What It Means to Be a Red Wing: Detroit's Greatest Players Talk about Detroit Hockey - Hardcover

Allen, Kevin; Regner, Art

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1572438851 ISBN 13: 9781572438859

Publisher: Triumph Books, 2006

Synopsis

Taking a decade-by-decade approach to the Detroit Red Wings hockey tradition, this collection brings together over 40 stories from the most outstanding voices of the team. The spirit of the Red Wings is not captured by just one phrase, one season, or one particular game; instead, the players and managers who made the magic happen over the decades blend their experiences to capture the true essence of their beloved team. Wings fans will relish the intimate stories told by the figures they have come to cherish.

About this title

From the Publisher

"As you read these Red Wings players' stories, you'll find that regardless of their era, or their success or failure on the ice, we all share the common bond of not only a love and passion for hockey, but the commitment to uphold the tradition of a team--our team--the Detroit Red Wings."
--From the Foreword by Steve Yzerman

"When I was traded to Chicago, my heart was still with the Red Wings. That's why I retired in 1960 [at 34]. I was still a Red Wing. I had it tattooed on my chest, and on my forehead, and on my backside. That's why I quit. I didn't quit because I believed I was finished. I quit because I was just existing. I wasn't living."
--Ted Lindsay

From the Inside Flap

The Detroit Red Wings first reached prominence in the mid-1930s, winning two straight Stanley Cups to establish themselves as the elite NHL franchise of that era. Then, behind the talents of players such as Marcel Pronovost, Vic Stasiuk, Glenn Hall, and the legendary Gordie Howe, the Wings reigned again in the 1950s and captured two more Stanley Cups. Steve Yzerman, Brendan Shanahan, and Scotty Bowman lifted the Red Wings back to glory in the late 1990s, adding three more Cups to the collection and ushering in a new era of greatness that is alive and well today. The Red Wings' history is as rich as that of any other franchise in the National Hockey League, and it is through the hard work, sweat, and determination of these players and coaches and scores of others that Detroit has become known as Hockeytown, USA.

What It Means to Be a Red Wing celebrates that history and the personalities who helped create it. For the first time, Red Wings fans get an inside look at the significance and impact that taking the ice and defending the greatest tradition in professional hockey has had on their heroes. These first-person accounts from dozens of Detroit hockey legends describe their experiences on and off the ice and give readers a true sense of what those experiences have meant to them.

Players such as Ted Lindsay and Marty Pavelich reminisce about their careers, which began back in the 1940s, as do 1950s stars Johnny Wilson, Benny Woit, and others. Bill Gadsby and Pete Mahovlich were among the franchise's most famous faces during the 1960s, and their stories will help fans recall that era, while the next two decades are captured in the memories of icons such as Red Berenson, Paul Woods, Eddie Mio, Jacques Demers, and Tim Cheveldae.

The most recent success has come at the hands of players like Chris Chelios, Kris Draper, and Luc Robataille. And Bowman's riveting reflections of his tenure behind the bench will give readers insight into one of the greatest coaching minds of his time.

Most Detroit hockey fans will not get to experience the thrill of skating up the ice during the Stanley Cup finals, but after reading this compilation they will surely have a deeper understanding and appreciation of what it means to be a Red Wing.

About this edition

• Publisher: Triumph Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1572438851
• ISBN 13: 9781572438859
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 336