Stan Fischler's books

[ted2019]

What is your favorite Stan Fischler book?

Click to read more...

 

[Asheville]

Any I see in the "free" bin.

 

[Habsfan18]

 

[rfournier103]

“Bobby Orr and the Big, Bad Bruins.”

Part I - An Orr biography.

Part II - A history of the Bruins.

Got my copy of that book from a neighbor who’s son passed away. Printed before I was born, it was very helpful to me in learning some of the lore of the Bruins.

 

[Habsfan18]

Another good one:

 

[Doctor No]

I've mentioned this in older threads, but when I was running Goaltender Trivia in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Stan Fischler's books were the only sources that I could not use due to the large number of falsehoods claimed as facts within.

I eventually got tired of offering demonstrably false trivia (and this was before everything was on the internet, too, where it's now much easier to debunk such things).

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

I spoke to a former player/current broadcaster about Fischler once. He didn’t have much of an opinion of the old crank who thinks of himself as some historian who gets to decide what constitutes for a dynasty. For the record, the old fool didn’t think the 80s Oilers were a dynasty.

 

[rfournier103]

I never realized there was so much dislike of Fischler...

 

[Habsfan18]

I never realized there was so much dislike of Fischler...

He’s written some nice books, but many people don’t take him too seriously. Over the years he was known to purposely make outlandish claims and statements for shock value. He would claim his own opinions as facts and also disliked specific players at different points in their careers (such as Orr and Gretzky) so much so that it clouded his judgement.

Case in point..here’s his 1988 list of top 15 players of all-time..

1. Gordie Howe
2. Wayne Gretzky
3. Eddie Shore
4. Red Kelly
5. Frank Boucher
6. Maurice Richard
7. Howie Morenz
8. Jean Beliveau
9. Doug Harvey
10. Glenn Hall
11. Syl Apps
12. Denis Potvin
13. Bobby Orr
14. Bobby Hull
15. Bryan Trottier

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

The fact that Mario Lemieux doesn't even crack his top 15 list, yet Bryan Trottier makes the list says it all.

 

[Habsfan18]

Here is a previous thread on that 1988 list:

https://hfboards.mandatory.com/threads/top-100-players-stan-fischler-1988.548865/

 

[Crosbyfan]

The fact that Mario Lemieux doesn't even crack his top 15 list, yet Bryan Trottier makes the list says it all.

I wouldn't have included him either as of 1988...even though it was obvious he was headed toward the top of the list.

 

[BobbyAwe]

Fischler has been known to come up with some ridiculous statements. For one thing, he is living in the past and apparently believes the farther back you go, the better the players were. He also didn't like Orr because he thought Bobby was a bad influence for up and coming defensemen as causing them to neglect defense in place of offence. (You can see where he places Orr WAY behind Shore as a defenseman. Ask Milt Schmidt who was better - he played with Shore and discovered Bobby Orr) I also remember him saying the league should outlaw the slapshot when it was becoming popular because too many guys who had not developed the shot in their youth were suddenly using it and were wildly inaccurate. Well, that's the way it goes. The generation after that learned it from early on though - that's the way new techniques evolve in sport. It's unavoidable. One or two guys pioneer something and everyone else catches on after awhile. Like the slider and home run in baseball and a lot of other examples. Meanwhile, can you imagine the NHL outlawing the slapshot back when Fischler said that? What - a two minute penalty if your stick went back too far? This was the kind of things he came up with.

 

[The Panther]

Fischler hated Sather/Gretzky/The Oilers more than anyone. Here are some of his claims:

-- 1980-81: Fischler said Gretzky can score so much only because his teammates were so bad. If he had good teammates, Fischler claimed, he'd never be so good.
-- 1983: After the Oilers lose to the Islanders in the Final, Fischler calls Edmonton "team arrogance" and says they'll never be able to win
-- 1984: After the Oilers won the Cup, Fischler says they'll never win again
-- 1988: Fischler compares Messier and Gartner in print, and concludes that Gartner is better
-- 1990: Fischler says the Oilers aren't a Dynasty

 

[billybudd]

He’s written some nice books, but many people don’t take him too seriously. Over the years he was known to purposely make outlandish claims and statements for shock value. He would claim his own opinions as facts and also disliked specific players at different points in their careers (such as Orr and Gretzky) so much so that it clouded his judgement.

You can add Crosby to that list. Fischler famously (and rather stupidly) declared that he'd rather have Petr Prucha than #87. Prucha, if anyone's forgotten, was a right-handed rookie that Jagr gave 30 tap ins to one year.

Prucha would have another 20 goal season on Jagr's opposite wing, then go on to do precisely nothing else for the last 5 years of his NHL career. Crosby, for his part, would go on to win a Stanley Cup and register about 400 points during that time (while only dressing for half the games).

 

[tony d]

Yeah, Fischer has some out there opinions for sure. I'm someone who doesn't have Orr at #1 all time but to me he's way better than #13 all time as Fischer had him at in 1988. I might have to check out that Mikita book if I can get it on Amazon.

 

[Chili]

I have his 1960`s book on Gordie Howe of the same name.

Alot of interesting anecdotes and quotes in there from family, teammates, coaches and the man himself

A few notes from the book...

Mr Hockey started out as a goaltender in first two years (aged 9-11). His first NHL camp was with the Rangers as a 15 year old. He was invited to go back the next season but the guys he knew were going to the Wings camp so he went there instead and was signed. His first NHL # was 17. Players used to switch to lower numbers because it meant better sleeping berths on the train. He was ambidextrous, able to shoot from either side. He played defence for around a month late in his Wings career. One of his nicknames was `Wiper`in reference to his elbow profiency.

Fischler was clearly a fan.