Hockey Superstars, 1998-1999

Dave Jenkinson is a professor in the Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba and the author of the “Portraits” section of Emergency Librarian.

Romanuk again delivers what has become his annual offering of hockey
fluff for young fans of the sport. Having found a successful format, he
sticks with it. The 1998–99 version contains the expected 16 glossy
full-color mini-posters of the National Hockey League’s
“superstars,” as selected by Romanuk. His alphabetically arranged
choices would undoubtedly upset Hockey Night in Canada’s Don Cherry,
for only seven of the 17 players (the 17th occupies the cover
“poster”) were born in Canada, while another seven were born in
Europe and the remainder in the United States. Not surprisingly, 12 of
the superstars play as centres or wingers while only two—Nicholas
Lidstrom and Mattias Ohlund, both Swedes—are blue-liners. Goalie
Dominik “The Dominator” Hasek, who garnered the coveted cover
position, is joined by fellow netminders Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy.


As in previous titles, the back of the posters, which resemble giant
hockey cards, contain two columns of chatty prose and a box of
“tombstone” data. Wrapped around the poster pages are two matte
paper sections directed at young fans who are invited to record various
predictions and statistics regarding NHL teams and players. Those who
play hockey can document their own stats. A pair of facing pages
illustrate the hand signals used by referees to signal rule infractions.


Its undemanding text and glossy appearance make Hockey Superstars,
1998–99 a good purchase for reluctant readers in Grades 3 and up.
Recommended.