Hockey History Books
- Thread starter Stoneberg
- Start date
George tells me it will be available on amazon within the next month or so.
- Jan 22, 2007
- 14,416
- 7,130
A new french language book on the Quebec Nordiques is coming from Benoît Clairoux this fall. 100 former players interviewed, 400 pages, 200,000 words. Benoît hopes for an english version in Spring 2025.
Last edited:
reckoning
Registered User
- Jan 4, 2005
- 7,020
- 1,264
Scandale du Jour
JordanStaal#1Fan
Nope! Will surely buy though.
I am doing great. Just got back from Singapore. Hope you are doing good too
Stan Fischler recently asked me to put together a list of the top 10 New York Rangers books for his Rangers column on The Hockey News website. It was difficult narrowing it down to ten, but here is the final list I had come up with. Let me know what you think and if you agree/disagree with my ranking. Would you replace any of these?
1. When The Rangers Were Young - by Frank Boucher and Trent Frayne
For my money, this is the best book on the New York Rangers that has ever been written and one of my personal all-time favourite hockey books. Frank Boucher, who the Rangers inexplicably continue to ignore, crafted a fantastic overview of the first three decades in Rangers’ history alongside the great Trent Frayne. Having played a prominent role as player, coach and general manager throughout those three decades, Frank covers the birth and early years of the Rangers which featured the likes of Bill and Bun Cook, Murray Murdoch, Taffy Abel, Ivan Johnson and others. He details his years spent as a coach and then general manager, touching on his relationship with Lester Patrick which had become strained, and of his struggles to keep the team competitive during the post-war days. He even speaks of growing up in a large family in Ottawa, Ontario during the early 1900’s. This is a wonderful look into hockey and life of the time.
2. Metro Ice: A Century of Hockey in Greater New York – by Stan Fischler and Tom Sarro
A beautiful, lavishly illustrated celebration of hockey’s history in New York that was published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the New York Americans joining the NHL, this stunning coffee table book should be the go-to resource for any fan and researcher wanting to learn more about the history of hockey in the Greater New York area. A monumental achievement, this highly in-depth work covers not only the Rangers but the Americans, Islanders, Devils, Rovers, Raiders, and Golden Blades. It deserves its place on the shelves of any serious hockey fan.
3. A Year on Ice: The New York Rangers Roller Coaster 1970 Season – by Gerald Eskenazi
A day-to-day chronicle of the roller coaster ride that was the Rangers’ 1969-1970 season, this was the first hockey book to feature a behind the scenes look at a club both on the ice and of the lives of its athletes away from it. The 69-70 Rangers were in first place by mid-February of that season until defenseman Brad Park broke his ankle. They were a completely different club without their top rearguard and soon fell out of a playoff spot. In fifth place entering the final week of the season, this book details the wild ride – perhaps the wildest ever – the Rangers took to improbably squeeze into a playoff spot. A must-read for any Rangers fan.
4. We Did Everything But Win: Former New York Rangers Remember the Emile Francis Era (1964-1976) – by George Grimm
This wonderful oral history of an unforgettable era in Rangers history chronicles all of the highs and lows of the Emile Francis-lead Blueshirts. Meticulously researched and filled with many entertaining and insightful interviews with the players and “The Cat” himself, fans reading this will surely feel as if they’ve entered a time capsule to relive many of their favourite memories from such an entertaining team and era. They really did everything but win it all. George Grimm does his part by delivering a winner here.
5. New York Rangers: Seventy-Five Years – by John Halligan
Much like Metro Ice, this coffee table book was also published to celebrate a 75th anniversary, this being that of the New York Rangers. John Halligan, who worked as the club’s public relations director, expertly covers the history of the franchise up to that point. All the franchise greats are covered here as well as the biggest moments, and it’s all capped with superb photography chronicling it all.
6. Thin Ice: A Season in Hell with the New York Rangers – by Larry Sloman
Without going into too many details, Thin Ice certainly wouldn’t see the light of day today. Very much a product of its time, Larry Sloman gifted us a hilarious inside look into the lives of a few of the young Rangers, much of it covering their shenanigans and lifestyle away from the rink. It reads more like a tabloid piece rather than a serious piece of hockey literature, this is easily one of the most entertaining hockey books ever written. Not recommended for younger readers or the easily offended!
7. Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers – by Barry Meisel
A tale of two clubs. The first part of the book is a gripping account of the New York Rangers club that finally reversed the jinx and broke a 54-year curse by winning the 1994 Stanley Cup in a thrilling 7-game series against the Vancouver Canucks. It covers the ride to get there and the high of victory, but the second half of the book shifts its focus and delves into the almost immediate “fall” of the championship team and the not so stellar 1995 season, beginning with the resignation of controversial head coach Mike Keenan. Iron Mike’s one year tenure was tumultuous to say the least as he constantly butted heads with players, management, and ownership culminating in his exit just a month after winning the Cup, citing breach of contract after the club was a day late in paying him bonus money. A fascinating read.
8. The Franchise – New York Rangers: A Curated History of the Blueshirts – by Rick Carpiniello
A brand-new addition to the hockey book market, Rick was the perfect choice to document the past forty-plus years of Ranger hockey. Why? He was there through it all, front and centre, covering the Rangers for The Journal News dating all the way back to 1978 right up until his retirement in 2021. Easy to read, Rick provides us with many informative and entertaining essays that cover the important moments and personalities from this timeframe in Blueshirts history. A gold mine of stories for fans and readers alike.
9. 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes, and Colorful Characters – by Russ Cohen, John Halligan, and Adam Raider
Another beautiful coffee table book, the authors profile the top 100 greatest players to ever lace up the skates for the Rangers. While the rankings themselves are sure to be divisive, there’s a lot to like here. Fans of all ages will enjoy countless anecdotes and stories of their favourite players, each one playing a memorable role in the history of one of hockey’s most historic franchises. Every Rangers fan should own a copy. A fantastic resource for researchers and historians as well.
10. The Wait is Over: The New York Rangers and the 1994 Stanley Cup – by John Kreiser
John Kreiser, who covered the NHL for more than forty years at the Associated Press, recounts the historic Cup-winning season of 1994 twenty-years later. Featuring interviews with important members of that championship club all those years later and relying on contemporary reports to paint a picture of hockey in New York at the time, this book should keep fans glued to the pages. Ten years after publication and thirty years since that Cup victory, fans remain hopeful they’ll live to see another championship. But in the meantime, this book certainly helps by allowing them to revisit their incredible champion until the next one delivers.
1. When The Rangers Were Young - by Frank Boucher and Trent Frayne
For my money, this is the best book on the New York Rangers that has ever been written and one of my personal all-time favourite hockey books. Frank Boucher, who the Rangers inexplicably continue to ignore, crafted a fantastic overview of the first three decades in Rangers’ history alongside the great Trent Frayne. Having played a prominent role as player, coach and general manager throughout those three decades, Frank covers the birth and early years of the Rangers which featured the likes of Bill and Bun Cook, Murray Murdoch, Taffy Abel, Ivan Johnson and others. He details his years spent as a coach and then general manager, touching on his relationship with Lester Patrick which had become strained, and of his struggles to keep the team competitive during the post-war days. He even speaks of growing up in a large family in Ottawa, Ontario during the early 1900’s. This is a wonderful look into hockey and life of the time.
2. Metro Ice: A Century of Hockey in Greater New York – by Stan Fischler and Tom Sarro
A beautiful, lavishly illustrated celebration of hockey’s history in New York that was published to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the New York Americans joining the NHL, this stunning coffee table book should be the go-to resource for any fan and researcher wanting to learn more about the history of hockey in the Greater New York area. A monumental achievement, this highly in-depth work covers not only the Rangers but the Americans, Islanders, Devils, Rovers, Raiders, and Golden Blades. It deserves its place on the shelves of any serious hockey fan.
3. A Year on Ice: The New York Rangers Roller Coaster 1970 Season – by Gerald Eskenazi
A day-to-day chronicle of the roller coaster ride that was the Rangers’ 1969-1970 season, this was the first hockey book to feature a behind the scenes look at a club both on the ice and of the lives of its athletes away from it. The 69-70 Rangers were in first place by mid-February of that season until defenseman Brad Park broke his ankle. They were a completely different club without their top rearguard and soon fell out of a playoff spot. In fifth place entering the final week of the season, this book details the wild ride – perhaps the wildest ever – the Rangers took to improbably squeeze into a playoff spot. A must-read for any Rangers fan.
4. We Did Everything But Win: Former New York Rangers Remember the Emile Francis Era (1964-1976) – by George Grimm
This wonderful oral history of an unforgettable era in Rangers history chronicles all of the highs and lows of the Emile Francis-lead Blueshirts. Meticulously researched and filled with many entertaining and insightful interviews with the players and “The Cat” himself, fans reading this will surely feel as if they’ve entered a time capsule to relive many of their favourite memories from such an entertaining team and era. They really did everything but win it all. George Grimm does his part by delivering a winner here.
5. New York Rangers: Seventy-Five Years – by John Halligan
Much like Metro Ice, this coffee table book was also published to celebrate a 75th anniversary, this being that of the New York Rangers. John Halligan, who worked as the club’s public relations director, expertly covers the history of the franchise up to that point. All the franchise greats are covered here as well as the biggest moments, and it’s all capped with superb photography chronicling it all.
6. Thin Ice: A Season in Hell with the New York Rangers – by Larry Sloman
Without going into too many details, Thin Ice certainly wouldn’t see the light of day today. Very much a product of its time, Larry Sloman gifted us a hilarious inside look into the lives of a few of the young Rangers, much of it covering their shenanigans and lifestyle away from the rink. It reads more like a tabloid piece rather than a serious piece of hockey literature, this is easily one of the most entertaining hockey books ever written. Not recommended for younger readers or the easily offended!
7. Losing the Edge: The Rise and Fall of the Stanley Cup Champion New York Rangers – by Barry Meisel
A tale of two clubs. The first part of the book is a gripping account of the New York Rangers club that finally reversed the jinx and broke a 54-year curse by winning the 1994 Stanley Cup in a thrilling 7-game series against the Vancouver Canucks. It covers the ride to get there and the high of victory, but the second half of the book shifts its focus and delves into the almost immediate “fall” of the championship team and the not so stellar 1995 season, beginning with the resignation of controversial head coach Mike Keenan. Iron Mike’s one year tenure was tumultuous to say the least as he constantly butted heads with players, management, and ownership culminating in his exit just a month after winning the Cup, citing breach of contract after the club was a day late in paying him bonus money. A fascinating read.
8. The Franchise – New York Rangers: A Curated History of the Blueshirts – by Rick Carpiniello
A brand-new addition to the hockey book market, Rick was the perfect choice to document the past forty-plus years of Ranger hockey. Why? He was there through it all, front and centre, covering the Rangers for The Journal News dating all the way back to 1978 right up until his retirement in 2021. Easy to read, Rick provides us with many informative and entertaining essays that cover the important moments and personalities from this timeframe in Blueshirts history. A gold mine of stories for fans and readers alike.
9. 100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes, and Colorful Characters – by Russ Cohen, John Halligan, and Adam Raider
Another beautiful coffee table book, the authors profile the top 100 greatest players to ever lace up the skates for the Rangers. While the rankings themselves are sure to be divisive, there’s a lot to like here. Fans of all ages will enjoy countless anecdotes and stories of their favourite players, each one playing a memorable role in the history of one of hockey’s most historic franchises. Every Rangers fan should own a copy. A fantastic resource for researchers and historians as well.
10. The Wait is Over: The New York Rangers and the 1994 Stanley Cup – by John Kreiser
John Kreiser, who covered the NHL for more than forty years at the Associated Press, recounts the historic Cup-winning season of 1994 twenty-years later. Featuring interviews with important members of that championship club all those years later and relying on contemporary reports to paint a picture of hockey in New York at the time, this book should keep fans glued to the pages. Ten years after publication and thirty years since that Cup victory, fans remain hopeful they’ll live to see another championship. But in the meantime, this book certainly helps by allowing them to revisit their incredible champion until the next one delivers.
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