Boy on Defence

B.A. Robinson was a freelance reviewer from Toronto.

When a strong hockey player like Cliff Armstrong joins the Northwest High School hockey team, he should be able to help the team win the championship. The road to that championship game is not an easy one, as Bill Spunska and his friends discover when a rivalry develops between the new boy and Bill.

Boy on Defence was originally published in 1953, and in spite of some minor revisions and updating, it reflects a good hockey and adventure story of that era. Bill is no longer a “D.P.” but a political refugee from Poland; modern hockey greats and the expanded N.H.L. teams are mentioned for modern reference, but the boys still write with ink-filled pens and not ball point.

Notwithstanding this, the hockey fanatic will enjoy this tale with its strong descriptions of hockey play, its action, its heroes who overcome hardships and show initiative, and its satisfying ending.