The Lost Dream: The Story Of Mike Danton David Frost And A Broken Canadian Family

by Steve Simmons

  Mike Jefferson started out as a suburban kid who dreamed of making it to the NHL, with parents determined to do anything and everything to make their son’s dream come true. So how did this promising young man’s hockey career turn into a harrowing crime story played out in sensational news reports? Coach and agent David Frost fast-tracked Jefferson’s route to the NHL, but at a staggering cost. Along the way, the affable young man turned against his parents, changed his name to Danton, and descended into a spiral of paranoia and violence that finally cut short the career he had sacrificed everything for when he was arrested for conspiracy to commit murder. In this fast-paced and gripping story, veteran hockey journalist Steve Simmons digs beneath the surface to answer questions that have left Canadians shocked and fascinated. How did Frost get such a grip on Danton and his family? How did Frost work himself into such a position of trust in the world of minor hockey? What exactly was Danton’s relationship with Frost? And who was it that Danton hired a hitman to kill—his father or his agent? Full of the insights from one of Canada’s most-trusted hockey columnists, who is intimately familiar with both minor hockey and the big leagues, The Lost Dream is the story of the dark side of our fascination with a game Canadians love.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Nonfiction

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2011

Reviews

[Ryan Eaton · Rating 5 out of 5]

How David Frost avoided prision time is shocking. The guy is a master manipulator, sex offender, and destroyer of families. It’s a shame that he crossed paths with Mike Danton at all and who knows what kind of career Danton may have had, had he never crossed paths with Frost. Steve Simmons does a great job of covering everything that the Jefferson family went through especially Dantons younger brother Tom. This book is perhaps the most disturbing books I have read but it is something that needed to be said to explain how twisted and sick David Frost really is.

[Paris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating story despite Simmons’ poor writing. If this had gone through more editing (or perhaps had a different author…) it would have been much better. As others noted the flow of information was awkward and occasionally confusing. Despite this, these events are interesting enough on their own and give enough food for thought on the hockey industry and culture that it is definitely worth checking out.

The other main issue I had with this book was its lack of empathy or even sympathy with Danton. He’s framed as quite cruel to his family despite much of his actions being clearly (to me anyway) influenced by the emotional and sexual abuse he suffered from a very young age. To some extent Simmons understands that Frost was manipulating Danton to dislike his family but the degree to which his ongoing abuse would further make him lash out or close off emotionally is missing. I also don’t think the fractures in his home life (while exaggerated by Frost and Danton) were taken seriously enough by Simmons. The last chapter’s take on his almost pathological lying was treated very poorly, almost snidely. I know this book is almost 15 years old and Simmons is not a specialist but I would have liked to have seen more effort at grasping his subject, e.g. doing some research into grooming and child sexual assault.

Lastly, while the subject of his book was Danton and his family, I can’t help but be highly curious about the other Brampton boys. Some space is given to Keefe and his parents in relation to Danton’s story but I would have liked to have seen a deeper exploration of the group and Frost’s influence over them. It would certainly give greater credence to Danton’s story not being an individual case but one wrapped up with his teammates, a wider culture in sports, and patterns of predation (like Frost preying on low income families which is either picked up or dropped by Simmons).

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably the most disturbing book I’ve read. The story of Mike Danton, even though it is years in the past, just brings anger to those involved. It was shocking to see how deep the trauma of this situation was is just beyond description. It was surprising to see how this went all the way to Sheldon Keefe and Bob Goodenow and just extends the anger to the NHLPA as well as the NHL, OHL and hockey community. As deep as Simmons gets into the story, there are fewer answers now than there were then. Although Simmons has taken criticism for his writing style, I found it okay and not difficult to follow. Really the only reason this was put down at times was that the content was just too much.

[Tekakarewes · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled to get through this book for a number of reasons, but mainly due to Steve Simmons’ horrible writing style. He wrote in a messy unorganized way that left me confused, as I was constantly trying to recall what he was talking about at different points in the book. He did not write chronologically and honestly it read as though much was left out. I do give him credit, this was a disturbing story and there has been a lot of secrecy around Danton and Frost’s relationship. But I wish it was written in a more organized, chronological way as this story is an important one to tell.

[anna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I struggled with the writing style and the organizational structure of this book for the duration of my reading experience. I’m not well versed in the world of hockey, regardless of level, and the back-and-forth gave me whiplash. Simmons’ disregard for chronology introduced confusion and proved to be distracting.

I found myself procrastinating reading this book, as I was often dreading whatever I might learn next. This was at times a difficult read, and while I can’t say I liked this book, I am glad I read it.

[Howie · Rating 5 out of 5]

heart wrenching, bizarre tale. nicely presented by the author, despite many who would not speak or comment.

[Steven Siroski · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disturbing look into the life of Mike Danton. Even today with hindsight, his decisions and choices are perplexing. A tale of caution regarding the dark side of hockey culture.

[Teebz Hbic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of The Lost Dream can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.

[Simon Vacca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll say this much -- Steve Simmons is a controversial, polarizing contrarian who operates in a manner that aims to divide readers and grab headlines. Nevertheless, here he is (mostly) on the right side of the matters at hand.

Simmons delves into the unusual -- and rather embarrassing -- circumstances under which Mike Danton left the NHL. It is a tale of tragedy that sheds light on the dark side of professional sports, the living nightmare that envelops a broken family, and the inherent evil that informs a power-hungry monster of a junior hockey coach-turned-agent.

It is a gripping read that underscores the horrors of the Danton-Frost dynamic (or lack thereof). I have some reservations about the way in which Danton's relationship with his family is unpacked, in that some of the questions that Simmons poses are of the redundant -- and, dare I say it, irresponsible -- variety...but the book is worth the money spent.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me so angry but I couldn't stop reading. How Frost was able to stay in the hockey community all these years is awful, and reading about the trials made me doubt our legal system. The book itself was very well written and interesting to be split up by different sides of the events that happened. Will probably end up reading it again at some point, because it is so interesting and intricate.

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very disturbing book about a man who got away with things he should be in jail for. Dave Frost is a predator and is every parent's worst nightmare. Every hockey parent should read this and take note of the warning signs if ever put into this situation.