Home to Hockey Night in Canada, the Hockey Hall of Fame, Don Cherry and the storied Leafs, Toronto is indeed the centre of the hockey universe. But did you know . . . Before becoming the Maple Leafs, the franchise had several names, including the Torontos, the Arenas and the St. Pats, and the team's first games were played in the long-gone Arena Gardens. The Toronto Maple Leaf s might never have come about if the legendary hockey czar Conn Smythe hadn't been fired by the start-up New York Rangers. And why were the Rangers practicing in Toronto and not New York? Maple Leaf Gardens came into existence only after Depression-era construction workers agreed to take pay cuts and accept shares in MLG, which proved to be a boon for the workers. In addition to the incredible displays, films, exhibits and the exact replica of the fabled Montreal Canadiens dressing room, the Hockey Hall of Fame is rumoured to be haunted by a ghost. A disgruntled non-inductee? Not exactly. Steven Sandor stands on his head with this cannonading tour of Toronto's rich hockey past and present. Combining entertaining stories with contemporary and historic photographs, the Illustrated Guide to Hockey Sites & History: Torontoshoots and scores on every shift. The stories break out fast with wonderful characters and trivia spanning over a century of hockey history. Maps and directions are provided for anyone who wants to come off the bench and visit the sites. Steven also recommends a few establishments around the city where healthy scratches can enjoy a beverage and watch the game.

This easy-to-read guide, filled with illustrations and action photographs, contains everything for the fan and non-fan alike to understand and enjoy the sport of ice hockey. Each section stands alone, so it can be used as a handy reference guide, and it is so lightweight it can easily be taken to games. The book includes:- The Rules of Hockey Simplified - The Most Recent NHL Changes - What to Look For During Play - Statistics Explained - League and Playoff Formats - Stars of the Past and Present - Awards and Records- A Complete Glossary. The National Hockey League expansion of the last decade and the increased television coverage exposed millions of new fans to hockey. The Stanley Cup is now seen in over 170 countries, while annual sales of NHL merchandise today exceed $1 billion. Yet hockey remains one of the least understood sports. With the help of this guide, you can learn to follow the excitement of America's fastest-paced sport in no time at all.

Now in paperback, updated with a new final chapter! Lavishly illustrated, beautifully designed, impeccably researched, and wonderfully written, Hockey: A People’s History is the altogether irresistible companion book to the CBC-Television series of the same name, airing in Fall 06. A must-have for every fan! Hockey is not just Canada’s national game, it is part of every Canadian’s psyche, whether we like it or not. Watching it, playing it, coaching it, and talking about it are up there with eating on the list of the top ten things Canadians do most. In the first half of the last century it mirrored our increasing confidence as a nation and in the last years of the 1900s, which saw an aggressive but unsettling expansion of the game south of the border, it reflected our growing wariness of American influence on Canada. Hockey: A People’s History, like the ten-part CBC series it accompanies, tells the story of this breathtakingly fast game from its hotly contested origins, and the surge in its popularity after 1875, when it was first taken inside, through the rise and fall and rise again of women’s hockey, the sagas of long-lost leagues, such as the Pacific Coast Hockey League and, more recently, the World Hockey Association, to the present day and the first-ever lockout of players by the one remaining league. In that time, while play has changed only slightly (every generation of Canadians has complained about the growing violence of the game) hockey itself has been transformed from a rough and ready winter sport to a business worth many billions of dollars, played by millionaires. But Hockey: A People’s History is not a business story, rather, it is the story of the men and woman who helped make the game what it is today. It also tells the story of all the great moments in hockey: not just the unforgettable 1972 victory against Russia, but victories no less glorious at the time, such as the Leafs’ previously unheard-of third consecutive Stanley Cup in 1949. Through its lavishly illustrated pages skate the players, the coaches, the owners, many of them still legendary, too many of them almost forgotten. They are the reason why Canadians have stayed true to the game.

Published in partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and officially licensed by the NHL, this is the one and only official Toronto Maple Leafs Centennial publication! The Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the most storied franchises in all of sport and without question -- the most recognized team in all of hockey. Through this journey of a hundred years of Maple Leaf hockey, fans will read of ups and downs, triumphs and tears, laughter and laments. This publication tells the Leafs' complete history and introduces fans to coaches, as well as such legends as: Apps and Armstrong, Kennedy and Keon, Broda and Bower, Salming and Sundin, but also players who wore the Blue and White and left far more modest legacies. It takes fans to Toronto's first game, the construction of Maple Leaf Gardens and subsequent move to the Air Canada Centre. It celebrates Toronto's Stanley Cups and Hall of Fame players and demonstrates that through each exciting season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have forever remained our team and enjoyed the incredibly loyal support of a nation of fans. Published in complete partnership with the Toronto Maple Leafs and scheduled to release as the Leafs enter their 100th season, this official centennial publication includes contributions from many of the biggest names in Leaf history. Author Kevin Shea gained unprecedented access to players -- past and present -- as well as team executives to offer this book the most compelling, informed, and accurate portrayal of Toronto's historic hockey team and their important place in both the world of hockey and the culture of Canada. Combined with incredible archival photographs and a truly incredible design, this is the definitive and must have book for fans of the Blue and White.

"Slap shot science is an under-the-hood, behind-the-scenes, action-packed romp through special moments in the game as seen from the perspective of science and explained in a way everyone can understand"--Back cover.

Hockey fans who like to color will love these 30 illustrations depicting the sport's highlights and history. Portraits of superstars include Gretzky, Orr, and Howe. Dramatic illustrations recapture game action with images of a slap shot, penalty box, and victories leading to the Stanley Cup and the Hockey Hall of Fame.