My Favourite Hockey Story

Wayne Gretzky famously learned to play hockey on a homemade rink in his own backyard. Connor McDavid’s favourite player growing up was Sidney Crosby, who he would beat out for NHL MVP in only his second year. Sidney Crosby grew up in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia, playing on neighbourhood rinks near the ocean outside Halifax. Mark Messier was a warrior on the ice and studied to be one, reading The Art of War and self-help books, off it: “He speaks New Age. He plays caveman,” quipped Sports Illustrated. Messier learned to play in Alberta, and was part of four championships in Edmonton and another in New York. He has a ton of stories.

James Duthie, long-time host of TSN’s hockey coverage, knows everyone in the game—the players, the coaches, the general managers, the scouts, the broadcasters, the players’ moms and dads. My Favourite Hockey Story is a collection of Duthie’s most compelling, hilarious and heartwarming stories about the stars, the role-players, the benchwarmers and the many other colourful characters who make hockey the most personality-driven sport on the planet.