From The Point: The Hockey Book Review

As the title suggests one of the best seats in a hockey arena is the end of the bench where the backup goaltender sits. Jamie McLennan was a long time stalwart backup and sometimes starting goaltender in the NHL over 11 seasons in the NHL, this book is his stories of the moments and personalities that made his career a great time. It’s another great hockey story but more importantly told with a fun style only Noodles can bring.

Do you remember the feeling of ripping open a wax pack of cards and searching through them for your favorite players? Ken Reid does and in this book not only brings you back to that feeling, but he tells you the stories behind some of those great cards from the players themselves. It’s hockey gold through the lens of a hobby we all remember and love!

Kaleb Dahlgren was like many young players across Canada in Junior hockey chasing his dream of playing hockey at a high level when tragedy struck. Kaleb’s road to get to that point, during, and after are a great story and go well beyond the game. It’s a book that makes you think, cheer, and feel while you see Kaleb make it through his life and the crash.

Steve Montador’s death at age 35 in 2015 was a shock to the hockey world. The revelation that he had CTÉ was even more of a shock as it forced hockey to take a look at why a young man such as Steve would have developed the neurological disease. Hall of Fame goaltender Ken Dryden asks the tough questions as to why it happened and how things need to change to prevent it in the future.

Gordie Howe’s youngest son Murray wanted to be the best hockey player in the world like his dad. But as time went on he realized he wanted to be just like his dad and being the greatest of them all had little to do with hockey. We discuss Murray’s homage to his dad and the legend that is Mr. Hockey and why his 9 lessons are so important.

On the 2018 US Women’s Olympic team a set of identical twins from North Dakota Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux capture led the imagination of the country as they helped win Gold in Peyongchang. Still the road to get there was a really the biggest story as they grew in hockey and took on the US Hockey institution for the equity they deserved.

Hockey Hall of Famer Haley Wickenheiser is perhaps the most successful women ever to strap on skates. Her 4 Olympic Gold Medals speak for themselves, but in this account centered around the lead up to and the run in the 2010 Olympics you learn not only about that time but what motivated Haley to be such a great player and so much more.

The 1998 US Olympic Team won the first Gold Medal handed out in Women’s Ice Hockey. The team’s performance on the ice was only part of the story though. The women who made up the team and how they changed sports forever is the rest of it. We discuss how and why through the lens of Mary Turco’s book.

Author Ken Reid tells you the quick stories of players who only scored one goal in the NHL. It’s an eclectic mix of great short stories of so many different roads before and after that these player traveled to get to one NHL goal.

Hall of Famer Grant Fuhr spent 19 seasons in the NHL winning 5 Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers. He is the most successful black player in the history of the NHL. His story is one of ups and downs that shaped the man into one of best ever.