The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL [Hardcover]

Ross Bernstein (Author), Marty McSorley (Foreword), Tony Twist (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2006

Ice hockey has always been a sport steeped in a culture of violence, and players universally calibrate the level of physical contact by adhering to unwritten rules known simply as "the code". "The Code" picks up where the rule book leaves off and fills in the gaps, all in an effort to govern the game and its players - allowing them to complete in a manner deemed fair and respectable. To fully understand the significance and history behind "the code", Bernstein interviewed more than 50 past and present players and coaches. Their insights and stories explain why fighting is allowed, and how players police themselves on and off the ice.

Editorial Reviews

From the Inside Flap

Hockey is and always has been a sport steeped in a culture of violence. Players have learned, however, to navigate the escalating levels of physical contact by adhering to an honor system known simply as "the Code." As mysterious as it is sacred, the Code is an unwritten set of rules—the bible of hockey sportsmanship, if you will—that has been handed down from generation to generation. Although the Code has been around since the game’s inception in Canada, it remains a taboo subject, so much so that many players are simply unwilling to talk about it publicly—until now, that is.

Author Ross Bernstein spent two years researching and conducting extensive interviews with a broad spectrum of players, and he was able to get them to talk freely about their most intimate feelings about fighting and retaliation. What he learned and shares in this book is truly fascinating. While some players relished opportunities to drop the gloves and others simply dreaded it, they all had one thing in common: they did it when they had to in order to protect themselves as well as their teammates. The Code features extensive quotes that detail everything from the legal and cultural issues between the North American players and their foreign counterparts to how the players are able to turn it off when they leave the arena and go home to their kids. Most importantly, this book reveals what really goes on between the players while the fights are on.

Hockey’s rules of engagement can be summarized in three categories: protection, intimidation, and retaliation. If one player challenges another player, that second player must answer the call and "show up" or else face the humiliation of being considered dirty, or even a coward. Worse yet, if that player refuses to right what was wronged and defend his actions, he risks having that incident escalate to a higher level, involving additional teammates. That is when the enforcers come off the bench to keep the peace, and that is also usually when the crowd goes wild. By the time two heavyweights drop the gloves, there may have been up to a dozen events between several different players that led up to that fight. That is all a part of the intricate matrix that makes up the Code. And this book will help to demystify that matrix for you.

The Code is completely up to date with the new league-wide rules changes, which were implemented following the NHL lockout of 2005, when the rules of engagement completely changed. This first-of-its-kind project provides an incredible window into an extremely controversial subject matter that always evokes passion. It’s a must-read for all puckheads!

About the Author

Ross Bernstein is an ice hockey commentator, writer, and dedicated fan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Triumph Books (September 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572437561
• ISBN-13: 978-1572437562
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #335,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #26 in Books > Sports & Outdoors > Coaching > Hockey

More About the Author

Ross Bernstein is the best-selling author of more than 40 sports books and has appeared on thousands of local and national television and radio programs over his career, including CNN, NPR and ESPN, as well as on the covers of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and USA Today. As a sought after motivational keynote speaker, Ross speaks to corporations and groups around the country about the inspirational legacy of his late friend and mentor, Herb Brooks, the coach of the fabled gold medal winning 1980 "Miracle on Ice" hockey team. Ross, who had actually been working with Brooks on writing a series of motivational/self-help books at the time of his tragic passing in 2003, honors the legacy of his friend and mentor through a program based on the topics of Passions and Legacies entitled: "When it Comes to Team-Building, Leadership & Motivation, Do you Believe in Miracles?" Putting many of the life-lessons and ideologies he learned from the fiery coach into a practical business application, Ross' interactive, entertaining and thought-provoking presentation aims to inspire others to follow their dreams and maybe, just maybe, even create their own miracles. Ross and his wife have one daughter and currently reside in the Twin Cities, MN.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Semi-educational, semi-entertaining, but mediocre writing, March 17, 2007

By 

Dad x3 "Martin K" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL (Hardcover)

As a long-time hockey enthusiast and proponent of fighting in the NHL, I thought this book would be a great read. It is, for the most part, very educational, explaining a lot of the history of fighting and feuds in the NHL, describing the infamous, unwritten Code and what it means to the players and coaches, and also detailing how various rule and cultural changes have revised the game to its current state. (Although we can probably stop calling it the "unwritten Code" now that, ya know, there's this book.)

Unfortunately, it's NOT a great read, and many of the reviews here at Amazon are spot-on. The book is amateurish and mediocre, strictly for the hardcore enthusiast or someone who desperately seeks to absorb everything to know about hockey and needs this book as a primer to understand fighting in the NHL. Bernstein's words only account for about 30% of the overall manuscript. The rest is clips and quotes from NHL players and coaches, mostly Tony Twist, Marty McSorely, and Paul Stewart.

Most quotes read like this: "Blah blah positive comment about fighting in hockey. Blah blah some anecdote about respect. Blah blah one time I did this, and here's why I beat this guy's face. Blah blah that's what the code means to me."

That's great, and I get the point. But do we need 119 quotes that all sound alike?

Bernstein also includes more cliche than should be allowable by law. He's in LOVE with using "quotes" to make references to things where no quotes are necessary, often being those afore-mentioned cliches.

What's lamentable is that there are numerous black and white photos peppered throughout the book. That's right... good ol' grayscale. I would've gladly paid an extra $2-$3 had the publishers saw fit to include color photos, and much more of them. I'd bet a good 20% of the repetitive quotes and Bernstein's long-winded drivel could've been replaced by more photos of famous fights and fighters.

Admittedly, Bernstein claims he was a casual hockey fan and knew nothing of the Code prior to researching for this book, which he started doing after the oft-mentioned "Bertuzzi incident". Hockey fans would have been done better service had this book been written by a true sports writer with a passion for the game. Terry Frei or Frank DeFord could've done a better job. Lord knows their editors could, too.

To its credit, however, The Code is full of some great hockey stories, and tales that describe the history of fighting in the NHL. There are also some very amusing quotes and stories from some of hockey's best enforcers that made me laugh out loud or had my jaw drop. (Although I'm disappointed there wasn't one word about Vladamir "The Vladinator" Konstantinov in this entire book.)

All that said, for anyone who loves the game of hockey, and enjoys the fisticuffs, I WOULD recommend this book (to Bernstein's publisher: please note that I did not have a need to put the word fisticuffs in quotes, as Bernstein seems compelled to do every time he uses the word, as if it's the first time we've read it). But do yourself a favor and skim it, paying careful attention to the quotes, which are either framed in gray boxes or in italicized text. It's a book best-read on a lazy Saturday afternoon, or maybe a few days before the All Star break when we're itching for anything hockey. Plus, you'll probably learn a thing or two about some famous hockey fights that you can use to impress your friends and wow your beer league teammates!

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for the new hockey fan, January 19, 2008

By 

TND "hockey fans" (Stanwood, Wa) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL (Hardcover)

being new hockey fans it has often been confusing as to why some penalties are called and some things aren't. Hearing long time fans complaining about calls that seem obvious. why is fighting allowed in hockey but not other team sports. This book does an excellent job of explaining how hockey has evolved and the reasons behind a lot of the actions on the ice. Definately opens up another line of thinking and allows you to have a better perspective of the game from the players point of view.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Read it if you're curious, but get it from the library., April 10, 2007

By 

D. Weidenhamer (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Code: The Unwritten Rules of Fighting and Retaliation in the NHL (Hardcover)

If you want to know why fighting in hockey is not only accepted, but necessary, or if you want some privy information from some of the game's top heavyweights, then read this book. But don't spend your money for it.

There are numerous errors of fact throughout this book. One is tempted to give Bernstein the benefit of the doubt, and think it's merely a keystroke, like when he reports the standard size of an NHL rink as 100' X 85'. Later he does list the correct dimensions of 200' X 85, so an early typo is forgiveable.
By the time I was reading how Mike Vernon led his team to two consecutive Stanley Cups from 1996-1998 though, I knew they weren't typos. Mike Vernon wasn't the starting goaltender for the Detroit Redwings in `96-97 regular season, but he did build his stock up enough in the playoffs to get a fat contract from San Jose the following year, when Chris Osgood (and Kevin Hodson) backstopped the Wings to the Cup in '97-98.

It is impossible to type "Ontario" though when you mean "Alberta". Bernstein refers to the rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton as "the battle of Ontario", and I know he knows the difference, because he later refers to it as "the battle of Alberta". After a while of reading other completely irresponsible factual mistakes, the book would seem to be much less credible. The only thing that salvages it is that quite a bit of the text is verbatim interviews with former and current players, referees and other hockey personalities.

Here are some other items that will make a hockey fan furrow their brow -
Listing Mario Lemieux as at least 6'5", 230. He did end his career at 230, but came into the NHL at 18 years old weighing much less and standing 6'4" tall. While I'm not sure exactly how much weight he gained, I am quite sure he didn't get taller.
Comparing Muhammad Ali, the world's most recognizable athlete, to Tie Domi.
Spinning the 1987 Canada / USSR junior bench clearing brawl as a head-to-head championship game. (The Soviets were by then out of contention.)
Claiming the biggest rivalry of the six-team NHL was Chicago / Detroit. Not to disrespect that for what it was, but read any Canadian's book that has anything to do with hockey, and you will know the best NHL rivalry of all-time is Montreal / Toronto.
Calling Derian Hatcher fast.

After all of that, the book is not well organized or written. I did not buy this book to read the author's personal testament to his favorite players or endure pages of redundant opinion. And you shouldn't either. If you want to read some great anecdotes, or really are curious about the necessities of fighting in hockey, then you'll find it here. But check it out from your local library.