Customer Reviews

In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a parent of a goaltender, who of course wants to make it to the NHL, I found this book to be very encouraging. Every goaltender can and does have bad games. If you have the heart, you have a chance to make it.

The best part about this book is that it's in the players' own words. For anyone who enjoys stories about old time hockey this is a must read.

Inside stories, inside thoughts, the hows, whys, and wherefores of hockey goaltending. Not just the stars and legends, but the back-ups, the crazies, the philosopher-goalies speak on the art, zen, and fun that is goaltending.

If you are a goalie in any sport, whether hockey, lacrosse, soccer, water polo - you will gain useful insight into your game by hearing how these athletes describe their vocation.

Irvin knows how to preamble and then just let the goalies speak their piece. An excellent read.

This is an excellent look at goalies from the present and recent past. You'll learn more about your favorites and get a welcome introduction to others (many of whom are still playing) you haven't heard as much about. You can open the book, start reading at the beginning, middle, or end, and you'll have a good time!

I have always been ambivalent about Dick Irvin as a commentator, but his oral histories devoted to the sport he loves are superb. In The Crease takes the reader inside the minds ( and creases ) of some of the game's most notable keepers and gives us as close to what its like to face the shots, perils, and adventures that goalies face on a regular basis. If you are serious at all about discovering the ins and outs of the toughest position in all of sports, this book is one of the finest records that have ever been published.

Some of the most fascinating characters in sports history are goaltenders. It takes, as they say, a special breed of person to be a goalie. To stand there and have very hard-rubber pucks flying at you at speeds of a 100 miles per hour, is not for the sane.....especially in eras with no mask and almost no other body protection!

Dick Irvin has past goalies talk about their profession, their sport, and some of the crazy things they did and witnessed from others. This "oral history" book makes for fascinating reading. I'll never forget the things I read in here about the biggest flake of them all: Gilles Gratton.

As the book was written in 1995, don't look for modern-day goalies in here. Many of the men profiled in this book were players from the '70s and '80s.

Hockey fans will love this book. If you are not a hockey fan, you may want to read this book. It could change your opinion!