The Canadian Hockey Atlas

A unique celebration of Canada’s game in all its variety, this beautifully made book is the definitive guide to hockey from sea to sea to sea.

Part encyclopedic reference source, part mesmerizing history, The Canadian Hockey Atlas is a beautifully illustrated look at hockey from a completely new perspective. Organized into 11 chapters by province and territory, with over 1,000 player entries complete with listings of every hockey town and city, this book shows through history, stories, and memorabilia how the game’s wildly different local and regional strands come together into the pastime that defines Canada.

Stephen Cole describes the game’s development in different parts of the nation through places, teams, and players: from the Renfrew Millionaires, the “best team in the world,” assembled by a booming pre-WWI lumber town; to Stanley Cup winner Brad Richards’ hometown, population 354; to the Dawson City Nuggets, who travelled from the Yukon to Ottawa by dogsled and train to face the legendary Silver Seven for the Stanley Cup. He examines players in terms of their local allegiances for the first time, bringing together Gordie Howe, Wendel Clark, and Eddie Shore as tough men from different eras but the same part of Saskatchewan, and presenting Kitchener’s legendary Kraut Line as the product of a hardscrabble town where German and Dutch were as likely to be heard on the rinks as English.

Written in a lively and witty style, full of an obvious love of the game, The Canadian Hockey Atlas includes all the key facts and figures, as well as biographies of the great players and fascinating trivia. Fully illustrated throughout with over 400 images including colour maps, charts, and diagrams, it also features the most striking and evocative collection of hockey photographs and memorabilia ever assembled – the perfect gift for anyone who loves hockey.