Hockey 365
Daily Stories from the Ice
- Publisher
- Dundurn Press
- Initial publish date
- Sep 2018
- Category
- Hockey, History, Trivia
-
eBook
- ISBN
- 9781459741867
- Publish Date
- Sep 2018
- List Price
- $12.99
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9781459741843
- Publish Date
- Sep 2018
- List Price
- $26.99
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Description
A hockey history moment for every day of the year!
A few seconds can make a game, even a season, and behind each play is a piece of history. Mike Commito marks every day of the year with a great moment in hockey and shows how today's game is part of an ongoing story that dates back to its origins on frozen ponds.
From the National hockey League’s first games in 1917 to Auston Matthews's electrifying four-goal debut for the Maple Leafs in 2016, Hockey 365 has something for everyone and is sure to give you a better appreciation for the sport we all love.
About the author
Mike Commito is a hockey historian and author of the Hockey 365 series. His work has been featured on the Athletic and Sportsnet and in the Hockey News and the Sudbury Star, his local newspaper. Mike has also had the opportunity to regularly cover the LA Kings and has penned for four other NHL teams. In 2018, one of his articles received the Paul Kitchen Award from the Society for International Hockey Research. Mike has a Ph.D. in history from McMaster University. In 2003, he became eligible to be drafted to the NHL but is still waiting for the call. Mike lives in Sudbury, Ontario.
Excerpt: Hockey 365: Daily Stories from the Ice (by (author) Mike Commito)
JANUARY 1
MILESTONE GOAL, 1961
While many people might have started 1961 off with a hangover, Boston’s Willie O’Ree began his new year with a milestone. On January 1, 1961, he scored his first career National Hockey League goal. His tally proved to be the game-winner as the cellar-dwelling Bruins toppled the first-place Canadiens by a score of 3-2. The significance of O’Ree’s goal, however, transcended the outcome on the scoresheet: it was the first NHL goal ever scored by a black player. O’Ree made his debut for Boston three years earlier, on January 18, 1958, becoming the first black man to play in an NHL game. Originally from Fredericton, New Brunswick, O’Ree almost didn’t make it to the NHL. During his junior hockey days with the Kitchener Canucks of the Ontario Hockey Association, O’Ree sustained a serious injury that left him blind in one eye. As a result, he not only had to compensate for his limited vision but also had to keep the injury a secret if he hoped to crack the league’s ranks.
Following his goal against the Canadiens, O’Ree would go on to play 33 more games for the Bruins, picking up three more goals along the way. In the off-season, he was traded to Montreal but never suited up for the club at the NHL level, instead playing for the Hull-Ottawa Canadiens in the Eastern Professional Hockey League before heading to the West Coast. O’Ree went on to play for nearly 16 years in the Western Hockey League, suiting up for teams such as the Los Angeles Blades and the San Diego Gulls. Although O’Ree’s time in the NHL was brief, he paved the way for other black hockey players to ascend to the NHL ranks in the decades that followed. Since retiring from professional hockey, O’Ree has been a tireless advocate for greater diversity and inclusion in the game and has served as the NHL’s Director of Youth Development and ambassador for NHL Diversity since 1998. Given his significant contributions to the sport, O’Ree finally received his long overdue call to the Hockey Hall of Fame on June 26, 2018.
JANUARY 2
UP IN FLAMES, 1918
The NHL’s inaugural campaign in 1917–18 was full of ups and downs, but no team fared worse than the Montreal Wanderers. Their season went up in flames. Literally. On January 2, 1918, Montreal’s Westmount Arena burned to the ground. According to historian J. Andrew Ross, the fire was caused by faulty wiring that ignited a blaze in a dressing room before it caused the boilers and ammonia tanks to explode. At the time, the facility was shared by both the Wanderers and the Canadiens, with both teams losing nearly $1,000 worth of equipment in the conflagration. Although the Canadiens were able to relocate to the city’s Jubilee Rink in the east end, thereby drawing upon the considerable support they enjoyed from the francophone community in that district, the Wanderers could find no suitable alternative. The team’s owner, Sam Lichtenhein, threatened to withdraw the club from play unless the NHL committed additional resources in the wake of the fire. The league refused. Although the league hoped Lichtenhein was bluffing, it proceeded with plans for a three-club schedule should it be needed. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. With the Westmount Arena still smouldering, the Wanderers defaulted on their next match against Toronto.
In the end, the franchise lost its charter and, to pour salt on the wound, was fined $500 by the league. To help keep the league’s remaining three clubs above water for the remainder of the season, a revenue-sharing model was introduced. Although the Wanderers had previously won the Stanley Cup four times as members of the Eastern Canada Amateur Hockey Association and National Hockey Association, their brief NHL tenure was a disaster. The team finished with a record of 1-5-0 and never returned to the league.
JANUARY 3
BROTHER TO BROTHER … TO BROTHER, 1943
In a game against the Rangers on January 3, 1943, the Bentley brothers stole the show, with all three contributing to the Chicago Black Hawks’ first goal of the game. It was also the first goal of Reg Bentley’s career and, assisted by younger brothers Max and Doug, the first time in NHL history when all three points were awarded to the same family. Doug and Max were already stalwart players in Chicago, but the league was short on personnel because of the Second World War, so Reg had been called up just two days before the game. The marker proved to be Reg’s only National Hockey League goal, but with both brothers assisting, it couldn’t have been more special.
Reg played just six more games with the Black Hawks before putting his professional hockey career on hold to join the Canadian military. While serving in Calgary, however, he did get some ice time, suiting up for the Calgary Currie Army of the Calgary National Defence Hockey League. Following the conclusion of the Second World War, Bentley headed west to play for the New Westminster Royals of the Pacific Hockey League. In his second year with the club, he racked up 41 goals and 71 points. Meanwhile, in the NHL, Doug finished the season with the most goals and as the league’s scoring leader with 73 points, becoming the first Chicago player to win a regular-season scoring title. The following season, Doug found the back of the net 38 times to lead the league in goal-scoring for the second straight year. Although Doug would play nearly another decade for the Black Hawks, the Bentley brothers’ time in Chicago officially came to an end when Max was traded to the Maple Leafs in 1947.
Editorial Reviews
In Hockey 365, author, historian and unabashed fan Mike Commito has assembled myriad facts, stories and events, a delicious feast that takes fans day by day through a calendar year, sewing it all together with a thread that links the past with the present … You’ll enjoy every page of Hockey 365, well beyond the number of days in its title. The beauty of this sport is its wonderful shelf life, something you can say as well for Mike's book, a terrific addition to any hockey library.
— Dave Stubbs, NHL.com Columnist / Historian
An interesting read for hockey fans of all ages. For some it will be an education in the history of our great game. For others, it will bring back many terrific memories. Or both.
Scott Morrison, NHL on Sportsnet commentator
For all of us who live hockey every single day of the year (guilty), Hockey 365 is perfect. A great mix of history and storytelling that will only fuel your passion for the game
James Duthie, TSN
Just like a good goal-scorer, it is the gift that keeps on giving… 365 times!
The Walleye (Thunder Bay)
Hockey 365 is a treat. I’ve long been a fan of Mike Commito for his knowledge and passion for hockey (check out his Twitter timeline for proof) so it’s no surprise that this book turned out the way it did. Great stories told by a historian who takes pride in getting his facts right. I really enjoyed this book.
— Jeff Marek, NHL/CHL host on Sportsnet and 31 Thoughts’
What great fun to have a daily hockey story for inspiration. Mike Commito’s Hockey 365 is a delight for fans of the greatest game. From the Stanley to the Clarkson Cup, from Ballard to Rheaume, from Gretzky to Bure – and a whole bunch of stories you never knew but will be glad you now do.
Roy MacGregor, author of Wayne Gretzky's Ghost: And Other Tales from a Lifetime in Hockey
Mike Commito has long been one of my favorite hockey historians. He has a knack for digging up the game's most fascinating moments and making them accessible to new fans and grizzled diehards alike. No matter how much of the sport's history you think you already know, you'll learn a ton from this book
— Sean McIndoe, author of The Down Goes Brown History of the NHL
A veritable cornucopia of hockey history and knowledge.
Bob McKenzie, TSN Hockey Insider
Mike's daily snapshots of moments in time are the perfect reminder for why we love the game.
— Frank Seravalli, Senior Hockey Reporter for TSN
It is a very entertaining and informative look at great hockey stories and moments that happened throughout the 365 days of the normal calendar year. An easy read! A fun read! An entertaining read! An informative read.
— Gord Stellick, former Toronto Maple Leafs GM and Hockey Analyst on Sportsnet
Having been in hockey my whole life, following the history of the NHL has always been a passion of mine. Hockey 365 is pure gold for anyone who loves the game of hockey. I couldn’t put it down. Mike’s ability to translate stories and events from all eras of the game makes it a MUST read for any fan.
— Jamie McLennan, former NHL goaltender
Mike Commito is one of hockey’s best historians. This collection of the game’s best stories is a triumph of his passion and insight — and is sure to enthrall hockey fans from every generation.
Dan Robson, Sportsnet senior writer, author of Quinn and Bower
I am stuck between loving the memory or trying to forget the day I got scored on by my younger brother in an NHL game but Hockey 365 is making sure I will never be able to forget it ever happened! When I first started to read the book I planned on jumping ahead to that faithful day, November 24th, but from the first page I was hooked and quickly I was mesmerized by all these great events that shaped the history of the game.
— Martin Biron, former NHL goaltender and NHL analyst
Mike Commito’s Hockey 365 can please and inform both die hard and casual fans. He even provides a twist or two on some of the most obvious dates on the hockey calendar. This book is proof that hockey happens 365 days a year.
Ken Reid, Sportnet Central Anchor and Hockey Author
A must have for anyone who considers themselves a hockey fan. Hockey 365 takes the vast, seemingly overwhelming history of the game and measures it out in an easy to enjoy structure. The biggest challenge is only to read one entry per day. I'm happy to say I failed that particular challenge.
Colin Hanks, actor and director
Hockey 365 displays the history of the sport in a unique way, reminding us that every single day of the year has some momentous achievement or quirky happening. Like everyone else, I went to my birthday first, and now I know I was born on the day that Ken Dryden faced his brother in goal, making NHL history.
— Greg Wyshynski, Senior NHL Writer, ESPN
