Praise for James Duthie's The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys: " I was lucky to survive the day Duthie played in my golf tournament. Little did I know he'd turn the experience into one of the best books on sports that I've read in a long time." - Wayne Gretzky "Tragedy is easy. Comedy is hard. Sports comedy is even harder, but James Duthie, who we now know is as comfortable in front of a keyboard as he is a camera, treads whimsically through a sports landscape that certainly needs a smile. His is a biting wit, guaranteed to leave teeth marks." - Michael Farber, Sports Illustrated " If you like James Duthie on TSN, you're in for a treat. He's just as clever and witty in print. James is simply a great storyteller whose creative style will make you smile over and over." - Dave Naylor, The Globe and Mail "The Quiz sucks but Duthie's book is fantastic. He is one warped writer, but genius." - John Tortorella, New York Rangers coach " Duthie writes the way I played: With an edge, but never forgetting the game is supposed to be fun. This book is a ton of fun." - Jeremy Roenick, former NHL star "This guy does it all-he writes as well as he does television. That same somewhat aberrant sense of humour leaps off the pages. Sports fans will love this book!" - Brian Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs GM "I don't have kids nor can I legally admit to owning a monkey, but I do love hockey and Duthie manages to make them all work together. He effortlessly modernizes sports writing while respectfully tipping his hat to the old school." - George Stroumboulopoulos , Hockey Fan and Host of CBC's George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight So what's this book about? Well... This book is about hockey. And golf. And the Olympic Games. And being a broadcaster, a sports fan, a father, husband, and son. And having an unhealthy fascination with Anna Kournikova. It's a collection of things that marched through James Duthie's head over the years and spilled out into his weekly columns, selected, collected, and randomized for your reading pleasure. It's also educational! You'll learn about: Sidney Crosby's secrets Where you rank on The Jeter Meter of male success Why hockey's loser point has to go The best four-legged athlete ever What the clichés that come out of athletes' mouths really mean What it's like to be upstaged by a monkey And yes, how Duthie almost killed two Gretzkys on the same day. James Duthie has been writing columns about hockey, sport in general, and his own twisted view of the world for over a decade. This book is the first and only collection of some of his most popular and controversial columns, with several brand new, previously unpublished pieces. In The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys, he brings his famous sense of humour, deep hockey knowledge, and his passion for sports of all kinds to fans and readers everywhere- no matter what team you cheer for. Often hilarious, sometimes insightful, occasionally touching and always passionate, Duthie's off-kilter view of sports and life shows how the spirit of sport unites us all.

If you’re a sports fan, you know James Duthie. The biggest games, the biggest trades, the juiciest rumours—chances are Duthie is the guy you tuned in to hear talk about them. There are other experts and insiders, stats guys and analysts, but no one else who can talk about sports with the humour, the knowledge, and the charisma Duthie brings to every event he covers. He also makes the best spoof videos. The Guy on the Left tells the story of Duthie’s career in broadcasting, from a nerdy appearance on a game show to chatting with Tiger Woods in the men’s room at The Masters. It’s a behind-the-scenes look at celebrated moments like Sidney Crosby’s famous game-winning goal at the Vancouver Olympics, but also less celebrated insights, like the disclosure that sports broadcasters often aren’t wearing pants on air. There are stories about goofing around with NHL superstars like Roberto Luongo and Anze Kopitar. There are also stories about wandering into the wrong house after walking his dog and surprising his neighbour in her underwear. His stories can also be serious. Tragedy strikes more than once in the sports world. Most notably, he had to go to air on the evening of September 11, 2001. His reflections on the way sport is part of all of our lives, from the athletes and sports figures on the planes to the kids who lost coaches and parents, are a powerful reminder of both the importance of sport and how lucky we all are to be part of it. Funny, thoughtful, self-deprecating, and wry, The Guy on the Left is everything fans love about James Duthie.

An intimate, humorous look at Brian Kilrea's 60-year career in junior hockey With more wins than any coach in junior hockey history, and a personality as large as his winning record, Brian Kilrea is more than a hockey legend, he's one of the most beloved figures in the game. With veteran sportswriter, James Duthie, Kilrea gives fans a rink-side view of his early days as a player with the Red Wings and what it was like to score the first-ever goal in the history of the L.A. Kings; as well as his role as a coach for the Ottawa 67s and as a mentor to young stars of the future. With stories and comments from famous NHLers who played for Killer, including Bryan Trottier and Dennis Potvin, as well as coaches, trainers, and general managers, readers will get a taste of Kilrea's hardnosed coaching style, as well as the knowledge and dedication that has made him last so long. Anecdotes from NHLers like Mike Peca, Gary Roberts, Doug Wilson, Brian Campbell, Darren Pang, and many others An inside look at the day-to-day life in the world of junior hockey, including brutal practices, broken curfews, trades, and tirades With a Foreword by lifelong friend, Don Cherry, They Call Me Killer is a fascinating, real-life look at the world of junior hockey and the man who has meant so much to the sport.

Filled with insightful analysis and compelling arguments, this book considers the influence of sports on popular culture and spotlights the fascinating ways in which sports culture and American culture intersect. This collection blends historical and popular culture perspectives in its analysis of the development of sports and sports figures throughout American history. American History through American Sports: From Colonial Lacrosse to Extreme Sports is unique in that it focuses on how each sport has transformed and influenced society at large, demonstrating how sports and popular culture are intrinsically entwined and the ways they both reflect larger societal transformations. The essays in the book are wide-ranging, covering topics of interest for sports fans who enjoy the NFL and NASCAR as well as those who like tennis and watching the Olympics. Many topics feature information about specific sports icons and favorite heroes. Additionally, many of the topics' treatments prompt engagement by purposely challenging the reader to either agree or disagree with the author's analysis.

From his standout youth, where he honed his skills on a backyard rink, to his unlikely jump to the pros at the age of 17, this biography chronicles Wayne Gretzky's ascension to the greatest hockey player of all time to his shocking trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the Los Angeles Kings in 1998—an event that rocked hockey fans across North America. This chronicle reveals, for the first time, the true story behind the deal, as well as Gretzky's important role in making the trade happen. From the press conference where the trade was announced and where Gretzky wept, this work notes how the “Great One” could have been crying tears of joy as he realized his life was about to get a whole lot better—playing for more money in a California city that would be a perfect home for him and his glamorous new actress-wife.

Fifty-seven incredible stories from hockey’s biggest names, greatest characters and unsung heroes Essential reading for every fan, Beauties is a collection of the best stories that players tell each other. Grab a seat with TSN’s James Duthie as hockey’s finest relive highs, lows and hilarious moments on and off the ice from superstars, journeymen, coaches, referees, broadcasters, agents, and hockey moms and dads. In Beauties, you’ll find out: · How Sidney Crosby’s most unusual nickname came to be · How Steve Stamkos’s dad accidentally stole Steve Yzerman’s car · How Paul “Biznasty” Bissonette almost had the Arizona Coyotes kicked out of a Winnipeg hotel on game day · How Wayne Gretzky’s greatest one-liner may have turned around the Stanley Cup Final in 1985 · About the night that Hayley Wickenheiser went blind · Why the St. Louis Blues credit Laila Anderson, a brave young girl, for their Stanley Cup win · What Bobby Orr said the first time he saw Connor McDavid play at a rink in Toronto And more!

In this sports memoir, Wayne Gretzky weaves memories of his legendary career with an inside look at professional hockey and the heroes and stories that inspired him. From minor-hockey phenomenon to Hall of Fame sensation, Wayne Gretzky rewrote the record books, his accomplishments becoming the stuff of legend. Dubbed “The Great One,” he is considered by many to be the greatest hockey player who ever lived. No one has seen more of the game than he has—but he has never discussed in depth just what it was he saw. For the first time, Gretzky discusses candidly what the game looks like to him and introduces us to the people who inspired and motivated him: mentors, teammates, rivals, the famous and the lesser known. Weaving together lives and moments from an extraordinary career, he reflects on the players who inflamed his imagination when he was a kid, the way he himself figured in the dreams of so many who came after; takes us onto the ice and into the dressing rooms to meet the friends who stood by him and the rivals who spurred him to greater heights; shows us some of the famous moments in hockey history through the eyes of someone who regularly made that history. Warm, direct, and revelatory, it is a book that gives us number 99, the man and the player, like never before.

After breaking or tying more than sixty records in hockey, it's no wonder that Wayne Gretzky is known as "The Great One." Born in Brantford, Ontario, on January 26, 1961, in a nation obsessed with the sport, he threw himself into the game practically from the time he first laced up a pair of skates. When he retired from the NHL in 1999, he had led several teams to Stanley Cup victories, competed in the Olympics, and changed the way hockey was played forever. Known for his love for family and as a truly decent human being, Wayne Gretzky is revealed as more than a sports legend in this easy-to-read biography.

“One of this continent’s master craftsmen of sporting prose” (Sports Illustrated) and three-time National Magazine Award-winner Gare Joyce goes undercover to learn the secrets of NHL scouts. Veteran sports writer Gare Joyce realizes a long-held secret ambition as he spends a full season embedded as a hockey scout. Joyce’s year on the hockey beat is a steep learning curve for him; NHL scouts spend each season gathering information on players fighting it out to break into the world of professional hockey. They watch hundreds of games, speak to scores of players, parents, team-mates and other scouts, amassing profiles on all the top contenders. It’s a form of risk assessment–is this young hopeful deserving of a multi-million dollar contract?–and it can be a tough and thankless task. Scouts are ground into the game, picking up nuances of play that even the most committed fan would miss, but they are looking at more than just how well a kid can play. And come the final draft, only a tiny percentage of their full year’s work might matter. Examining the amount of information gathered on the under-eighteen hopefuls, the scrutiny to which they are subjected, and the differences between the rigour of American and Canadian junior teams, Joyce opens a window on the life and methods of an NHL scout and penetrates the mysterious world of scouting as no one has before.

Think you know NHL tough guy Georges Laraque? Think again. Sure, Laraque knows all about the rough side of hockey. The Hockey News named him “best fighter.” Sports Illustrated called him the league’s “#1 enforcer.” Fans called him “BGL”—for Big Georges Laraque. Ottawa Senators’ pugilist Chris Neil called him “probably the toughest in the league.” Ask Laraque, though, and he’ll say that’s not who he really is. Known as a player who was unfailingly respectful and gentlemanly even when he was going toe to toe with the toughest guys in the toughest league in the world, he now takes that courageous sense of what is fair into fights that are much more important than the outcome of a hockey game. The son of Haitian immigrants, Laraque campaigns for World Vision to help Haitian reconstruction and relief. A committed believer in animal rights (and probably the toughest vegan in the world), he is a spokesperson for PETA. A conscientious environmentalist, he stepped up to be the deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada. From facing racism in Quebec’s minor-hockey system to the thrill of the Stanley Cup finals as an Edmonton Oiler, Laraque tells the story of a hockey player’s life defined by courage and a refusal to compromise. Honest, startling, and brave, this is a portrait of a hockey player unlike any you’ve read before.