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Hockey History Books

VMBM

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,814
762
Helsinki, Finland
Gustafsson said:
VMBM,

How's this for a cool avatar!

holocek.jpg
Click to expand...

Yep. As a fan of CCCP hockey, I hated Jiri Holecek - as well as Martinec and Hlinka - as a kid, but now they all are among my favourite players.

Here is also a very cool photo IMO:

e84886bdcb_1844348_o2.jpg


That's Vlad Martinec scoring on Pelle Lindbergh at the 1979 World Championships (I think he scored a hat-trick in that game). An Old Fox schooling a Young Pup!

Damn, I want to read Mikhailov's book too! :cry:

There are a few biographies by ex-Soviet stars that have been also translated into Finnish [that I've read]: Valeri Kharlamov's and Vladislav Tretiak's (both written around 1978) and Igor Larionov's. I've also read Viktor Tikhonov's book (interesting stories/opinions on 1979 Challenge Cup [me and Jursinov fooled Bowman, hihihi!!!!], Green Unit and Mikhailov, Petrov and Kharlamov).
 
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Jan 22, 2007
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VMBM said:
Yep. As a fan of CCCP hockey, I hated Jiri Holecek - as well as Martinec and Hlinka - as a kid, but now they all are among my favourite players.

Here is also a very cool photo IMO:

e84886bdcb_1844348_o2.jpg


That's Vlad Martinec scoring on Pelle Lindbergh at the 1979 World Championships (I think he scored a hat-trick in that game). An Old Fox schooling a Young Pup!

Damn, I want to read Mikhailov's book too! :cry:

There are a few biographies by ex-Soviet stars that have been also translated into Finnish [that I've read]: Valeri Kharlamov's and Vladislav Tretiak's (both written around 1978) and Igor Larionov's. I've also read Viktor Tikhonov's book (interesting stories/opinions on 1979 Challenge Cup [me and Jursinov fooled Bowman, hihihi!!!!], Green Unit and Mikhailov, Petrov and Kharlamov).
Click to expand...

That is a great picture. Lindbergh was one of my favorite players of all-time.

Did you ever read "Road to Olympus" by Tarasov? One of the best hockey books I've ever read in my life.
 
VMBM

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,814
762
Helsinki, Finland
Gustafsson said:
That is a great picture. Lindbergh was one of my favorite players of all-time.

Did you ever read "Road to Olympus" by Tarasov? One of the best hockey books I've ever read in my life.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately no. Those that I listed are the only ones [written by USSR's players/coaches].
 
VMBM

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,814
762
Helsinki, Finland
Speaking of hockey DVDs, I wouldn't mind seeing the official release of these serieses/tournaments on DVD:

1975-76 Super series
1979 Challenge Cup
1981 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup

I'm especially craving for full/good quality versions of G2 of the Challenge Cup (a personal favourite) and the 1984 semi-final CAN-USSR. Also some key CCCP vs. Czechoslovakia battles over the years would be great, like...

1969 World Championships (Czechoslovakia won 2-0 and 4-3)
1976 Winter Olympics (the Soviets won 4-3)
1978 World Championships (the Soviets won 3-1)
 
Last edited:

Zine

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
11,986
1,820
Rostov-on-Don
Gustafsson said:
Perhaps there was/is not enough mass interest in Soviet hockey material. Me, I wish there were much more available.
Click to expand...

There's tons of great books in Russian.

In fact, a journalist (name escapes me at the moment) who spent years following Soviet hockey team just wrote a book detailing his insights of past Russian/Canadian rivalries.
He's the guy who worked as Soviet translator during the Summit Series.
 
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Jan 22, 2007
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Zine said:
There's tons of great books in Russian.

In fact, a journalist (name escapes me at the moment) who spent years following Soviet hockey team just wrote a book detailing his insights of past Russian/Canadian rivalries.
He's the guy who worked as Soviet translator during the Summit Series.
Click to expand...

Z,

I meant mass interest from a North American published standpoint. And it is a true shame, I would love to read those Russian books.

The problem is finding some of those great vintage books, and finding translated versions if they even exist.
 
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Jan 22, 2007
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VMBM said:
Speaking of hockey DVDs, I wouldn't mind seeing the official release of these serieses/tournaments on DVD:

1975-76 Super series
1979 Challenge Cup
1981 Canada Cup
1984 Canada Cup

I'm especially craving for full/good quality versions of G2 of the Challenge Cup (a personal favourite) and the 1984 semi-final CAN-USSR. Also some key CCCP vs. Czechoslovakia battles over the years would be great, like...

1969 World Championships (Czechoslovakia won 2-0 and 4-3)
1976 Winter Olympics (the Soviets won 4-3)
1978 World Championships (the Soviets won 3-1)
Click to expand...

V,

I totally agree. I have been clamoring for nice quality DVD footage of those games (especially the 81 Canada Cup) for many years now.

I am hoping great masters are available and DVDs are produced, they way they were for the Summit Series, WHA/Soviets and 87 CC.
 

Zine

Registered User
Feb 28, 2002
11,986
1,820
Rostov-on-Don
Gustafsson said:
V,

I totally agree. I have been clamoring for nice quality DVD footage of those games (especially the 81 Canada Cup) for many years now.

I am hoping great masters are available and DVDs are produced, they way they were for the Summit Series, WHA/Soviets and 87 CC.
Click to expand...

They're not 'official' releases but if you're into trading, this guy has a bunch of those games.

http://www.russianhockeyglory.com/

Don't know how the quality is though.
 
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Jan 22, 2007
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Last night I purchased the book Gretzky's Tears by Stephen Brunt. I am going to sink my teeth into this book now. I was a big fan of Brunt's other books - Searching for Bobby Orr and The New Ice Age.
 
VMBM

VMBM

And it didn't even bring me down
Sep 24, 2008
3,814
762
Helsinki, Finland
Gustafsson said:
V,

I totally agree. I have been clamoring for nice quality DVD footage of those games (especially the 81 Canada Cup) for many years now.

I am hoping great masters are available and DVDs are produced, they way they were for the Summit Series, WHA/Soviets and 87 CC.
Click to expand...

I'd think that those exist. One of the problems is that nobody likes to lose money and that would undoubtedly happen (like with those previous releases I believe). And in the case of the Challenge Cup and 1981 Canada Cup, it's not something that Canadians would like to reminisce (and I doubt they could get Bobby Clarkes and Denis Potvins to do the alternative commentary either)!

BTW, why hasn't the Miracle on Ice game come out ['officially'] on DVD? There are movies and documentaries, but no DVD that has the actual game. You'd think there would be at least some demand for it.
 

Scott1980

Registered User
Apr 27, 2010
370
4
Toronto
I admit I like this book, which is odd, because I don't like the author.

But because the author backs off the insight and just sticks to the facts: Hockey Chronicle by SF.
 
Sureshot

Sureshot

Thumbs up, soldier!
Apr 7, 2009
1,063
0
Hockey Books

Didn't see a recommendations thread, but please link if there already has been one.

There seems to be a general lack of hockey books around (compared to other sports), but it would be nice to hear of any gems that you've read.

So far, I've only finished Theo Fleury - Playing With Fire; an insightful and honest account of the man; a truly troubled guy who went through some pretty hard times. Worth the read.

Current getting through both The Greatest Stories Ever Told and Bob Probert - Tough Guy. The former has some great short stories and articles (particularly liked the one about Richter). The latter, as you might imagine with a guy like Probert, is similar in vein to Theo's, although I find it interesting how little he goes into some pretty important life situations. Perhaps he just didn't want to talk about them.

I also picked up Patrick Roy's book on the cheap due to Borders going into liquidation, so I have that up on the chopping block.

Lastly, I picked up this beauty off eBay last year:

nhl94cover.jpg


It doesn't really give any groundbreaking advice (I used to play NHL '94 in leagues), but it's a really nice book to flick through. Easily my favourite sports game of all time.
 
Dreakmur

Dreakmur

Registered User
Mar 25, 2008
18,619
6,879
Orillia, Ontario
Are you looking for an entertaining read or something more historical?

The following books are the ones that I plowed through because I couldn't put them down:

Putting a Roof on Winter: Hockey's Rise from Sport to Spectacle

The Red Machine: The Soviet Quest to Dominate Canada's Game

Those Were the Days: The Lore of Hockey by the Legends of the Game

Eddie Shore and that Old Time Hockey
 
Sureshot

Sureshot

Thumbs up, soldier!
Apr 7, 2009
1,063
0
Thanks for those, will definitely check them out. Not specifically looking for something more entertaining or historical necessarily, but certainly something more exciting than a book of hockey stats. ;)
 

tombombadil

Registered User
Jan 20, 2010
1,029
1
West Kelowna, Canada
I don't think it's what you are looking for, but I really enjoy(ed) the Top 60 since '67. Just a concise couple of pages on each guy, nothing too fancy... but a lot of good minds got together to pick the 60, and I learned a lot from the various quotes.
 
Big Phil

Big Phil

Registered User
Nov 2, 2003
31,703
4,146
Phil Esposito's "Thunder and Lightning"
Bob McKenzie's book "My Life as a Hockey Dad"
"Lets Talk Hockey: 50 Wonderful Debates"
Eric Lindros' "Fire on Ice"

............to name a few of my favourites
 
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