Greatest Hockey Stories

Ian A. Andrews is a high-school social sciences teacher and editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus.

For more than 40 years, Dick Beddoes has reported about hockey—in
newspapers; on radio and television; and through books like Pal Hal, a
biography of the late Harold Ballard, former owner of the Toronto Maple
Leafs. Over this time, he has become familiar with the folklore of
hockey.

In this series of short essays, he presents a behind-the-scenes look at
the life of the professional, and sometimes amateur, hockey player. Such
a no-holds barred exposé of people and events has rarely, if ever,
reached the general sports fan. Beddoes is particularly critical of
hockey’s hierarchy, whom he portrays as requiring lesser standards for
themselves than they demand from their chattels. Some players have been
banned from participation because of alleged gambling activity, or
refused entry into hockey’s Hall of Fame because of their character
traits. At the same time, those who made the rules—the teams’
owners—have been permitted to function in their dominant positions
despite being convicted of criminal charges.

This book is designed to enlighten the hockey fan. Its sometimes
raunchy language makes it unsuitable for a younger audience. In addition
to stories about the Howes, the Richards, and the Gretzkys, Beddoes has
included anecdotes about the authentic characters of the game—people
like Walter “Babe” Pratt, Jean Pusie, and Brian “Spinner”
Spencer. There are essays on topics as far removed as Willy O’Ree, the
first black professional hockey player, and Pete Cusimano, the Detroit
native whose fame came from throwing octopi onto the ice surface at the
old Detroit Olympia.

Beddoes’s eclectic collection of stories will entertain, but will not
enhance the reputations of professional hockey or of many individuals
who have been associated with the sport.