Most Popular Books by Kirstie McLellan Day

One of the greatest sports figures of all time salutes his heroes and takes us inside the game as few others can. No one has been as close to the game as Wayne Gretzky. When he first laced up skates in the NHL, he changed the league. And by the time he had hung up his skates, he had re-written the record book. There can be no doubt what he means to the game. What we haven't seen is what the game means to him. For the first time, Wayne Gretzky will tell us about the NHL's great moments from his point of view. We will meet the people who inspired him and motivated him. We'll read the stories of the players who ignited his imagination, just as Gretzky himself inspired the dreams of so many young players and fans. Seen through the eyes of the player whose name has come to stand for greatness in the game of hockey, 99: Stories of the Game brings to life the NHL's glorious past, from its fierce early battles on natural ice, through its mythical golden era, when the Howes and Richards, Hulls and Orrs defined greatness, through the unforgettable dynasties in Montreal, New York, and of course, Edmonton, through to the present day. Written with all the insight of someone who knows what it feels like when your lungs burn at the end of a long shift, and the pain of bruises at the end of a long playoff series, who knows what it feels like to fall short against a bitter rival, and also the incomparable feeling of lifting the Stanley Cup over your head, 99: Stories of the Game doesn't just tell the history of the NHL's 99 years. It relives them.

Curtis Joseph, known affectionately to hockey fans around the world as Cujo, was an unlikely NHL superstar. The boy from Keswick, Ontario, didn't put on a pair of skates until most kids his age were already far along in organized hockey, and he was passed over by every team in the NHL draft. Despite an unorthodox start, he would go on to play 18 seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and Calgary Flames, winning an Olympic gold medal along the way.For the first time, in this revealing memoir, Joseph talks about his highly unusual upbringing and what led him to pursue hockey. Fans will not want to miss this untold story of perseverance and finding one's own path.

Every Canadian town has a hockey story, and Ron MacLean has a hockey story for every town. A new book by the co-author of the national bestseller Cornered. When you first meet Ron MacLean, he asks where you’re from, and he always comes back with a story. No one has crossed this country more than MacLean. In his 28 years on Hockey Night in Canada and now as host of Rogers’ Hometown Hockey, Ron has met fascinating people from coast to coast and has great stories to tell. Now, in this new book, MacLean is back, with brand new tales from across the country. These are stories you’ve never heard before. From London to Castlegar, Yellowknife to Cole Harbour, Medicine Hat to Trois Rivieres, from Bantam to Junior B to the NHL, our country is full of great characters: Players, coaches, hockey moms and hockey dads; rivalries, practical jokes, careers that grew out of nothing and "can’t lose" prospects who flamed out too soon; spectacular triumphs, heart-breaking tragedies and tales of friendship, betrayal, love and loyalty—all compelling, entertaining and inspiring. Once again working with Kirstie McLellan Day, co-author of the blockbuster bestsellers Playing With Fire, Tough Guy and Cornered, this is MacLean at his finest.

A Saturday night spent with Ron MacLean has been a tradition for twenty-five years. Known for his quick wit, arched eyebrows and encyclopedic hockey knowledge, MacLean is the skilled ringmaster of Canada’s most watched weekly program. He has interviewed the greatest players, coaches and personalities of an era and is a master at coaxing the best in substance and entertainment from his guests, as well as from his opinionated and often irascible co-host, Don Cherry, on Coach’s Corner. And he has never written a book—until now. Cornered is packed with inside accounts—some inspiring, many hilarious—from his early days as a part-time radio announcer and weather forecaster in Red Deer, Alberta, to his time hosting Hockey Night in Canada and the Olympics. Perhaps no other journalist has witnessed first-hand more Canadian sports milestones in the past quarter century. From Gretzky to Catriona, Mario to Salé and Pelletier, MacLean has been there with an eye for detail and an appreciation for what makes a great story.

Všetci vieme, čo Wayne Gretzky pre hokej znamená. Teraz si môžeme konečne prečítať, čo hokej znamená pre neho.V knihe 99: Hokejové príbehy prináša autor svoj osobný pohľad na najvýznamnejšie momenty hokejových dejín. Berie čitateľov na ľad aj do kabín hráčov a rozpráva takmer storočnú históriu NHL, ktorá doteraz nebola nikdy publikovaná. Gretzky sa delí o príbehy veľkých hráčov a skvelých osobností, ktoré ho inšpirovali, motivovali k lepším výkonom alebo podržali, keď mu bolo najhoršie.

Few people have had a better front row seat to hockey history than Kelly Hrudey, whose former teammates include Mike Bossy, Denis Potvin, Jari Kurri, Paul Coffey and Wayne Gretzky, among many others of the game’s greats. In 1987, he stood tall in net during the Easter Epic, the longest playoff game in Islanders history. Kelly made seventy-three saves (to this day an NHL record for most saves made in a playoff game) against the Capitals before Pat LaFontaine scored the winner in the fourth overtime period of Game Seven at two o’clock in the morning. Later that year, Kelly was in the Canada Cup lineup of one of the most talented teams ever assembled on ice. In 1989, he joined Wayne Gretzky and Marty McSorley on a team that took Los Angeles by storm: the Kings went all the way to the Stanley Cup final against the Canadiens in 1993. Hrudey is now a well-respected hockey analyst and broadcaster and has watched with a keen eye as the game continues to evolve. Through it all, he has seen greatness and missed opportunities, inspiring moments and outright craziness. Working with bestselling author Kirstie McLellan Day, Kelly delivers a lively and thoughtful memoir, rich in behind-the-scenes anecdotes, humour and insight.

Marty McSorley wouldn't take no for an answer. Hockey coaches questioned his speed and skill at every level. But nobody was more tenacious, nobody worked harder. And this unlikely, undrafted underdog made the NHL, becoming one of the most effective team players in the history of the league. He was also one of the toughest. For years, he watched Wayne Gretzky's back, first with the Oilers in Edmonton, then with the Kings in Los Angeles. He was fearless, and never backed down. He played on the edge, and sometimes over it. In this riveting book, McSorley takes us behind the scenes of his remarkable life for the first time, from a rough and tumble childhood growing up on a farm with nine brothers and sisters, to surprising and often hilarious locker room anecdotes. He shares inside stories of Stanley Cup victories with the Oilers dynasty, the trade that moved Gretzky to Los Angeles, a notorious court case in Vancouver where he faced assault charges for an incident on the ice, negotiations on the NHL's collective bargaining agreement, and what it was like to play with the greats-Gretzky, Lemieux, Messier, Hrudey and many more. Fast-paced, controversial and thoroughly entertaining, McSorley's memoir is bound to be the hockey book of the year.

Lanny McDonald, one of the most popular NHL players of all time, treats us to a heart-and-soul journey through a career filled with dramatic ups and downs, great characters and jaw-dropping behind-the-scenes stories. Lanny played with three remarkable teams: the Toronto Maple Leafs of the ’70s, the Colorado Rockies under coach Don Cherry, and the Calgary Flames, where he was locked in a ferocious “Battle of Alberta” against Wayne Gretzky and the Edmonton Oilers. McDonald opens up with inspiring and often hilarious stories he’s never told before. Along the way, we learn surprising details about players, coaches and executives, including Darryl Sittler, Börje Salming, Dave Keon, Red Kelly, Eddie Shack, Tiger Williams, Harold Ballard, Al MacInnis, Joe Nieuwendyk and Joe Mullen. Written with “Canada’s Ice Queen,” Kirstie McLellan Day, Call Me Lanny is sure to be the hockey memoir of the year.