The skater speeds to the net as the excited fans cheer. He positions himself for a slapshot. The puck glides past the goalkeeper. Score! The stakes are high in this Stanley Cup Finals game, as two of NHL's best teams fight for the win. Young readers will delight in learning fascinating facts about Stanley Cup records, the event's history, and some of its most heart-stopping games.

Ice hockey fans will pull on their skates and gear up for this Who HQ title about the Stanley Cup Finals--the National Hockey League's championship games. Out of the thirty-two pro hockey teams that compete, only one can call itself the champion and proudly hoist up the Stanley Cup--the oldest sports trophy in the world! From the formation of the leagues and the crowning of the first championship-winning team, to the Rangers' Stanley Cup curse and the uncertain fate of the teams during the Spanish flu epidemic, this book recounts the highs and lows of this exciting ice hockey series.

Black hockey players from Grant Fuhr to Jarome Iginla speak candidly for the first time about their experiences in the NHL. Since 1958, thirty-seven black men have played in the National Hockey League. Out of the 600 players active today, fourteen are black. Breaking the Ice: The Black Experience in Professional Hockey is the first book to tell the unique stories of black hockey players - how they overcame or succumbed to racial and cultural prejudices to play Canada's favourite pastime. Sports journalist Cecil Harris outlines in detail the personal and professional battles as well as the vict.

In the ultra-competitive junior hockey leagues in the early 1960s, a young man could tolerate nearly anything that helped him stand out from the hordes of other prospects, so John Paris, Jr. did just that. The African-Canadian from Nova Scotia dazzled and dominated on the ice -- often facing racism on and off the ice. It took courage. They Called Me Chocolate Rocket is the story of John’s life from his childhood in the Curry’s Corner section of Windsor, Nova Scotia, where he was rated one of the top junior prospects in Eastern Canada and scouted by the legendary Scotty Bowman, to his eventual decision to coach, beginning with the Montreal-area minor systems and on to the pro ranks with the IHL’s Atlanta Knights. Although John has an impressive resume, it is the stories of the complex life that he has lived -- persevering in a hockey world where blacks were rare -- that propel the book. From John being befriended by Rocket Richard as a junior, to being brought back from near-death in a Montreal hospital at age 25, to getting a “street lesson” in Atlanta when caught in a gang fight, and more. Now living in Dallas, Texas with his wife and young daughter, John is actively involved in hockey as a coach and principal instructor for top-level prospects, and works in prestigious U.S. junior development camps.

The story of the rise of the NHL as the only major hockey league in North America.

Presents year-by-year summaries of the Stanley Cup finals and includes information on memorable moments, players, and goals.

They are motivators, key strategists, tough bosses, and choreographers. They can be branded as heroes, ousted as scapegoats, quietly valued as friends, and everything in between. It's all in the job description for an NHL head coach. In Behind the Bench, ESPN's Craig Custance sits down for film sessions and candid conversations with some of the game's most notable modern luminaries—names like Mike Babcock, Joel Quenneville, Dan Bylsma, Todd McLellan, Ken Hitchcock, and Claude Julien—all of whom share their singular views on topics ranging from leadership secrets to on-ice game plans. Dissect some of hockey's greatest moments with the men who set the pieces in motion. Go straight to the source on what it's like to manage a dressing room full of the league's top stars or execute line changes with everything at stake. Signature games, including Stanley Cup finals, Olympic gold medal clashes, and World Championship contests—both wins and losses—are reflected upon and broken down in detail, making this essential reading for current and aspiring coaches, players, and hockey fans alike.