Synopses & Reviews
The hockey stars of the 1950s and '60sand#151;Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Jean Beliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, and othersand#151;were some of the most passionate players in National Hockey League history. These skillful and often colorful athletes played exhilarating hockey and were national heroes in a time when only six teams and fewer than 150 players battled for the Stanley Cup.
Hockey's Original Six celebrates the most dynamic players and exciting moments of the era in more than 120 photographs from the legendary Harold Barkley Archives, including a number of neverand#151;or rarely seenand#151;images. From 1942 until the early '70s, Barkley was the Toronto Star's leading sports photographer. He pioneered the use of electronic flash to capture stop-action hockey, and his dramatic workand#151;both black and white and vibrant colorand#151;define the pre-expansion period.
Two informative essays by Mike Leonetti-hockey historian, archivist, and prolific sportswriterand#151;set Barkley and the photos in context, and short image captions illuminate the players and their feats. Jean Band#233;liveauand#151;hockey legend and elder statesmanand#151;provides a personal and insightful foreword. Combining iconic images and hockey lore, Hockey's Original Six is the perfect gift for sports fans, history buffs, and art collectors.
About the Author
Mike Leonetti has written more than twenty-five books, including best-selling hockey titles such as
Hockey Now, Maple Leaf Legends, Canadiens Legends, and
Maple Leafs Top 100. He has also written several best-selling children's picture books, including
My Leafs Sweater, A Hero Named Howe, Number Four, Bobby Orr, and
Wendel and the Great One. He owns an extensive archive of hockey photographs and memorabilia-including the Harold Barkley Archives-and is a walking encyclopedia of Maple Leafs trivia. He lives in Woodbridge, Ontario.
Harold Barkley was a pioneer of sports photography. Covering three decades worth of NHL hockey for the Toronto Star during the golden era of the Original Six, he was the first to use an electronic flash to take stop-action hockey pictures and he developed special equipment for shooting colour.
For close to twenty seasons, Jean Band#233;liveau was and#147;the gentle giantand#8221; centreman and captain of the fabled Montrand#233;al Canadiens during the teamand#8217;s glory years in the 1950s and 1960s. Retiring from active play in 1971, he went on to a successful twenty-two-year career as the Canadienand#8217;s senior vice-president of corporate affairs and to life-long service as a goodwill ambassador for the sport.