Synopses & Reviews
In October 1998 an extraordinary documentary series dominated Canada’s TV screens. Six ground-breaking one-hour documentaries took viewers inside the world of NHL hockey. Only the full co-operation of the NHL, the NHLPA, the owners, general managers, coaches, agents, and players throughout the league made this possible, taking the viewers – and now the readers – into many private meetings normally out of bounds to cameras and writers.
The six episodes deal with 1) The Dance: deal-making, drafting at the summer draft pick, horse-trading between agents and managers; 2) The Show: the business of marketing hockey; 3) Showdown at Nagano; 4) The Canadian Game: by following Canadian teams we discover what hockey means to the country; 5) The Grind: the life of the players, at home and on the road; 6) Agony and Glory: the race for the Stanley Cup, and the completion of a full seasonal cycle.
About the Author
Stephen Brunt was born in Hamilton, Ontario, where he still lives. He is one of Canada’s best-respected journalists, and has been a sports columnist with the Globe and Mail since 1989. He is the author of Mean Business (1987), Second To None (with Roberto Alomar, 1993), and Diamond Dreams (1996). The winner of a National Magazine Award, he brings to this book many years of covering NHL hockey on the ice and in the boardroom.