Wayne Gretzky's Ghost: And Other Tales from a Lifetime in Hockey

by Roy MacGregor

Roy MacGregor has been called "the best hockey writer in the country," and we finally have a collection of his very best hockey writing, revised and updated.

For nearly 40 years Roy MacGregor has brought hockey, our national sport, alive on the page. From tales of the game's greats (Guy Lafleur, Jean Beliveau, Marcel Dionne) to today's stars (Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Daniel and Henrik Sedin), his magazine and newspaper coverage has revealed so much about these and so many other personalities, in moments of promise, victory and defeat. While many of these stories play out on the ice, some of the most compelling take place on the home front (Mario Lemieux's battle against cancer, the many tribulations of Bob Gainey), and MacGregor's prose shines especially when focused on the human side of a sport defined by superhuman feats of speed, aggression and power.

Wayne Gretzky's Ghost is a personal book, and also a book of challenging that Wayne Gretzky, through no fault of his own, was the worst thing to happen to hockey; that CBC 's Hockey Night in Canada has lost sight of what it is; that goaltending has become a position out of all proportion to what was intended. And who could offer a better perspective on the game than a writer who, playing as a youngster, had to face an onrushing phenom from Parry Sound named Bobby Orr, or who spent a year ghostwriting a national newspaper column for the Great One himself? When it comes to hockey, Roy MacGregor has seen (and in some cases, done) it all.

Genres: Hockey, Sports, Canada, Nonfiction

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Roy MacGregor is a Canadian author of fiction and non-fiction.

Reviews

[Phil Spencer]

Great writing from MacGregor as always. It definitely brought back great memories from my "hockey-filled" childhood and the NHL stars that captivated me. Unfortunately, the book's format of multiple short articles was not enjoyable. Be sure that you're prepared to read news article after news article when you pick this book up.

[Big Satan]

A collection of MacGregor's hockey articles/stories from the '70s to the '10s. Some great portraits, such as the ones on Bryan Trottier, Gilles Gratton and Jean Beliveau, really nail it, but many articles are, though well-written, not blowing any minds but feel pretty pedestrian.

I do like, however, that MacGregor dares to voice his opinion, such as on dangerous hits to the head, and he writes also of hardships like death and addiction and not only the "easier" stuff.

As articles, these are very good; but as a book, this compilation's format doesn't allow MacGregor to approach the heights or depths of a verdict better than slightly above average.

Rating: 3/5

[LDD]

Interesting reading but not what I expected (didn’t pay enough attention to the description before buying). Took me a long time to finish this collection of newspaper and magazine articles. I think if these had been woven into a story, perhaps chronological, would have been more enjoyable but still worth a read for hockey fans.

[Maurice Tougas]

There is no better hockey writer in Canada than Roy MacGregor. This collection of his past writings from magazines and newspapers should be essential reading for hockey fans.

[Ian]

A collection of articles is interesting but for the dedicated fan only.

[Dianne Landry]

A lot of short anecdotes about various hockey players past and present as well as about the game itself. A very easy read but not that interesting.

[Kevin St.Clair]

If you like the sport, a very very good read.. recommended..

[Frank Corriveau]

I enjoyed the short stories. It was like a blast of nostalgia reminiscing about certain hockey events.