For the Love of Hockey: Hockey Stars' Personal Stories

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.

This large-format book presents the personal stories of 91 hockey stars,
beginning with Andy Bathgate and concluding with Steve Yzerman. Both
current and retired players are included, but past players are limited
to the Original Six era of Gordie Howe and Rocket Richard. A pair of
glossy facing pages is devoted to each player; one of those pages
consists of a color game-action shot, usually taken from the Hockey Hall
of Fame’s collection.

With respect to the text, common themes emerge. Foreign-born players,
such as Alexei Yashin and Mats Sundin, describe how they came to play in
the NHL. Smaller players, such as Theoren Fleury, express the doubts
they once had about making, and then sticking with, teams at this elite
level. The importance of team friendships, the shock of being traded,
and the realization that the game they love is above all else a business
are other themes addressed by the players. Winners of the Stanley Cup
talk about the importance of having achieved that goal; those who never
had their name engraved on the trophy lament that fact. Players also
recall the pride they felt when they represented their countries in
events like the World Championship, the Olympics, and the Canada Cup. An
appendix provides a succinct summary of each player’s stats and
awards.

Unfortunately, McDonell does not explain his selection criteria. We are
left wondering why the book includes Derek Sanderson and Eddie Shack,
for example, but not Dave Keon and Ken Dryden. Nonetheless, For the Love
of Hockey is still a worthwhile purchase.