Real Stories from the Rink

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

Brian McFarlane, who is widely regarded as the dean of hockey writers,
has produced more than 50 works on Canada’s national sport. In Real
Stories from the Rink, he offers a potpourri of hockey narratives and
anecdotes that are organized into specific topic areas. These includes
stories about unusual feats (“Unexpected Stars”), champions (“The
Stanley Cup”), and superstars (“Great Ones”), as well as goalies
(“Between the Pipes”), defencemen (“Daring Defense”), forwards
(“Fantastic Forwards”), and coaches (“Behind the Bench”). The
negatives and poor statistics of players and teams are unearthed in
“Poor Play.” He also includes some unusual stories, like “Strange
But True.”

According to McFarlane, one of the unexpected stars of hockey was Frank
Zamboni, the inventor of the ice-resurfacing machine that bears his
name. Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame is quoted as saying, “There are
three things in life that are fun to watch: A rippling stream, a fire in
the fireplace and a Zamboni going round and round and round.” To
hockey lovers, young and old, Real Stories from the Rink will provide
some real enjoyment. Recommended.