Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Well-researched, well-written., October 29, 2009
This is overall a well-researched book that brings a lot of new material to the table in telling the story of Gretzky, McNall, and the trade that changed hockey.
It's hard not to compare this to Brunt's previous book, Searching for Bobby Orr. This is, in most respects, a far superior book. To start with, he has chosen an ideal structure for non-fiction narrative. Take as your core an incident, one that we think we know everything about. That's the hub of the wheel, then each chapter & sub-chapter serves as a spoke in the wheel. Moving from person to person, perspective to perspective, keeps it going, keeps it interesting. He gets in the same information he would have given if the book had been structured as a straight-ahead biography, but this approach minimizes the danger that the book will be too plodding.
There was a lot of content here that I hadn't seen, or at least didn't remember seeing, before, the biggest being the call on speakerphone between McNall and Pocklington. Or, there's the anecdote that in a couple of lines completely captures Jerry Buss, at least who he was as a hockey owner: the famous comeback against Gretzky's Oilers? He missed it. Left the game, couldn't be bothered to stick around for it.
Brunt obviously did a lot of legwork, and having the co-operation of many of the key players -- Gretzky himself passed, but his family, his agent, and McNall were all interviewed. Other gems came from Nelson Skalbania and some of McNall's key employees. In addition, Brunt's passion for the game and understanding of its place in Canada's culture comes shining through. While some of his analysis seems to me to stretch things a little, it's enjoyable to read well-thought out views on a subject so close to every Canadian's heart.
If there's a flaw with the book, it's that it may have been rushed to publication. Brunt is a very good writer, and there are times (mostly in the first 100 pages or so) where he strives for, and achieves, poetry in his prose. But, much of the latter part of the book feels rushed. I note that there was an ESPN t.v. special that aired on the same subject at around the same time as the book's release. Perhaps Brunt didn't want to be "scooped".
In any event, it could have used another draft. The pacing bogs down a little at times (particularly when getting into the history of the L.A. Kings), and it seems like it takes too long to get to the end once we get past the fateful day. Some of the material (what happened after the trade) could have been presented earlier in the book, before he got to the trade. We all know McNall went to jail, for example. That part of the story could have been moved ahead.
Also, there were a few missed opportunities. McNall, for example. Great character, presumably a great interview. More details on him, his rise, his dealings in the NHL, and his fall would have fit in well. Early on, there's a teaser, p. 48 where he tells us that McNall now says that his hand-picked guy to run the league, Gary Bettman, was the wrong guy. Well, come on, Stephen, give us the goods! We ALL hate Bettman, but McNall's ammunition is better than anything we got, so pull back the curtain and show us! But no.
Another is an episode not mentioned at all: Gretzky's near-signing with Vancouver in 1996, the summer he signed with New York. As a Vancouverite, I certainly would like to know more details about exactly what happened there. For someone with part of the story, his book provides a clue: Pat Quinn had been the GM when there had been a prior attempt to bring Gretzky to Vancouver, as a part-owner, in 1988. There was speculation that Vancouver was being used as a pawn to drive up the price that McNall ultimately paid. Was Quinn perhaps too worried about "fool me once..." to approach the latter negotiations with the proper mindset?
In any case, this one is well worth the price of admission and a worthy addition to any hockey fan's library.
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0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
It's OK, October 19, 2009
Brunt makes some excellent points and provides acceptable background research. However, Gretzky's story was one of coming into his prime in a small market. Unfortunately, there is a price for success. Look no further than Paul Coffey's exit when the Oilers started losing pieces. The Oilers were a powerhouse, paying many of their star players the minimum as they churned out Cup titles. The Oilers weren't the first sports franchise to fall victim to their own success. They were just able to tread the waters better - for awhile anyway.
Of course Gretzky would have been better served to remain in Edmonton - as long as the core group stayed intact. It's a ludicrous argument. Shouldn't players be rewarded for success? Dangle multi-millions against a fraction of that and it's difficult to demonize Gretzky for taking the money, especially for helping put the NHL on the map with casual U.S. hockey fans, despite horrendous mismanagement in the NHL offices by John Ziegler, among others.
As someone who covered the NHL for seven years, the previous reviewer's point about Gretzky being overrated registers as illogical. I respect (sans the rose-colored glasses) what Gretzky accomplished. Outside of Bobby Orr, Jim Brown and Babe Ruth, there has never been another athlete to dominate a sport in the way Gretzky did. And the aforementioned three can't compare when true domination is considered. Not even "His Airness," Michael Jordan. Even he had comparable contemporaries.
The gap between what Gretzky achieved in comparison to his contemporaries and the game's history is absolutely staggering.
On the playing field, there is rarified air and then there's the stratosphere Gretzky created. There's no debating it.
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0 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Terrific work by Stephen Brunt, October 19, 2009
Wayne Gretzky's trade from the Edmonton Oilers to the LA Kings back in 1988, just a month after he and his team had won their fourth Stanley Cup in five years, landed like a bombshell on the American and Canadian sports landscape. This fine book examines what caused the trade, as well as its aftermath, in the NHL, Canada, and Los Angeles.
Post trade the Great One's career was basically one of mediocre teams and mindless pursuit of scoring records. He led the Kings to one finals appearance, then moved on to St. Louis and New York, never coming close to another title. Was it worth it for 99 to make a few million more dollars by leaving a great Edmonton team when the cost to his legacy is examined? I feel, and am almost certain Mr. Brunt shares this belief, that Gretzky would have been better served by staying with the Oilers and winning another four or five Stanley Cups. He was then and remains a wealthy man. But one's legacy can't be purchased: it must be earned. Gretzky went for the bucks over the glory and paid the price in my view.
It was recently revealed that while 99 was coaching the hapless Phoenix franchise of the NHL he was being paid $8 million dollars per year, roughly eight times what most coaches around the league are making. It seems that Gretzky is still good at making a buck, and played us true believers for suckers all along: it really was about the money for him.
Wayne Gretzky: one of the most over hyped and overrated athletes in recent times. He was a truly great player who couldn't have cared less about anyone or anything besides the checks he received from ownership. For shame.
Outstanding book and well worth a read for hockey fans.
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