Customer Reviews

A Season of Loss, a Lifetime of Forgiveness: The Dan Snyder and Dany Heatley Story

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The title of my review says it all, this is more than a hockey book ... it's more of a book that plumbs the depths of human emotions and explores the ties that bind young men. Yes, hockey is the background, but it easily could've been about other subjects.

Manasso does a fantastic job delving into the relationship between Snyder and Heatley and investigates why this on-the- surface "odd couple" (one was a star whose skill allowed him to be handed everything and the other was a mucker who needed every bit of Moxie to achieve his dream) became such best friend and how every twist and turn of their lives brought the two together.

If you don't feel touched by the way Manasso describes the fateful events and the grief and sorrow that it brings on to households as well as a National Hockey League franchise, then you are without a soul.

John Manasso's meticulously researched book tells the story of Dan Snyder's tragic death and its aftermath. There's enough background and detail in this book to satisfy hockey aficionados but the real story is about how the Synders and their extended family and community dealt with their son's passing. The book delves into the forensic investigation of the crash that killed Dan Synder and the subsequent legal negotiations that threatened to jail Danny Heatley, one of Canada's top players. It goes on to reveal much about the family's approach to healing and forgiveness and the vignettes about what went on with teammates in the locker rooms were touching. This was a great book and John's simple, straightforward writing style makes it an enjoyable read.

A tragic tale well told. This book is a fitting tribute to the memory of Dan Snyder and the way his parents forgave Danny Heatley for his death.

This is a great book. I'm not a huge hockey fan but I felt awful about this tragedy. This book describes the family's amazing ability to forgive, despite such a tragic loss. I enjoyed the sneak peak into what goes on among teammates and seeing the more personal side of hockey. Very well written.

For those who were exposed only to the negative news stories of this event, and formed an opinion about the incident based on those stories, this book is must-read! The book focuses on reporting the facts of the accident, the emotions of all involved and describes the character of both of the players. I especially admired the Snyders family and their refusal to do anything but forgive Dany Heatley. The judge that presided over the legal proceedings gives one hope for our justice system. Based on personal experience, I can attest that the judge's assertion that Heatley will never be able to forget this accident is true, and is punishment enough.

The book arrived in an extremely timely fashion and in perfect condition. The overall speed was fantastic!!

This is the story of the September 29, 2003 auto accident in Atlanta which resulted in the death of Dan Snyder, hockey player for the Atlanta Thrashers. The auto was driven by Dan's friend and teammate, Dany Heatley, who was charged by the Fulton County District Attorney on five counts.

The story is good in its details and facts. Doctors have trouble identifying Heatley and Snyder, not because of the accident, but because both men's driver's licenses and some money had been stolen at the hospital. Teammates come to the hospital in support of the players. Limited hope exists that Snyder would recover; he does not. The writer relates interviews with family, friends, and members of Snyder's home town. One chapter is devoted to the memorial service in Elmira.

The legal proceedings took an extended time for resolution. The writer takes a wayward attempt to link the accident with the Ray Lewis stabbing affair which occurred in Atlanta on January 31, 2000 along the lines of how the District Attorney handled the case. I had trouble relating the auto accident which happened after 10:00 p.m. and did not involve alcohol with the stabbing deaths which occurred at 4:00 a.m. outside of a bar.

The main focus is on the Snyder family and how the family members deal with the death, with Dany Heatley, with the media, and with other families facing similar tragedy.

It is not a "feel good" story, but it is a story that makes you think about how people deal with tragedy. You get to know a little about Dan and Dany and come away from the book thinking about their stories. Although parts of the book do loosely follow the Thrashers during the season, you do not have to be a hockey fan to read this and get value from it.

I was given this book by a friend without knowing anything about Dan Snyder or Danny Heatley. What an amazing story about two pretty impressive young men. After reading it, I wish I could have known Dan Snyder. I hope that if I were ever in this situation (heaven forbid), I would do what the Snyders did. In our litigious society, they are absolutely amazing people.

The only negative about this book is that there are so many names dropped in along the way that I couldn't keep them all straight. The name dropping distracted me from the story itself.

I wish the Snyders all the best.

Tragedy occurred on the night of Monday 29th September 2003 to two NHL hockey players. Canadian All-Star Dany Heatley was driving home his Atlanta Thrashers team-mate fellow Canadian Dan Snyder when Heatley's Ferrari tore apart and landed both occupants in hospital. Snyder, 25 died shortly after as a result of the accident. This excellent book follows the early years of Snyder's battle to hit the NHL big-time and his short-lived Atlanta career. An enormously popular guy suddenly taken away, his good friend Heatley coming to terms with responsibilty for his actions.
This remarkable story shows how the Snyder family were quickly able to forgive Heatley and testify their wishes that a custodial sentence was not what they would want for Heatley. They wanted him to pursue his NHL career and not end up being deported from the US. The book gives a generous account of Snyder's early hockey days, his huge popularity with practically everyone he met and the shock of the accident. We also find out how the Snyders, the Thrashers and Heatley coped with the tragedy, the goodwill messages and gestures from hockey fans all over North America, the indictment and the final judge's decision the punishment Heatley must face.
You may shed a tear or two through this. Well worth a read. The Snyder family are a fantastic example for many to follow.