Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Between The Ropes by Linda Hogan book review

July 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Wrestling superhero Hulk Hogan gave his side of the nasty divorce he and his wife Linda went through and now Linda strikes back in a shocking and revealing autobiography, Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Between The Ropes.

Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Between The Ropes, details Linda’s first encounter with The Hulkster, how he wooed her by coming out of the bathroom completely naked, their wild sex each time Hogan came back from the road, and the paranoia Linda went through when Hogan became distant and always away on long workouts or trips.

Linda opens up on The Hulk cheating on her during his WCW run where Hulk was being accused of sexual battery of Kate Kennedy, who was involved in Hulk’s short-lived PastaMania business. Linda explains how Hulk kicked out her parents and sat her down on the couch and blew smoke in her face. Hulk turned the anger he was venting towards her as she believes in order to make him not look so terrible when he revealed that he cheated on their marriage. A belief that Linda suspected for quite some time, but never had any proof up until that point.

While Linda does talk a bit about her childhood upbringing and losing her virginity when she was a young teen, her most interesting stories are the ones she shared with Hulk. The book is primarily explaining how her relationship destroyed her in many ways and how she fought through Hulk’s controlling ways. Even with children and a reality show on VH1, the marriage could not be saved due to their differences.

Linda does give Hulk his dues when to came to being the best in the squared circle and being a dad at times, but for the most part she believes Hulk was out to destroy her by the end, forcing her to go to rehab and turning her own children against her. She believes Brutus The Barber Beefcake was a horrible influence because he had a new stripper with him almost all the time. Following a second relationship that Hulk started before they even got divorce, Linda decided that it was time to finally move on with her life and a new younger man.

Considering how terrible of a person and a mother Hulk made Linda look in his 2009 book, it is no wonder that Linda was going to fire back and tarnish the image of Hulk. Was the book a lot of revenge or was it a way to vent out all the frustrations Linda was putting up with for the majority of her adult life? Linda comes off as scared, but is also able to turn around and wipe her emotions clean when need be. Clearly Linda wanted to get back at a lot of Hulk’s damaging statements, but there is so much emotional anigush she went through that it is hard to belive Hulk was a saint to her.

Money starts to pay a big factor as they aged and stopped sleeping in the same bed as each other. Linda complained that even when they were together it was just sex no love-making. The inability to talk to her husband eventual pushed her into the arms of another man who was willing to listen and care for her.

Wrestling fans can piece together a fair idea of what went wrong in the Hogan family with both books from Hulk and Linda. The remains of a once powerful empire can find a home in the laps of those looking for juicy, shocking and dramatic couple splits.

Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Between The Ropes

By Linda Hogan

HarperCollins

Released on Jun. 20, 2011

256 pp.
Wrestling the Hulk: My Life Against the Ropes

 

Filed Under: Book, Pro Wrestling Uncensored, Reviews

Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against The Ropes by Linda Hogan book review

July 5, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against The Ropes

Wrestling superhero Hulk Hogan gave his side of the nasty divorce he and his wife Linda went through and now Linda strikes back in a shocking and revealing autobiography, Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against The Ropes.

Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against The Ropes, details Linda’s first encounter with The Hulkster, how he wooed her by coming out of the bathroom completely naked, their wild sex each time Hogan came back from the road, and the paranoia Linda went through when Hogan became distant and always away on long workouts or trips.

Linda opens up on The Hulk cheating on her during his WCW run where Hulk was being accused of sexual battery of Kate Kennedy, who was involved in Hulk’s short-lived PastaMania business. Linda explains how Hulk kicked out her parents and sat her down on the couch and blew smoke in her face. Hulk turned the anger he was venting towards her as she believes in order to make him not look so terrible when he revealed that he cheated on their marriage. A belief that Linda suspected for quite some time, but never had any proof up until that point.

While Linda does talk a bit about her childhood upbringing and losing her virginity when she was a young teen, her most interesting stories are the ones she shared with Hulk. The book is primarily explaining how her relationship destroyed her in many ways and how she fought through Hulk’s controlling ways. Even with children and a reality show on VH1, the marriage could not be saved due to their differences.

Linda does give Hulk his dues when to came to being the best in the squared circle and being a dad at times, but for the most part she believes Hulk was out to destroy her by the end, forcing her to go to rehab and turning her own children against her. She believes Brutus The Barber Beefcake was a horrible influence because he had a new stripper with him almost all the time. Following a second relationship that Hulk started before they even got divorce, Linda decided that it was time to finally move on with her life and a new younger man.

Considering how terrible of a person and a mother Hulk made Linda look in his 2009 book, it is no wonder that Linda was going to fire back and tarnish the image of Hulk. Was the book a lot of revenge or was it a way to vent out all the frustrations Linda was putting up with for the majority of her adult life? Linda comes off as scared, but is also able to turn around and wipe her emotions clean when need be. Clearly Linda wanted to get back at a lot of Hulk’s damaging statements, but there is so much emotional anigush she went through that it is hard to belive Hulk was a saint to her.

Money starts to pay a big factor as they aged and stopped sleeping in the same bed as each other. Linda complained that even when they were together it was just sex no love-making. The inability to talk to her husband eventual pushed her into the arms of another man who was willing to listen and care for her.

Wrestling fans can piece together a fair idea of what went wrong in the Hogan family with both books from Hulk and Linda. The remains of a once powerful empire can find a home in the laps of those looking for juicy, shocking and dramatic couple splits.

Wrestling The Hulk: My Life Against The Ropes

By Linda Hogan

Harper Collins

Released on Jun. 20, 2011

256 pp.

Click here to order the book

Filed Under: Book, Pro Wrestling Uncensored, Reviews

Jesse James American Outlaw autobiography review

June 9, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Cheating on Sandra Bullock, a troubled childhood, security work for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, being a reality TV star and so much more explored in the autobiography, Jesse James American Outlaw.

While James is descriptive and detailed on many of his early life experiences, breaking the heart of ‘American’s Sweetheart’ is short and mostly vague on the reasoning.

James starts off the book taking his children to school trying to shield them from the paparazzi. James quickly reminisces on how growing up in a troubled abusive home made him into a young thief that eventually started to steal cars and rob stores. James did not let anyone walk over him as he nearly beat to death the senior quarterback when he first joined the squad. James was not a bully, but his friend Bobby pushed him into evil deeds.

After winning the heart of the first love of his life, Rhonda, James was slowly on his way to making to play football in college. However, Bobby sold out James on one of their heists and James went to juvie instead, losing all his scholarships and acceptance opportunities. James went through a dark period in this time. However, he battled on and used the skills he learned in life to survive.

Following meeting the right people, James was doing security work for punk bands and alternative bands like Nirvana. After meeting his first wife Karla, James soon found his true passion–making choppers and creating a business of it.

James became too involved in his reality show, Monster Garage, and soon lost his marriage. James did find love again with porn star Janine Lindemulder and added another child to the two he had with Karla. However, his marriage with Lindemulder was highlighted with screaming matches, lies and a tragical violent end. Although James said he was not looking to marry for a third time, when Bullock stepped into his life he could not stop thinking about her.

Fans of James’ reality TV show career and those interested in his troubled early life will love this book as the real dirt and shocking material is focusing on those subjects. Fans looking for why he ruined his marriage to Bullock will be disappointed as in the end he gives poor excuses in order to repair his damaged reputation. No details or conversations are mentioned with the first or other women he slept with. The lack of information at the end is very surprising considering how in-depth he is on the rest of his life and how he seemed to mature from his rebellious ways.

Jesse James American Outlaw

By Jesse James with Sam Benjamin

Simon and Schuster

www.simonandschuster.ca

Released on May 3, 2011

368 pp.

$29.99

Click here for more info

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Brock Lesnar Death Clutch book review

May 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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Manhandling Frank Mir “like a bitch,” overcoming student hardships to win an NCAA title, and not letting Vince McMahon treat him like “a low-life jerk-off,” are reasons why Brock Lesnar is the Baddest Dude on the Planet.

For the first and perhaps only time, Lesnar opens up with Paul Heyman co-writing on his personal life in his memoirs Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival.

Lesnar explains how it was tough growing up poor on a farm in South Dakota. Lesnar dispels the rumours that he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth, however credits his parents a lot for helping him early in life. Lesnar explains how he changed from a scrawny kid to a larger than life heavyweight in his college days.

Following his spectacular double overtime victory for the NCAA Heavyweight Championship in amateur wrestling, WWE talent scout Gerald Brisco saw Lesnar and signed him to the biggest WWE development deal of all-time, or at least from what they told him. After telling the WWE that “If you want me to get better, then you need to put me in the ring with better people!” WWE brought Lesnar to the main roster where he went on a path of destruction with Heyman.

The difficult road schedule and the politics of the WWE environment eventually started to wear down “The Next Big Thing.” Lesnar admits to drinking a bottle of vodka a day and taking a couple hundred pills of Vicodin became his only way to numb the pain he was going through, especially after he got a concussion from the Shooting Star Press at WrestleMania 19. Lesnar openly says that WWE pushed him to do the move even though he thought it was a dumb idea.

Lesnar did not want to become like Curt Hennig or Ric Flair, he wanted out and he wanted to move on. A major motorcycle accident stopped him from going further in his NFL career, but after a bitter contract dispute with WWE, Lesnar jumped the barricade at an Ultimate Fighting Championship event and got Dana White’s attention. Right away Lesnar said he wanted to face the best and he got to face the best. To those tradition MMA fans that believe he got a title shot too quickly he says, “Screw them.”

A lot of stories especially when it comes wrestling are not mentioned because Lesnar cannot remember thanks to all the drug and alcohol abuse he went through. While Lesnar is brief with a lot of his stories, fans still get an honest and aggressive opinion from the former UFC Heavyweight Champion. Bullying around the Big Show, questioning the honesty of The Rock and Kurt Angle, and criticizing Vince McMahon for the way he treats his superstars. Wrestling fans get more than enough shocking and bunt opinions from Lesnar.

Haters of Lesnar will only look at this book and find they were always right about how he was born with a wicked spirit. Lesnar sums himself up quite nicely though, “You can call it ego, or cockiness, or arrogance, or anything else you want, but I’m used to being in control. Some people were meant to lead, others were meant to follow. I was born to take charge. It’s not only what I do, it’s who I am.”

Death Clutch: My Story of Determination, Domination, and Survival

By Brock Lesnar with Paul Heyman

HarperCollins Canada

224 pp.

Filed Under: Book, MMA, Pro Wrestling Uncensored, Reviews, UFC, WWE Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade review

May 13, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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“July is all-naked month, within one year she was straddling him and showing him her tits, to the sweetest, loveliest, sexiest, tallest woman I have ever had the pleasure of tongue-kissing.”

Fans of the late comedian George Carlin get a personal, chaotic and a few trips to their personal Jupiter with his widow’s memoirs of their life together in The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade. Wade has compiled a scrapbook of love letters between her and Carlin and provided a mini-autobiography.

Wade playfully describes how her dog Spot helped her meet Carlin. Although Carlin still needed time from his previous wife’s passing, Wade was going through her own divorce proceedings. Four months later ended up being enough time for both of them. Spot did have issues with Carlin, but Wade believes they eventually came to an understanding.

“How this woman moves my soul and rearranges my crotch I will never know. Hormones come and go but true love lasts forever. Someday when we’re working like this in your bedroom, remind me to come over and fuck you.” Just a few examples of the sexually charged notes Carlin gave Wade. Quite apparent throughout the whole experience that they were both madly in love with each other 24/7.

There were not always happy days though; Carlin had his paranoia issues, Wade was on antidepressants, Carlin is constantly farting almost every few chapters, Wade confronting Carlin about his drug issues completely changes the ’wild sex party’ of the memoirs at least for three pages. Despite any problem that came up their love always stayed strong.

Wade ends off with poetry and artwork Carlin made for her and their last time together before he passed on. Wade writes passionately and filled with heartfelt emotion as she believes her and Carlin will always be connected and will one day be together again in their Jupiter.

Fans of Carlin should be prepared to see a side of the comedian they are not use to. Yes there are the offensive and outlandish jokes you would expect from him, but the outpouring of feelings he expresses to Wade through his letters shows a tender vulernable human side of Carlin that the public eye did not see before.

If you’re looking for a detailed description of Carlin and Wade’s relationship you will be disappointed. Wade’s passage are few and short. There are pages filled with just letters Carlin and Wade wrote, some translated and others not. The book showcases how photos and words on pieces of paper gives readers a true appreciation of lovers who cared about each other more than anything in this world and after it.

The George Carlin Letters: The Permanent Courtship of Sally Wade

By Sally Wade

Simon and Schuster

304 pp.

$29.99

Released on Mar. 8, 2011

 

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The Ovechkin Project: A Behind-the-Scenes look at Hockey’s Most Dangerous Player book review

May 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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A physical specimen at age 18, destroying Sidney Crosby in their rookie season for the scoring title, and countless highlight reel goals, are just a few highlights in Alexander Ovechkin’s professional hockey career.

In the designed unauthorized autobiography on Ovechkin’s life off the ice and on it, authors Damien Cox and Gare Joyce admit there was difficulty making the book. The authors state in the acknowledgments that the Ovechkin family decided not to take part in this publication although Ovechkin is quoted with the public interviews he made.

Numerous times throughout the bio the authors give an idea on what is going through Ovechkin’s head since they did end up talking to a number of reliable sources like Washington Capitals’ management. members of the media and Ovechkin’s teammates helped supplement Ovechkin’s state of mind.

The Ovechkin Project reads much like an action adventure story with Ovechkin excelling in amateur hockey in Russia as he came from a family that was seemingly born to play the sport. Losing his 24-year-old brother Sergei in 1995, hit him hard but did not stop him from the game he loved. Three practices a day at age 10, and always wanting to run instead of standing around showed his parents and scouts that he was going to be a special athlete.

Ovechkin’s rivalry with Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sid The Kid is well documented—Ovechkin charging room service in an NHL commercial, Ovechkin blowing past Crosby’s rookie numbers, and so on. Crosby is always well received for being the Canadian prodigy of Mario Lemieux, but when it comes to rivalries like Gretzky-Lemieux, Ovechkin is considered the Wayne Gretzky of the duo.

While Crosby does have greater team accomplishments with a Stanley Cup and an Olympic Gold Medal, Ovechkin has more impressive individual accomplishments with Hart trophies, Lester B. Peterson, Art Ross and more. The authors did make an excellent point how the Ovechkin-Crosby is far more exciting than the Gretzky-Lemieux one as Ovechkin and Crosby are in the Eastern Conference and already have a heated playoff series included in their battles. 

Montreal Canadiens fans will enjoy how the book wraps up in last year’s playoff series between the Caps and Canadiens. Former Habs goalie Jaroslav Halak is the bane of Ovechkin’s 2010 playoffs as Halak helped shut the door on Ovechkin being the main threat in the best-of-seven series. The teasing Ovechkin pulled on Halak over his hand shaking when he drank some water is turned against Ovechkin after Halak made a 53-save performance. The question became ‘who’s shaking now?’

At times the author are extremely high on the abilities of Ovechkin, but they also admit when he has difficulty adjusting to the North American lifestyle or when he comes up short in some of his efforts. It is a little difficult to believe that Ovechkin felt a certain way without his input at all in the book. However, the authors did do a great job of resourcing with the Capitals organization to bring a book that may not give you an in-depth look at Ovechkin, but does give you an idea of how he came to be the superstar he is today.  

The Ovechkin Project: A Behind-the-Scenes look at Hockey’s Most Dangerous Player

By Damien Cox and Gary Joyce

Wiley Books

Released in Fall 2010

320 pp.

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WWE: Big Apple Takedown review

April 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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WWE superstars battle terrorists in a covert black-ops mission where they have to go undercover and ultimately fight villains in hand-to-hand combat in the world of the WWE novel Big Apple Takedown.  

In this version of the WWE Universe, a near fatal limo accident to Vince McMahon in 2001 opened up the opportunity for the U.S. government to question the WWE Chairman on the idea of using WWE talent in top secret government assignments. Fans who know McMahon can imagine the over-the-top outburst McMahon gave to a government official for causing the accident.

While the novel starts off with a typical night at a Monday Night RAW event, the novel does not feature much action in the squared circle. HHH is the WWE Champion in the novel, but is also the senior superstar on covert ops missions.

HHH discovering the illegal activities of a methyl-amphetamine plant requires McMahon to get assistance in the form of John Cena, Torrie Wilson, Batista and Chavo Guerrero. With the novel originally publishing in 2006, there are mentions made on how HHH and Batista still have a grudge over their Evolution days and how Cena knows how evil HHH can be. Trust is a huge issue throughout.

While cheesy catchphrases are not used by the superstars there is a bit of familiar character traits. HHH does use a sledgehammer to defeat an enemy and Batista’s size and strength does help on more than one occasion. However, Batista’s fear of small spaces and Cena not believing in waking up before noon seem to be added in to help add drama and a bit of humour. Wilson having to seduce one of the bad guys adds a sexual component thanks to her seductive ways and thoughts. 

This novel is far from a PG experience. Expect quite a bit of coarse language from not just the antagonists but also Cena, Batista, HHH and the eventual arrival of Stone Cold Steve Austin. The book is 277 pages but there is not many words per page.

While the storyline seems extremely far fetched, there are some interesting and fun reads along the way. Guerrero appreciating Batista due to the respect shown during Eddie’s passing, HHH bonding with one of the villains and finding common beliefs with them does fit with the characters at that point in time.

Big Apple Takedown stands out among other WWE books as WWE superstars have never been written in this spy-like environment. The novel is made for mature fans that like watching WWE performers in movies, game shows and other forms of entertainment.

WWE: Big Apple Takedown 

By Rudy Josephs

Simon and Schuster

Re-released on Apr. 2 , 2011

Also available in E-book

$21.99

Filed Under: Book, Pro Wrestling Uncensored, Reviews, WWE Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The Yankee Years by Joe Torre book review

February 14, 2011 By 2 Comments
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Joe Torre took the New York Yankees back to their dynasty days in the late 90′s, but the mood swings of the late George Steinbrenner and the loss of key leaders resulted in his termination.

After returning to baseball as the manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers briefly, Torre has come out with an autobiography focused on his time in New York. Tom Verducci writes one of the most compelling baseball dramas as Torre gives his views and thoughts on his entire tenure with the Yankees in the #1 New York Times Bestseller The Yankee Years.

Not only do you get interviews with Torre but many of his former players. David Cone, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jason Giambi, and more Yankee greats give their opinions on not only their manager, but their own game experiences as well. From the drama with pitching ace David Wells to the confidence issues plaguing Alex Rodriguez, Torre does not shy away from any of the controversial issues surrounding the Yankees for more than a decade.

Verducci retelling the championship years of 1996 and onwards is complemented beautifully by how Torre saw his team come together. The steroid issue that nearly destroyed Major League Baseball is one of the best reads in the book. Having Roger Clemens’ ex-trainer and former players who admitted to steroid usage is an eye-opening look on how this issue did not just involved star players, but nearly the entire league. While Torre does not condone the use of steroids, he understands why a player would use and why every situation should not be judged the same.

Torre having a rocky relationship with Steinbrenner is not surprising considering the way Steinbrenner treated a lot of his managers as Yankees owner. Regardless of how many championships Torre won, he always had to deal with the paranoia and passionate of Steinbrenner. Steinbrenner questioned his every move, and if it was not for Torre, Steinbrenner would have traded Pettitte before Pettitte had some of his best years. Torre rarely spoke out against Steinbrenner’s decisions, but sometimes he got pushed too far. An example of this is when Steinbrenner wanted David Wells pushed back into the bullpen.

“I’m sick and tired of this shit. You keep pounding at me, pounding at me, pounding at me… it bothers me. I probably shouldn’t tell you that. But it bothers me,” Torre told his ex-boss. Moments afterwards Torre told current Yankees president Randy Levine to “shut the fuck up.”

Verducci explains the changes to MLB in terms of giving each team a fair chance to compete with the wealth and power the Yankees. The changes caused the Yankees’ dynasty to slowly fade. The last year Torre served as a Yankee is sad considering how hard he worked, but due to the Yankees’ poor start and Steinbrenner’s demand for victory, Torre admits he was tired of his position. “A feeling of relief,” Torre describes it when the Yankees decided not to keep him.

A must read for Yankee fans and quite possibly one of the most intriguing books ever written on 90′s and 21st century baseball. From the neverending rivalry between the Red Sox and Yankees to Torre’s health scare, the memoir takes you on an amazing ride through one of the most difficult jobs in professional sports. The afterword written in the paperback edition reveals what Torre was doing and what he thought of the Yankees winning their last championship without him. The book is not written in first-person, but this is still a great read told like a story.

The Yankee Years

Anchor Books

By Joe Torre and Tom Verducci

512 pp.

Click here to order the book

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Hockey’s Top 100 The Game’s Greatest Goals book review

February 11, 2011 By Leave a Comment
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For Canadians, ‘The Golden Goal’ scored by Sidney Crosby in overtime in the Gold Medal game against the U.S. at the 2010 Winter Olympics makes a great cover for the top 100 goals ever in hockey.

If you’re American, at least the Miracle on Ice winning goal is considered the second greatest goal in the small book written by bestselling authors and trivia experts Don Weekes and Kerry Banks, entitled Hockey’s Top 100 The Game’s Greatest Goals. Weekes and Banks looked over thousands of goals over the years to make this list.

Right from the introduction the authors realize that this book will cause a bit of trouble. They assure the reader that the goals they chose are what they believe are great goals. Their definition of a great goal is the story behind the goal; if it was a milestone, done while battling adversity, while winning a championship, and how it impacted the sport. Not to say they did not care for highlight reel goals, but their research went much deeper. They researched goals scored before there even was YouTube or television.

The authors admit a real difficulty in showing the goals in a book format as there are either no great shots of certain goals or there never was a photo taken of the goal. For Modere ‘Mud’ Bruneteau from the Detroit Red Wings in 1936, there is just a short description of him ending the NHL’s longest game, but the authors do an excellent job of describing why the goal was so important. Photos of players staring are common, but so are photos of Wayne Gretzky nailing a howitzer against Calgary in 1988, Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard about to unleash a wrist shot over Chicago Blackhawks goalie Tony Esposito in 1971, and Ron Hextall about to score from one end of the rink to the other are classic moments in hockey history.

Neat to see that the authors included the infamous no goal from the Dallas Stars and Buffalo Sabres Stanley Cup series of 1999. Although the goal did not count it did change the rules in the NHL immediately following the series. Jean Beliveau’s hat trick in 1955 is also another game changing moment as powerplays ended if a goal was scored after that.

The goals mentioned in this review are only a small sample of the classic goals featured in this handheld paperback edition. This book is great for those interested on learning about the history of some memorable moments in hockey. Some of the greatest teams, greatest players and greatest events are all in this 168 page read. Highly recommended for younger fans that are new to the sport.

Hockey’s Top 100 The Game’s Greatest Goals

Greystone Books

By Don Weekes and Kerry Banks

Released in Sept. 2010

168 pp.

Click here for more info

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