Hockey Towns: Stories Of Small Town Hockey In Canada

by Bill Boyd

In 1996, Bill Boyd set out on the Trans-Canada highway, taking in a few hockey games along the way. In the year that followed, he travelled from Powell River, British Columbia to Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, stopping in communities such as Nanton, Alberta; Estevan, Saskatchewan; Peterborough, Ontario; Victoriaville, Quebec; and Truro, Nova Scotia.

In these towns, Boyd finds the people who care about the game and work to keep it alive. Through the words of the fans, the coaches, the scouts, the ex-NHLers and the young hopefuls, Hockey Towns presents a vivid, heartwarming portrait of our national pastime.

Genres: Hockey, Sports, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Bill Boyd (1933–2001) was a jazz pianist, composer, and educator known for his engaging teaching pieces for young students. He performed professionally in New York and Long Island and published popular collections with Hal Leonard, including Think Jazz and Jazz Starters. With a Master's from Columbia, he taught for over twenty years before retiring to Florida, where he continued composing works that remain influential in jazz piano pedagogy.

Reviews

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I initially planned to rate the book two stars because there were some interesting stories but on the whole this book is very negative (everyone is complaining about something but then the next story will be complaint about the other side of that same viewpoint). It doesn’t really embody the spirit of small town hockey and it is not written very cohesively.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Never met any of the people within the book, but actually felt a little emotionally attached to some, especially to the few who unfortunately didn't make it to the NHL.

Any hockey fan, Canadian or sports fan will enjoy this.

[Benn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyable read.