In a much-anticipated annual rite of spring, the members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association conduct a secret ballot. They answer only one deceptively simple question: Who played his position best this season? These votes decide who will be named to the National Hockey League's First and Second All-Star Teams -- each comprising a goaltender, two defensemen, a right-winger, a left-winger and a center -- 12 players in all. Chris McDonell uses this long-standing tradition, which began in 1931, as a framework for his latest book, Hockey All-Stars: The NHL Honor Roll. In it, McDonell presents a visual and statistical record of hockey's greatest players, spiced with reminiscences and colorful anecdotes from those who were there.

Celebrated here are some of the most famous names in the game's history -- players like Howie Morenz and Terry Sawchuk -- as well as such contemporary greats as Paul Kariya and Jaromir Jagr. Yet, as a rule, becoming an NHL All-Star is a rare achievement, a tribute that represents a career highlight. Over the course of time, some of these stars have faded into obscurity, but in Hockey All-Stars, McDonell brings to life their contributions to the game. His comprehensive accounting of every All-Star features more than 275 players from virtually every team in the NHL. To complete each profile, McDonell combed the Hockey Hall of Fame archives for a vintage photo of every man.

Chris McDonell is the author of many books about sports and hockey including For the Love of Hockey, Hockey All-Stars, Hockey's Greatest Stars and The Game I'll Never Forget

Chris McDonell's profile page

Captures many of the greatest players in hockey history... All 281 All-Stars complete with statistical career summary and vintage photo.

Ottawa Citizen

A stunning visual and statistical record ... For reference, for browsing, and especially for fans of the sport -- "Hockey All-Stars" is the book to get or give. It is just another example of the high quality sports books out there.

SportsWriterDirect -- columnist for Lycos.com Spor

Unlike similar collections, Chris McDonell's makes studied arguments for the included athletes and goes far beyond the 'weren't they terrific?' pabulum usually served up in hockey tomes.

Chicago Tribune

Printed on luxuriously rich paper, McDonell's book would be an eye-opener for younger fans.

Halifax Chronicle Herald

Brilliantly illustrated with vivid photography and accompanied by an insightful text, this book is a classic addition to any sports library.

Grande Prairie Encore

An assortment of stunning color action photographs of both vintage and current stars makes this a good source.

Library Journal