The Game
by Ken Dryden
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Book Summary Information
Author: Ken DrydenEdition: Hardcover
Published: 2003-10-07
ISBN: 0470833556
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Wiley
Book Reviews of The Game
Book Review: Wonderfully insightful look at the NHL in the 70's
Summary: 5 Stars
As a hockey fan growing up in the late '60's and early '70's, Ken Dryden was one of my heroes. The Canadiens seemed to always win the Stanley Cup in those years and Dryden was the goalie to watch in the '70's. The Game chronicles the latter stage of his career and provides a great deal of insight into the NHL, the Canadiens and, of course, Dryden himself.
My favorite part of this book is when he takes the time to drill down deeper into the quirky personalities of certain teammates. When you think of the Canadiens of the '70's, players like Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Bob Gainey, Guy Lapointe, Steve Shutt, and of course, coach Scotty Bowman come to mind. Dryden devotes much of The Game to coverage of teammates, coaches and even trainers, all written in the cerebral style he was known for throughout his career.
Any true hockey fan will want to read this book, regardless of how much or little you know about Dryden and Canadiens history. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the NHL today is where it stands after the 2004-05 lockout. Although Dryden didn't touch on this in The Game, he offered these prescient thoughts towards the end of the book (and his NHL career):
"Expansion and the WHA behind it, it will be a time to turn inward, to put its (the NHL's) unwieldy house in order. Like an aging adolescent having grown too fast, it will get reacquainted with its parts, get them in hand, and do something with them. It will be a time for realism, and stability, for chastened hopes and dreams deferred--except one. Off ice, the whispered word will be "cable." But it will represent a more modest dream this time, and more realizable, if the promised bonanza is only for some. It is time for a deep breath, a pause, a time to return the game to the ice. For that is the real tragedy of the 1970s, and the real opportunity for the 1980s. It is on the ice that its next great challenge lies."
Gee, he could have written much of that in the last 3 years and it would have been just as applicable. The league is on the rebound but the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals, the ultimate hockey championship, are relegated to the Versus network. Ugh. I even had to bite the bullet and sign up for Versus network service yesterday so that I could watch games 1 and 2, featuring my beloved Pittsburgh Penguins against the evil Detroit Red Wings.
How sad is that? The Stanley Cup Finals start out on some third-tier cable network. Maybe it's time to toss Gary Bettman out as NHL commissioner and replace him with someone like Ken Dryden...
Summary of The Game
Widely acknowledged as the best hockey book ever written and lauded by Sports Illustrated as one of the Top 10 Sports Books of All Time, The Game is a reflective and thought-provoking look at a life in hockey. Intelligent and insightful, former Montreal Canadiens goalie and former President of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ken Dryden captures the essence of the sport and what it means to all hockey fans. He gives us vivid and affectionate portraits of the characters — Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, Serge Savard, and coach Scotty Bowman among them — that made the Canadiens of the 1970s one of the greatest hockey teams in history. But beyond that, Dryden reflects on life on the road, in the spotlight, and on the ice, offering up a rare inside look at the game of hockey and an incredible personal memoir. This commemorative edition marks the 20th anniversary of The Game's original publication. It includes black and white photography from the Hockey Hall of Fame and a new chapter from the author. Take a journey to the heart and soul of the game with this timeless hockey classic.Hockey Books
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