Of Ice and Men: The Craft of Hockey

by Bruce Dowbiggin

Rich, insightful, and highly engaging, Bruce Dowbiggin’s much-praised examination of the craft of hockey was hailed by critics as an enduring addition to the literature of sports.

What makes the best in the hockey business the best? By analyzing forward Steve Yzerman’s superb talent for leadership, defenseman Chris Chelio’s two-way brilliance, goaltender Dominik Hasek’s unrivalled ability to stop the puck, and hockey executive Glen Sather’s gift for construction, shaping, and inspiring a team, Dowbiggin not only illuminates hockey greatness, he also documents the subtle evolution in how the NHL game is played.

328 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1999

Reviews

[Sherrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book 20 years after it was published was a highly entertaining experience. The book was, of course, dated in several ways. (The funniest was the continual referral to Chris Chelios as being in the "twilight of a fabulous career". Chelios went on to play for 12 more years). Other subjects continue to be a concern in the NHL--the Canadian Major Junior system, the lack of scoring, and the income differential between small and large market clubs. And some subjects--concussions--weren't even on the horizon in 1998.
As a hard core hockey fan, I loved this book. As a Detroit Red Wing fan, I loved it even more. Highly recommended.

[wychwood · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well worth a read if you're interested in the NHL. It's ostensibly a series of profiles (The Forward: Steve Yzerman; The Defenseman: Chris Chelios; The General Manager: Glen Sather; and The Goalkeeper: Dominic Hasek) but each profile goes wider to look at the context of the season, other prominent players at that position, the history of the player's career and the position both, etc etc. Published in 1998 (as is obvious from the player choices!) but still has plenty to say.