The first authorized biography of Art Ross, Hockey Hall of Famer, NHL founding father, and long-time member of the Boston Bruins.

Though he last played the game nearly one hundred years ago, Art Ross remains connected with the greatest stars in hockey. Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky, and Sidney Crosby have all won the award that bears his name, the trophy given annually to the NHL’s top scorer. Ross himself managed just one goal during his NHL career; however, in the dozen years leading up to the formation of the NHL in 1917, he was one of the biggest stars in the game.

After his playing career ended, Ross became one of the founding fathers of the Boston Bruins, holding the positions of coach, general manager, and vice president. He was one of the men most responsible for making the NHL a success in the United States, and was integral to the modernization of hockey. All these accomplishments led to him being one of the first players inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Hockey historian Eric Zweig brings to life the early days of hockey. From the mining towns of Northern Ontario to the hallowed halls of Boston Garden, Art Ross was one of the biggest names in hockey over his six decades in the game.

 

 

Éric Zweig
est né à Toronto et habite maintenant à Owen Sound, en Ontario. Dès l'âge
de 10 ans, il était passionné de sports. Il écrit des articles à propos du
sport ou de l'histoire du sport depuis depuis qu'il a obtenu son diplôme en
sciences politiques de l'université Trent, en 1985. Il écrit également pour
les médias.

 

ERIC ZWEIG has been writing about sports since his days on the school newspaper desk. His books for kids include The Big Book of Hockey for Kids, On This Day in Hockey and MVP Superstars. Awesome Hockey Trivia for Kids is the fifth book in his Hockey Trivia for Kids series. Eric is also a noted author of adult sports books, most recently Hockey Hall of Fame Heroes and Stanley Cup: The Complete History (with Phil Pritchard); he was a contributor to The Official NHL Hockey Treasures, Centennial Edition.

He belongs to the Society for International Hockey Research and lives in Owen Sound, Ontario.

 

Eric Zweig's profile page

RON MACLEAN, host of CBC’s Hockey Night in Canada for 28 years, began his broadcasting career in 1978 as an all-night DJ in Red Deer, Alberta. In 1984, he moved to Calgary to host Calgary Flames telecasts. MacLean joined CBC in 1986, where he hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs’ telecasts on HNIC, before becoming the full-time national host, and popular co-host of "Coach’s Corner" with Don Cherry in 1987. He has also hosted CBC’s coverage of the Olympic and Commonwealth Games, the World Cup of Hockey, the Calgary Stampede and Battle of the Blades. MacLean has been recognized with ten Gemini Awards for excellence on television. The co-author of the bestseller Cornered, he lives with his his wife, Cari, in Oakville, Ontario. Follow him on Twitter @RonMacLeanCBC and @hometownhockey_.

KIRSTIE MCLELLAN DAY ranks among the top hockey book writers in the world thanks to the three national bestsellers: Theo Fleury’s #1 bestselling memoir Playing with Fire, Bob Probert’s Tough Guy and Ron MacLean’s Cornered. She's currently working with Marty McSorley on his upcoming Hellbent. Her other books include Above and Beyond, a comprehensive family and business history of cable magnate J.R. Shaw; Under the Mat, a memoir with Diana Hart of the Hart wrestling family; and No Remorse, a true-crime novel. Kirstie is a mother of five and lives with her husband, television producer Larry Day, in Calgary. Together they own one of Canada’s most successful television companies, Pyramid Productions. Visit her online at www.kirstiemclellanday.com and follow her on Twitter @kmclellanday.

Ron MacLean's profile page

Zweig does fine work, breathing life into 100-plus-year-old details; his descriptions of Stanley Cup matches from the era of the rover and the "60-minute men" manage to evoke the excitement of those bygone times, while his detailed analysis of the power struggles and high drama in which Ross was fully involved in the early days of the NHL, and the National Hockey Association before it, are both educational and entertaining, even if the reader has little to no prior knowledge of the subject.

Winnipeg Free Press

No one would believe this wild tale if it were a movie … A child of the Canadian wilderness, who may well have been the country’s greatest athlete, becomes a player, coach, manager, and inventor who likely affected the game of hockey more than anyone else. Those who say they should change the Art Ross Trophy to a more recognizable name would cringe in embarrassment after reading Eric Zweig’s magnificent biography.

Roy MacGregor, bestselling author and Globe and Mail Columnist

I enjoyed it very much. I had no idea Art Ross had been such an athlete in his day before he came to Boston. I think this book really has a place in Canadian history, in hockey history, and in NHL history. It was fascinating.

Harry Sinden, former coach, general manager, and president of the Boston Bruins

It’s a big, fat slice of hockey past, one of those books that will delight those who consider themselves scholars of the game.

Sun Times

A fascinating read. In fact, when I started reading it I could hardly put it down until I completed it. What a pioneer Art Ross was … a great story.

Scotty Bowman, Hockey Hall of Fame builder and the winningest coach in NHL history

…a superb addition to any hockey library…one of the most readable hockey historians [with] the books to prove it.

The Fischler Report

It is hard to talk about the history of hockey without mentioning the name Art Ross … from being a player, coach, manager, and on-ice official, to the history of the goalie net, to having a trophy named after him … just to name a few things Art Ross did over his years. Zweig has uncovered some great stories. A must for all hockey fans.

Phil Pritchard, Vice President and Keeper of the Stanley Cup, Hockey Hall of Fame

A diligently researched portrait of a canny, controversial, colourful hockey icon. Recognition for a hockey genius long overdue. As Cherry would say, “Two thumbs up, Eric!”

Brian McFarlane, bestselling author and former sportscaster

No, Art Ross didn’t invent hockey. You can forget that, sometimes, reminded of the extent to which he shaped the game we know today. On the ice, he was skilled and as wily a goal-scoring defender as there’s ever been. Off it, a tireless innovator of rules and equipment, he also coached, managed, and gave the Boston Bruins the feisty spirit that defines them still. It’s high time his formidable tale was told; Eric Zweig does it with a vim and an eye for detail that delights the fan in me as much as the historian.

Stephen Smith, author of Puckstruck

With his wonderful, many-layered, anecdote-rich study of Art Ross, author Eric Zweig does a masterful job of profiling an important figure who was a player, coach, executive, inventor, and innovator during the professional game’s crucial, formative years. In Montreal, more than 50 years after Ross’s passing, this hockey pioneer has been forgiven — almost — for having been an architect in the building of the Boston Bruins.

Dave Stubbs, Montreal Gazette

Painstaking research by one of the best in the business on one of hockey's most influential pioneers.

Toronto Sun