The Hammer: Confessions of a Hockey Enforcer

by Dave Schultz

The Confessions of a hockey enforcer [Jan 01, 1981] Schultz, Dave

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction

208 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1981

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know reading this story I've actually gained some respect for Schultz. I know, call the psyche ward right? No. Seriously - he was just as much exploited by the times than any other goon or enforcer. He wasn't a good hockey player, he wasn't a terrible hockey player. He wasn't as intellectual as Ken Dryden but he wasn't an idiot. I find that Shero really took advantage of him and then when he didn't feel he could use him; turned and traded him off like a nothing. That made me feel sorry for him. I felt like I could relate to him in a way. "Now I need you; now I don't".
He had human feelings underneath his German army helmet and dark scowl that all you older hockey fans remember ;)
I don't know, maybe I'm trying to romanticize the man but if you want to better understand a person for more than what the media says about them, you should read Dave Schultzes book.

Queue the hate >>>

[Brian · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a New York Ranger fan, I couldn't give it 5 stars because it is a book about the Hammer. This is a great book about the biggest, yet effective, idiot in NHL history.

[Aaron C. Burke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dave Schultz's gritty, stark autobiography chronicles the violent 1970s NHL through the eyes of hockey's top enforcer: "The Hammer." Left Wing Schultz was the physical leader of the great Philadelphia Flyers Stanley Cup teams. Blunt and unpretentious, Schultz is strikingly self-aware on his odyssey from frozen northwestern rural Saskatchewan to Philadelphia's Broad Street Spectrum. Finding himself cast by management and his hard drinking coach Fred Shero in the role of team enforcer, Schultz becomes the most reviled man in professional hockey.
Schultz exposes hypocrisy from fellow players, including superstar golden boy Bobby Clarke, for starting fights with opponents, then letting Schultz finish them. All the while, Clarke, Shero and others publicly criticize Schultz for the very fighting they encourage. When Shero wanted an opposing player "taken out," Shero would simply tap on Shultz's shoulder and mention the opponent. Schultz would follow through.
Especially insightful are the depictions of marital strain caused by complete hockey immersion, its debilitating effect on hockey spouses and children. The stars inhabit an isolated self-absorbed world, spoiled men-children. Coach Shero and Flyers' management pigeonholed Schultz into a role that minimized his hockey abilities and cast him as a two-dimensional thug.
Co-authored by Stan Fischler, the book documents how celebrity jocks are discarded like used toys by owners and fans as wear and tear arrives.

[Audrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hate the flyers. Not for any real reason, it was just passed down to me from my godfather. But I'm now, unfortunately, a fan of Shultz. His story is truly an insight into what happened to hockey players during that time period, and a view into how enforcers are exploited both before and after their careers.

Safe to say this book will be in the back of my mind next time Rempe, Reaves, etc. drop the gloves.

[Mikey · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a very informative read; however, it kind of ruined my "romanticized" view of Dave Schultz.