Synopses & Reviews
Standing just 5'6, Theo Fleury made a name for himself in a game played by giants. The Calgary Flames picked him up in the eighth round of the entry draft as an entertaining addition to their minor league club in Salt Lake City. A half season lighting it up in the minors quickly convinced the Flames that he deserved a shot at the NHL, and he was an integral part of their Stanley Cup win in 1989. Fleury had such talent that despite a growing drug habit and erratic, inexplicable behavior on and off the ice, Wayne Gretzky believed in him. He became a key member of the gold medal-winning men's hockey team at the 2002 Olympics. The Colorado Avalanche picked up Fleury for the playoffs, and when he signed with the New York Rangers, he was a kid in a candy store. After one season of his next multimillion-dollar deal, this time with the Chicago Blackhawks, Fleury suddenly called it quits. One of the league's most prolific scorers and colorful personalities simply walked away from the NHL and didn't stop long enough to explain why. In Playing With Fire, Theo Fleury takes us behind the bench during his glorious days as an NHL player, and talks about growing up devastatingly poor and in chaos at home. Dark personal issues began to surface, and drinking, drugs, gambling, and girls ultimately derailed a career that had him destined for the Hall of Fame. Fleury shares all in this raw, captivating, and honest look at the previously untold story of one the game's greatest heroes.
Synopsis
In Playing With Fire, Theo Fleury takes us behind the bench during his glorious days as an NHL player, and talks about growing up devastatingly poor and in chaos at home. Dark personal issues began to surface, and drinking, drugs, gambling, and girls ultimately derailed a career that had him destined for the Hall of Fame. Fleury shares all in this raw, captivating, and honest look at the previously untold story of one the game's greatest heroes.
About the Author
Theo Fleury won a World Junior title, a Turner Cup, a Stanley Cup as a rookie with the Calgary Flames, and later a Canada Cup and an Olympic gold medal. A former player with the Colorado Avalanche, the New York Rangers, and the Chicago Blackhawks, he is now a motivational speaker and businessman. He lives in Calgary, Alberta. Kirstie McLellan Day is an author whose screenplays and books include the true-crime novel No Remorse: A Father's Murderous Rage; Under the Mat (the Diana Hart story); and Above and Beyond, a biography of cable magnate J. R. Shaw. She writes two weekly entertainment columns for the Calgary Herald and is the CEO of Pyramid Productions Inc., a film and television company. Wayne Gretzky is a former professional ice hockey player generally regarded as the best player in the history of the National Hockey League.