The Crazy Game: How I Survived in the Crease and Beyond

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Longlisted for CBC Canada Reads

In the spirit of The Game and The Blind Side, a raw, raucous and unvarnished look at life between the posts.

No job in the world of sports is as intimidating, exhilarating and stress-ridden as that of a hockey goaltender. Facing one-hundred-mile-an-hour slapshots, having the entire game riding on your glove hand, standing on your head when necessary—these are the job requirements for those who want to be the best goalies in the world. Now imagine doing that job while suffering from high anxiety, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and then nearly having your career cut short by a skate across your neck.

The Crazy Game takes you deep into the troubled mind of Clint Malarchuk, former NHL goaltender for the Quebec Nordiques, Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. Even as a boy, Malarchuk faced such deep anxiety that he missed school and was eventually hospitalized. His OCD affected the way he trained, and he was known for keeping one of the most obsessive fitness regimes among NHL players. When his throat was slashed during a collision in the crease, he nearly died on the ice. Forever changed by the incident, Malarchuk later struggled mightily with depression and a dependence on alcohol that left a bullet in his head and nearly cost him his life.

A sports book unlike any other, The Crazy Game is an unflinching portrait of a troubled soul who ultimately triumphs over his demons.