Open Ice: Reflections and Confessions of a Hockey Lifer

by Jack Falla

Overview

Second only to family, the game of hockey is the tribe to which sports writer Jack Falla passionately belongs. If

Home Ice

let readers in on the role hockey played in his early life,

Open Ice

takes them on a trip beyond his backyard rink to a reunion of the six living members of the five-Cups-in-a-row Montreal Canadiens of 1956-60; his chat with the legendary Alex Delvecchio; the "rink rats" of Boston, fans who played hockey at all hours of the night; and a memorable Bruins game with his grandson. A collection of essays that touches on hockey's greats, like "Rocket" Richard and the mysterious Hobey Baker, as well as the game's enduring nostalgic power, Open Ice is a treat for hockey lovers everywhere.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781443430043
Publisher:	HarperCollins Canada
Publication date:	11/05/2013
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	459 KB

About the Author

Jack Falla is one of the top hockey writers in North America. He covered the NHL for Sports Illustrated for many years, and covered professional and college soccer for SI. He has published articles in USA Today, Boston Magazine, The Hockey News, and USA Hockey, and has appeared on several ESPN biography features. He is also one of three judges of the NHL Professional Writers Associations annual writing contest. Falla is the author of six books, including Sports Illustrated Hockey. His last book, Home Ice, was reviewed by The New York Times, and ESPN sportscaster John Buccigross called it the best hockey book ever. Falla holds a master’s degree from Boston University’s College of Communication, where he currently teaches a course on Sports Journalism. He lives in Natick, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Preface.

A Death in Montreal.

Short Sifting in Fantasy Land.

Skating the Rideau Canal.

New Skates.

Passing the Torch.

"Excuse me, Mr. Delvecchio..."

Back to the Barns.

Requiem for the Cucumber.

Much of What I know about Life I Learned Tending Goal.

The Rink Rat.

Unknockable.

Searching for Hobey Baker.

Goodbye to the Backyard Rink?

Acknowledgments.

About the Author.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Praise for Jack Falla’s Previous Collection of Essays, Home Ice

“literary hot chocolate that will warm your heart.”

The New York Times

“While Home Ice may be a book about hockey and the charm of backyard rinks, it is more than that, too. It is a book about relationships—between fathers and sons, husbands and wives—and how the game can bridge the gaps that commonly occur between generations in a family... It’s a treasure and one that readers will be happy they searched out. Possibly the best hockey book since Ken Dryden’s The Game.”

The Globe & Mail

“Hockey’s foremost writer poses the essential question: ‘Have you ever been unhappy skating?’ That question could be answered with another question: ‘Have you ever been unhappy reading Jack Falla?’ Never. If Falla and his fellow rink-makers belong to the ‘lunatic fringe,’ then count me in. Never has lunacy been so much fun to read about.”

The Hockey News

“What a wonderful shock to open a book and for a fantastical moment think that the writer had you in mind when he created it... I read Home Ice and saw my life come alive on the page...”

Bostonia Magazine

“... a collection of essays that are a mix of the celestial (the poignant family moments) and the terrestrial (the how-to grunt work of actual rink building.)”

Boston Globe

“Falla’s rink (and this book) enlivens the darkness and cold and pays homage to the New England cultural heritage.”

Christian Science Monitor

“A gentle and powerful book.”

Dave Bidini, Author of Tropic of Hockey and The Best Game You Can Name

Praise for Jack Falla’s Hockey Novel, Saved

“Sportswriter Falla knows a lot about hockey, and this novel is a hilarious look at how players, coaches and owners get through a grueling season in their quest for the trophy…. Falla’s graphic portrayal of a violent sport (and its colorful players) and his insider’s view of how hockey is played, coached and officiated is exciting, surefire entertainment.”

From the Publishers Weekly Starred Review

“Falla covered the NHL for Sports Illustrated for many years, and he clearly understands the league, its players, and its idiosyncracies. He also loves hockey. The flashbacks of kids playing on natural ice during frozen New England winters are heartfelt and genuine. Most novels with a sports backdrop seem forced; seldom do the authors get the ‘sports’ part right. To borrow a hockey term, Falla records a hat trick: he scores on character, plot, and setting. This reads as realistically as if it were a memoir.”

From the Booklist Review