minor-league team in the dusty oil town of Bakersfield, California. At the age of thirty-one, Baker became the oldest rookie in all of pro-hockey, facing 1000-m.p.h. slap shots and long bus rides, hostile fans and cheap motel rooms, body bruises and battle-worn teammates.
From his visit to an NHL training camp to his first nerve-rattled minutes as a pro, Baker joins the rookies who still dream of making it to the Show, the veterans long past their prime, and the obsessive fans who keep them going. There's the coach who tests Baker at every turn; the troubled captain who gets arrested for battery on his wife; the former NHL goon who stages fights out of boredom; and the team's other goalies who eye the newcomer warily knowing there's only room for one of them in the net. Baker's pro-hockey adventure ends up teaching him nearly everything he will ever need to know about life.
He moved away from his family to become the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors, an AA-level minor-league team in the dusty oil town of Bakersfield, California. At the age of thirty-one, Baker became the oldest rookie in all of pro-hockey, facing 1000-m.p.h. slap shots and long bus rides, hostile fans and cheap motel rooms, body bruises and battle-worn teammates.
From his visit to an NHL training camp to his first nerve-rattled minutes as a pro, Baker joins the rookies who still dream of making it to the Show, the veterans long past their prime, and the obsessive fans who keep them going. There's the coach who tests Baker at every turn; the troubled captain who gets arrested for battery on his wife; the former NHL goon who stages fights out of boredom; and the team's other goalies who eye the newcomer warily knowing there's only room for one of them in the net. Baker's pro-hockey adventure ends up teaching him nearly everything he will ever need to know about life.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 2003
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
November 6, 2015
They Don’t Play Hockey In Heaven is a book about a young mans journey as he returns to a sport he truly loves. Ken Baker is a journalist who returns to the arena as a hockey goalie. He has recently undergone brain surgery but feels the need to return to the sport he left behind. He says he is trying to make a comeback so he can write about it from a journalist perspective but deep down he is looking to fulfill a childhood dream.
Every young athlete can relate to this book and this mans journey. I really loved how described the workouts, his teammates, and the camaraderie he shared with them all.
Baker finally gets to start a game and describes vividly how nervous he is at the start, how much he enjoys hearing the crowd chant his name as he gets his first start between the pipes in his first big league game. In fulfilling this goal he finally feels like he has made his dad, who has since died and is now in heaven, proud. Now everyone can relate to this and deep down hopes to achieve the same.
I would encourage any and all sports enthusiasts to read and enjoy this great story.
Every young athlete can relate to this book and this mans journey. I really loved how described the workouts, his teammates, and the camaraderie he shared with them all.
Baker finally gets to start a game and describes vividly how nervous he is at the start, how much he enjoys hearing the crowd chant his name as he gets his first start between the pipes in his first big league game. In fulfilling this goal he finally feels like he has made his dad, who has since died and is now in heaven, proud. Now everyone can relate to this and deep down hopes to achieve the same.
I would encourage any and all sports enthusiasts to read and enjoy this great story.
March 22, 2018
I’m in the book. Enough said, lol. I loved having Ken here in Bakersfield, and reading this book around his time here and the team was really wonderful. I witnessed his success here, and I couldn’t be more proud to have known this guy for a brief time in my early 20s.
July 9, 2023
A very grounded account of the author's return to the sport he once loved. Told with wit, humor, and an eye to the dynamics of hockey both on-and-off the ice.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys hockey memoirs or analysis.
And yes, I read it in a day.
Recommended for anyone who enjoys hockey memoirs or analysis.
And yes, I read it in a day.
November 16, 2020
A truly inspiring story
October 25, 2022
What a sentimental treat this book was for this hockey mama from the Central Valley! 💛
April 18, 2013
This book is about a dream and how it has been turned into reality. Ken Baker was once one of the biggest prospects for the NHL for his goaltending skills. He gave up hockey after graduating from Colgate University and considered committing suicide after his long time girlfriend broke up with him. He got a new girlfriend named Brooke who is his new fiance and recently had a dream that could change his life. He dreamed of actually playing hockey again. His fiance totally agrees with his decision and he is fully prepared to do everything he can to reach the pro level that he once abandoned. This is an amazing book about a dream and accomplishing the near impossible.
April 2, 2014
This book is extremely well-written, which added to the fact that it is an amazing true story, makes the book a captivating read. Ken Baker's story catches the average sports novel reader easily, but it is also a great story for a lot of people, if not everyone. His story of recovering and rebounding after his brain tumor is inspirational.
December 25, 2010
Although this book is about minor league hockey, the most worthwhile passage actually relates to Admiral James Stockdale.
I would recommend the rest of the book to hockey fans or to anyone who has spent a few hours or more in Bakersfield, CA.
I would recommend the rest of the book to hockey fans or to anyone who has spent a few hours or more in Bakersfield, CA.
July 9, 2012
Like his previous memoir, this book spends a little too long to reach the climax although in both cases it's worth it in the end. It was interesting learning about the different levels of pro hockey which I knew nothing about. He is certainly an inspiration to all.
July 4, 2011
good so far tons of suspense
January 1, 2014
Great story about how to follow your dream.
February 19, 2025
Review for They Don't Play Hockey in Heaven can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews