The Hockey Phrase Book

Janet Money is Sports Editor of the Woodstock Daily Sentinel-Review.

This book was a good idea, intended as a quick reference for those times
when one just has to know what a phrase like “the puck has eyes”
means (an uncannily accurate shot), or who was on the Punch Line (Toe
Blake, Elmer Lach, and Rocket Richard of the Montreal Canadiens of the
1940s). It’s organized around themes like Who? What? Where? When? What
is That?, Tricks, Hockey Talk, and so on, but there is an index for
quick location of particular terms.

In any reference book, there will be points to quarrel with. It’s not
good enough, for me, to say that the term hat trick (meaning a
player’s scoring three goals in a game) comes from cricket. Why? And
the old tradition of hats being tossed on the ice to mark the feat
isn’t even mentioned. Moreover, in an explanation of the Jill (a piece
of protective equipment for women), there is a description of women’s
shoulder pads incorporating plastic cups. No women players are wearing
those anymore; it might have been useful to consult a woman player on
points like this.

The book includes a dullish essay on the history of hockey, and a
useful resource list.

The Hockey Phrase Book is a useful, if limited, addition to the
reference shelf of the fanatic.