Shooting from the Lip: Hockey's Best Quotes and Quips

Liz Dennett is a public service librarian in the Science and Technology
Library at the University of Alberta.

When Gordie Howe was asked why hockey players always wear a protective
cup but rarely a helmet, he responded, “You can always get someone to
do your thinking for you.” This is just one of the more than 300 fun
hockey quotations in this surprisingly entertaining book. The
quotations, which are organized into 58 topics that function as informal
chapters (such as “Diving,” “The Dressing Room,” “The Great
One,” “Humble Pie,” “Language Barrier,” “Mom Knows Best,”
“Referees,” and “Teeth”), are presented in fonts of varying
sizes and styles on colourful or photographic backgrounds. Contextual
information is kept to a minimum. There is a useful names index at the
back to assist in locating particular quotes.

The selected quotations offer a well-balanced mix of praise for
hockey’s greats, insults, explanations, witticisms, and dumb comments.
They come straight from the mouths of NHL players and their family
members, coaches, and referees. Some contain basic truths, such as
Scotty Bowman’s comment: “Every boo on the road is a cheer.” Some
are quite funny, like Red Wing Alex Deveccio after losing to Toronto
13–0: “It would have been worse if we hadn’t blocked the kick
after Toronto’s second touchdown.” And others contain insight into
the challenge of competing against hockey’s greatest players. Flyers
goalie Dominic Roussel says of Mario Lemieux: “His face is so calm. He
shows no sign of stress or anything. It’s as if he’s saying, ‘No
problem. Relax. I’m just going to beat you now. It’s not going to
hurt a bit.’”

Being a diehard hockey fan is not a prerequisite for enjoying this
book, but a basic knowledge of the names and characters of the sport
will be helpful to understand and appreciate all of the jokes.