Product Description

Our Game: The History of Hockey in Canada provides a play-by-play of Canada's national sportÂ’s evolution over three centuries, from the first publicly played game through the recent NHL lock-out. Along with essential information about rules, gear, and stats, readers will learn about hockey'Â’s most unforgettable moments and most talented stars. Little-known facts, amazing photographs (many of which have never been published in a book before), and expertly researched history make this a must-have for every hockey fan! This is the most comprehensive children's book ever written about the history of hockey, from the Canadian perspective. Kids who are passionate about hockey want to know everything there is to know about the game; this book delves into the history of the sport as a whole, rather than focusing on just one era or star player. The book's dynamic design includes sidebars, benchmarks, stats, captions, a quiz, and a glossary, giving children the option to pick up the book and casually thumb through it to glean interesting hockey facts; they can also dive into the captivating narrative that ties the landmark events and heroes of the game together. Targeted at children from ages 8 - 12, this book will also be enjoyed by many generations of hockey buffs; perfect for parents and their children to explore together!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1744554 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 48 pages

From the Publisher
This is the most comprehensive children's book ever written about the history of hockey, from the Canadian perspective. Kids who are passionate about hockey want to know everything there is to know about the game; this book delves into the history of the sport as a whole, rather than focusing on just one era or star player. The book's dynamic design includes sidebars, benchmarks, stats, captions, a quiz, and a glossary, giving children the option to pick up the book and casually thumb through it to glean interesting hockey facts; they can also dive into the captivating narrative that ties the landmark events and heroes of the game together. Targeted at children from ages 8 - 12, this book will also be enjoyed by many generations of hockey buffs; perfect for parents and their children to explore together!

From the Author
All these years after hockey was invented, we can truthfully say that the game has come to reflect much of what it means to be a Canadian. Its players are strong, determined, skillful and eager to face a good challenge. Many of our top stars are among the very best in the world at what they have chosen to do. We see and we play the game all year round, on organized teams in leagues or with friends on community and backyard rinks, until well after dark on neighbourhood streets that are covered with the snowy blanket of winter or the colourful leaves of autumn. The amateur game, played by boys and girls, often on the same teams, is alive and well. You see it at every arena — parking lots full on Saturday morning, moms and dads hauling big equipment bags into the rink, then huddling in the stands with a cup of hot coffee to stay warm while they cheer on their sons and daughters. Return to these same arenas late at night and you’ll find leagues of "oldtimers," grown men age 60, or more, who love hockey too much to leave it behind. We write songs, plays and poems about hockey. It is celebrated in movies and books. We play it on frozen ponds and lakes, wearing the sweaters of our favourite teams, pretending we’re Sidney Crosby, the Pittsburgh Penguins’ young talent from Nova Scotia who many say will be the NHL’s next huge star. Or maybe we’re Wayne Gretzky, Jarome Iginla, Mats Sundin, Vincent Lecavalier, women’s team stars Hayley Wickenheiser, Cassie Campbell, Kim St-Pierre, or a legend of long ago. We keep scrapbooks and collect hockey cards, slap tennis balls against our garage doors, play it in video games and, sometimes, in our dreams. The game has endured since the days before there was the internet, television and even radio, through two world wars, a deadly flu and the Great Depression. In 1994, the elected leaders of our country finally recognized what everyone had known for a long time: that hockey is Canada. With the National Sports of Canada Act, hockey was acknowledged by Parliament as this nation’s official winter sport. Like us, our government sees that hockey is a thread that runs from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, a sport that links us as Canadians. The Act does make us think about a great game and the many people who have made it so. It reminds us of street hockey and the Stanley Cup, of heroes the game has known for more than 100 years. It leads us back to the days of long ago, to the recollections of our parents and grand-parents, and into our libraries to discover more. The National Sports of Canada Act reminds us of hockey’s place in our culture and our hearts. And because the game is woven into so much of our culture, studying the history of hockey is, in many ways, studying the history of Canada — with a glorious past and a very exciting future, just like the country it calls home. This is the story of hockey in Canada.

About the Author
Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, author and hockey fanatic Dave Stubbs has been a newspaper sports writer since 1976, with stories syndicated coast-to-coast. He was inspired to become a writer by his Grade 10 English teacher at John Rennie High School in Pointe Claire, who until a few years ago was still marking up Dave's columns and returning them to him. Dave has freelanced extensively for magazines, including Time, and was a consultant for two television screenplays. A great deal of his work, including contributions to Remembering Guy Lafleur and Canadiens Legends: Montreal's Hockey Heroes (Raincoast, 2004), has focused on the history of hockey and the legends of the game. Dave currently writes for the Montreal Gazette. Massachusetts native Neal Portnoy is p art entertainer, part artist, and part athlete -- a unique combination that results in dynamic, breathtakingly realistic sports illustrations, some of which have hung in the homes of Frank Sinatra, Red Sox legend Ted Williams, and golfer Jack Nicklaus. Whether working on commissioned pieces for the Children's Miracle Network or for hockey stars like Ray Bourque, Neal brings a true passion for sports to the drawing table. Among his peers, he is known as the "Norman Rockwell of Sports Artists."

Customer Reviews

great history for the young fan
looking for a book that presents nice pictures as well as a nice history time line for a young reader who loves hockey. you've found your book my 8 year old enjoys reading it & we can cross over to my 5 year old by the pictures & text from the pictures. these kinds of books are hard to find but this one is a "no brainer "