Today is Friday, which means that the weekend ahead is a great reason to start reading a new book. This time we share with you a selection of books about hockey players, and we hope that you will like it :)
“King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League” by Dave King, Eric Duhatschek
A revealing look inside the Russian Super League by its first Canadian coach. Until now no Canadian had penetrated the coaching ranks of Russian hockey, but the year after the NHL lockout, Dave King became head coach of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk. From the beginning, King, Canada’s long-time national coach and former coach of both the Flames and Blue Jackets, realized he was in for an adventure. The mission seemed simple enough: keep the old Soviet style combination play on offence, but improve the team’s defensive play — and win a Russian Super League Championship. Yet, as King’s diary of his time in Russia reveals, coaching an elite Russian team is anything but simple. King of Russia details the world of Russian hockey from the inside, intimately acquainting us with the lives of key players, owners, managers, and fans, while granting us a unique perspective on life in an industrial town in the new Russia. And introducing us to Evgeni Malkin, Magnitogorsk’s star and the NHL’s newest phenomenon.
“The Russian Five: A Story of Espionage, Defection, Bribery and Courage” by Keith Gave
They are the Russian Five: Sergei Fedorov, Viacheslav Fetisov, Vladimir Konstantinov, Vyacheslav Kozlov and Igor Larionov. Their individual stories read like pulse-pounding spy novels. The story that unfolded after they were brought together in Detroit by the masterful coach Scotty Bowman is unforgettable. This story includes details never before revealed, and by the man who was there every step of the way – from the day Detroit drafted its first two Soviets in 1989 until they raised the Stanley Cup in 1997, then took it to Moscow for a victory lap around Red Square and the Kremlin. The Russian Five did more to bridge Russian and American relations than decades of diplomacy and détente between the White House and the Kremlin. This is their story.
“Pavel Bure: The Riddle Of The Russian Rocket” by Kerry Banks
He's one of the most exciting players in professional hockey, with outstanding speed and skill. In his first season with the NHL, Pavel Bure won the Calder Memorial Trophy as top rookie. Eight years after his debut, the man known as the "Russian Rocket" has racked up two 60-goal season and two 100-plus- point years, despite absences caused by injuries and contract disputes. Now an award-winning journalist delves into the mysteries of Bure's life, including allegations of involvement with the Russian Mafia; his troubled relationship with his father; the feuds with the media and with the Canucks' management; and his ambivalent attitude towards his intensely adoring fans.
“The Ovechkin Project: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Hockey's Most Dangerous Player” by Damien Cox, Gare Joyce
The behind-the-scenes story of Alexander Ovechkin's phenomenal rise from Russian athletic prodigy to NHL superstar. In "The Ovechkin Project", veteran hockey writers Damien Cox and Gare Joyce trace his elite sports pedigree, his role representing Russia in the World Juniors, and how since entering the NHL, he's taken his team from worst to first in their division, and the hockey world by storm.
Enjoy! :)
Source: https://theathletic.com/1904681/2020/07/06/nhl-reading-room-31-teams-31-book-recommendations/