Mats Sundin

Bob Forsey is the education officer at the Newfoundland Museum in St.
John’s.

Having trouble getting your kids to read? One way to motivate young
hockey fans is to introduce

them to Hockey Heroes. Each book in the series profiles a National
Hockey League superstar in an easy-to-read format that features an
informative text, fact-filled sidebars, and attractive color
photographs.

The careers of Teemu Selanne, Dominik Hasek, Peter Forsberg, Paul
Kariya, Mats Sundin, and Patrick Roy are profiled. Each book traces the
road taken by a particular player into the NHL, noting the obstacles he
faced, as well as the key character traits or innovative approaches that
helped him to succeed. For example, a player usually started skating
early (at ages three to five) and was soon playing competitive hockey
against older, bigger players.

Scouts quickly noted Selanne’s speed and natural scoring ability.
Forsberg demonstrated gritty two-way checking, pinpoint passing, and
scoring talents. Kariya stood out with his knack for seeing the whole
rink, hitting teammates with passes in open ice, and beating goalies
with a snapshot. Sundin’s “skating ability, quick hands, puck
sense—and ... size” made him an unbeatable goal scorer. Roy
displayed a “butterfly style of goalkeeping” that successfully
covered the lower half of the net, and took him to the top. Hasek,
always a goalie, stopped shots with all parts of his well-protected
body—including his cage helmet—and as a survival tactic, learned to
anticipate shots before opponents released them.

The stories follow the players from Finland, Sweden, the Czech
Republic, the United States, and Canada to the NHL and ultimate success.
The books are well-written and easy to read; all are highly recommended.