Between the Lines: Not-So-Tall Tales from Ray "Scampy: Scapinello's Four Decades in the NHL

by Ray Scapinello

An insider's look at life on the lines

To hockey fans, Ray Scapinello's name and face are as recognizable as any star player or coach in the NHL. Scampy, as he is affectionately known has had a long and storied career as a linesman in the NHL. His 5-foot-7 frame and 163 pounds belie his ability and endurance on the ice. When Ray retired in 2004 after 33 years in the NHL, he had officiated in 2,500 regular season matches (never missing a game), 426 playoff games, and an astounding twenty Stanley Cup final series. His untouchable statistics make him a lock to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as an official, but even they do not do justice to the respect he has earned from officials, players, coaches, and fans alike. On and off the ice, Scampy is considered one of hockey's great personalities, a consummate professional, a chronic practical joker, and a true ambassador of the sport.

Between the Lines gives a rare glimpse inside the world of hockey from an unusual perspective — through the eyes of one of the game's greatest and best-loved officials. Scampy shares his tales of life both on and off the ice as an official, an inside look at what those players and coaches are really like, what they really say and do, and what the game looks like between the lines. Full of fun stories, perspective on how the game has changed and evolved, and stories and interviews about Scampy from players, coaches, and other officials, Between the Lines is a captivating memoir of a truly unique life in hockey.

Genres: Hockey, Sports, Nonfiction

305 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 16, 2006

Reviews

[Dave Schulte · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good stories but I still do and always will hate anyone in a ref jersey

[Teebz Hbic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review for Between the Lines can be found on Hockey Blog In Canada.

[Nick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides some great history from an officials point of view. My favorite part of officiating are the stories. Some good, some bad. This book is packed with anecdotes from Scampy's long, certain Hall of Fame career. His personality on and off the ice is professional, but still fun. Many important people in hockey have contributed stories to this book. Even if you don't necessarily have a background in officiating, as long as you are a hockey fan, you will enjoy this book. The book also goes into how the NHL has evolved into the game being played today [or not played, because there may not be a season this year]. The book also sheds light on the behind-the-scenes of the inner workings of the NHL.

if you ref, this is a must read.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my experience, hockey officials always have great stories to tell about the games they've called. Having called lines at the highest level for as long as he did, Scapinello has a wealth of these stories. Like so many such memoirs, though, the author doesn't make the best use of these stories. As I said about Ron MacLean's "Cornered," I think this contents of this book could have added up to something more. It is a collection of entertaining stories that are assembled in a rambling fashion and don't add up to an outstanding cohesive work.

[David Horton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reads like an overly long retirement speech. It's a somewhat rambling, unfocused look back on the life and career of a very nice man who also happens to be a referee in the National Hockey League. The was easy to read but not a compelling page turner. I could have put it down for two or three months and not felt like any momentum was lost when picking it up again. Fans of sports stories might not find enough thrills between these covers to keep their interest but fans of the game - hockey - will like this because it looks at the sport from an underlooked point of view.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scampy (and maybe Kevin Collins for other reasons) is the only linesman who ever really stood out to me from game to game so when I saw this book I had to read it. Watching on TV he always seemed to be having fun and really love doing the games and reading about him confirms it. Some great anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories make this a great read for a hockey fan.

[Jeff · Rating 2 out of 5]

I generally have a pretty low expectation for sports books. But this one failed to live up even to those...the stories are OK, but the writing level is really mediocre. There's no flow to the chapters or to the book as a whole, just a series of statements. Feels like a missed opportunity given the amount of NHL hockey that Scapinello witnessed.

[Roy]

Imean what can you say , its just a book about hockey . It was / is what it is and reading this book is not going to take away the fact that it is a violent ' Game " played by men but orginally for boys . It was great that Ray survived as long as he did and got to retire . Yay for him .

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty decent book about a remarkable career, and a view of a side of the NHL most people don't normally read about. It did kind of read more like a collection of memories and anecdotes than a real book.

[Otter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed it. The book got much better as it went on and I even went back and read some more from the beginning. 3.5* is my rating because there were some parts that made me think I should stop reading. If you're a hockey fan you should read it.

[Cornelius · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lot of fun hockey stories, it was perfect for a flight or any other time you want some light hockey reading.

[Aaron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of good stories about hockey players, officials, and famous games from the Eighties and Nineties.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard work does go NOTICED!

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed Ray's reflection back on a tremendous career. It was a pleasure to have met Ray at Book Expo in Toronto a few years ago where he gave me my autographed copy of this book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you enjoyed Kerry Fraser's book, Scampy's book is equally informative and entertaining. A hockey fan can learn a lot about an on-ice officials life in the NHL. A must read for any hockey fan.

[Michael Westveer · Rating 3 out of 5]

First hand facts are fun

It was awesome to get to read how things work on ice level. The book is a good read for hockey fans.

[Snorstoper · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lot of great stories. Very entertaining!