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Gabby: Confessions of a Hockey Lifer
Bruce Boudreau is living a hockey Cinderella story. After more than three decades in the minor leagues as a player and coach, he was promoted to head coach of the Washington Capitals in 2007. Boudreau revived the Caps, written off as dead, to a division championship and received the Jack Adams award as the National Hockey League’s Coach of the Year in June 2008.
His story is an entertaining odyssey of triumph, disappointment, and perseverance, stretching from Toronto to Washington. As a pro rookie, Boudreau had a cameo appearance in Slap Shot with star Paul Newman. Today Boudreau coaches superstar Alexander Ovechkin and a young Washington club poised to become an elite NHL team vying for the Stanley Cup.
Boudreau stole the limelight at the 2008 NHL Awards Show with his self-deprecating and folksy manner, which has made him a popular personality at every stop he’s made. Hockey fans know there’s only one Boudreau.
His story is an entertaining odyssey of triumph, disappointment, and perseverance, stretching from Toronto to Washington. As a pro rookie, Boudreau had a cameo appearance in Slap Shot with star Paul Newman. Today Boudreau coaches superstar Alexander Ovechkin and a young Washington club poised to become an elite NHL team vying for the Stanley Cup.
Boudreau stole the limelight at the 2008 NHL Awards Show with his self-deprecating and folksy manner, which has made him a popular personality at every stop he’s made. Hockey fans know there’s only one Boudreau.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 1, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 19, 2015
While Boudreau will not go down in history for having lyrical prose, his biography is real and from the heart, and his voice comes through as though you are sitting with him over a burger and a beer. You needn't be a fan of the Capitals (or the Hershey Bears) to enjoy this story. If you're a lover of the sport, or enjoy seeing how things work "on the other side," this is a great quick read.
June 27, 2010
Interesting life story...not great literature. As a hockey fan first and a Caps fan second, I will smile if/when Gabby gets his name on the Stanley Cup. If that happens, like his many other accomplishments, he'll have earned it.
June 6, 2010
Good book to read during the hockey playoffs. Bruce was at the Hershey Bears playoffs after the Caps got eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs, so it was fun to read his comments about the game. I learned a lot more about hockey and its personalities.
March 3, 2020
How I rack up my Goodreads number is by reading while watching a hockey or baseball game. They call that multi-tasking. This marked the first time I read a hockey book while watching a hockey game....so...there is that? I would say that this book by Minnesota's recently fired head coach is average in every way, the very definition of a three star. And the Wild lost to the Capitals. Gabby....three stars.
August 31, 2010
"Gabby" is Bruce Boudreau’s hockey nickname, ‘cause he’s a talker. As Boudreau points out, it could be worse. These days it seems to be all about putting a “y” or an “ie” and the end of the players last name. That might have left him as “Boudie” and that is a bit too close to booty for my tastes.
Well “Gabby” has been in hockey for his whole life and fittingly he and co-author Tim Leone take us step by step through his hockey life.
I thought the book started a bit slow. Written more like a check list of where he went and who he played for instead of a nice flowing narrative.
There is also a lot of name dropping early on, but that is ok, it’s interesting to see how much paths cross in the minors and how those guys end up all over the league. Surprising how many recognizable names (though not huge name players) that he has coached and that are now in the league, either on the Avs (my home team) or otherwise.
Speaking of names we all know, Boudreau played his last season in the minors for coach Barry Melrose. Melrose made quite an impression on Boudreau and his name pops up repeatedly throughout the rest of the book. Boudreau wraps the chapter by telling his readers: “I keep a picture of Barry Melrose in my house” I mean, who does that? Let alone admits it? Well, it is funny.
I felt that the pace and narrative really picked up a lot with the coaching years. The writing is average but the material becomes more interesting. He is quite liberal with revealing his salary as a minor league player and coach and that is certainly interesting. That info was not so liberally dispensed once he made it to the big leagues.
The book wraps up with a game by game synopsis of his first season as head coach of the Caps. It was a bit much.
Overall I never did care much for the style of the writing. The storytelling was disjointed. A chapter might start with a mention of Alex Ovechkin and his style of play. Then the text would suddenly shift to something seemingly completely unrelated, years previous. Of course it would get back around to making the point that he laid out in the opening of the chapter. But it wasn’t smooth.
I suppose if you are a big fan of Bruce Boudreau you will find this an interesting book. But I didn’t think he gives much insight to many of the players. He seems to love Mike Green much more than Alex Ovechkin and there are the requisite stories and such. But overall, meh.
Well “Gabby” has been in hockey for his whole life and fittingly he and co-author Tim Leone take us step by step through his hockey life.
I thought the book started a bit slow. Written more like a check list of where he went and who he played for instead of a nice flowing narrative.
There is also a lot of name dropping early on, but that is ok, it’s interesting to see how much paths cross in the minors and how those guys end up all over the league. Surprising how many recognizable names (though not huge name players) that he has coached and that are now in the league, either on the Avs (my home team) or otherwise.
Speaking of names we all know, Boudreau played his last season in the minors for coach Barry Melrose. Melrose made quite an impression on Boudreau and his name pops up repeatedly throughout the rest of the book. Boudreau wraps the chapter by telling his readers: “I keep a picture of Barry Melrose in my house” I mean, who does that? Let alone admits it? Well, it is funny.
I felt that the pace and narrative really picked up a lot with the coaching years. The writing is average but the material becomes more interesting. He is quite liberal with revealing his salary as a minor league player and coach and that is certainly interesting. That info was not so liberally dispensed once he made it to the big leagues.
The book wraps up with a game by game synopsis of his first season as head coach of the Caps. It was a bit much.
Overall I never did care much for the style of the writing. The storytelling was disjointed. A chapter might start with a mention of Alex Ovechkin and his style of play. Then the text would suddenly shift to something seemingly completely unrelated, years previous. Of course it would get back around to making the point that he laid out in the opening of the chapter. But it wasn’t smooth.
I suppose if you are a big fan of Bruce Boudreau you will find this an interesting book. But I didn’t think he gives much insight to many of the players. He seems to love Mike Green much more than Alex Ovechkin and there are the requisite stories and such. But overall, meh.
July 6, 2010
Bruce Boudreau's energetic and magnetic personality comes shining through in his autobiography, "Gabby:" Confessions of a Hockey Lifer". I'd highly recommend this book to any fan of the Washington Capitals or hockey in general.
Nicknamed "Gabby" during his years in junior hockey, the chatty coach of the NHL's Caps puts his almost child-like love of the game on display in this snappy fast read. Boudreau runs through stories faster than an Ovechkin charge up-ice, and he covers more years and hockey experiences than the Caps have had wins in the last two seasons.
Gabby reveals how many of his early hockey career destinations were due to misguided and bad decisions. His agent encouraged him to stay in minor league Johnstown where he snagged some time with Paul Newman and shows up in the movie "Slapshot". He chose to go the World Hockey Association for a little more pay rather than grab NHL offer.
Along the way, it becomes clear that Gabby was the 'little engine that could'. In spite of himself, and his self-admitted lackadaisical approach to taking the game seriously, Boudreau was successful on an individual basis (he's been named to the AHL Hall of Fame), at the team level (he won the Memorial Cup in junior hockey), and as a coach (winning ECHL and AHL Championships).
Boudreau also provides insights into his time with the Caps, heart-breaking Game 7 playoff losses, managing All-Star talent, and his strategic and tactical approaches to coaching one of the highest scoring teams in the league.
The book is fun and funny, and is a veritable who's-who in the world of hockey. The book is a quick read for adults and perfectly appropriate for any students of the game 4th grade and up.
Nicknamed "Gabby" during his years in junior hockey, the chatty coach of the NHL's Caps puts his almost child-like love of the game on display in this snappy fast read. Boudreau runs through stories faster than an Ovechkin charge up-ice, and he covers more years and hockey experiences than the Caps have had wins in the last two seasons.
Gabby reveals how many of his early hockey career destinations were due to misguided and bad decisions. His agent encouraged him to stay in minor league Johnstown where he snagged some time with Paul Newman and shows up in the movie "Slapshot". He chose to go the World Hockey Association for a little more pay rather than grab NHL offer.
Along the way, it becomes clear that Gabby was the 'little engine that could'. In spite of himself, and his self-admitted lackadaisical approach to taking the game seriously, Boudreau was successful on an individual basis (he's been named to the AHL Hall of Fame), at the team level (he won the Memorial Cup in junior hockey), and as a coach (winning ECHL and AHL Championships).
Boudreau also provides insights into his time with the Caps, heart-breaking Game 7 playoff losses, managing All-Star talent, and his strategic and tactical approaches to coaching one of the highest scoring teams in the league.
The book is fun and funny, and is a veritable who's-who in the world of hockey. The book is a quick read for adults and perfectly appropriate for any students of the game 4th grade and up.
June 28, 2010
If you're not into hockey and specifically the Washington Capitals and/or Hershey Bears, this is probably not the book for you. I am, so, of course, I loved it. It was a great insight into what it's like to try to make it in professional hockey, as well as a fascinating look at the behind the scenes stuff of my favorite team. Josh didn't like it because he felt it was just a list of names, but I don't know how you would write a book about being a hockey lifer if you didn't include the names of the players, coaches, and other people who influenced you. I thought he did a good job showing how different games and situations with teams affected him emotionally (though Josh disagrees with me on this point). His humbleness and hard working persona really came through along with his complete love for and obsession with the game.
I also enjoyed the numerous mentions of what a great, hardworking player Brooks Laich is. Those were my favorite parts!
I thought it was great, but I am a little biased.
I also enjoyed the numerous mentions of what a great, hardworking player Brooks Laich is. Those were my favorite parts!
I thought it was great, but I am a little biased.
December 29, 2011
Bruce Boudreau comes to life in his autobiography, which is filled with feelings of regret, mistreatment, and what-ifs. Bruce shares some good hockey stories from his AHL days and his own coaching philosophy which I enjoyed. The issue I had with the book was the flow. It was like this book was written by a 8th grader in English class. Bruce jumps from one topic to another and then back again, it gets frustrating.
Overall it's worth a read, but there are much better hockey books available. Worth the read, whether or not your a Caps fan or not, which I am not (Doesn't really focus on the Caps as much as it focus' on Bruce's feelings and experiences).
Overall it's worth a read, but there are much better hockey books available. Worth the read, whether or not your a Caps fan or not, which I am not (Doesn't really focus on the Caps as much as it focus' on Bruce's feelings and experiences).
February 15, 2010
I consider my self first and foremost a sports fan, and secondly an avid Caps fan. I love Bruce as a coach, but it was a struggle for me to get through his autobiography. The book read as a play by play of every bit of minutia of his entire career as a minor league player through his move become coach of the Washington Capitals and their historic last to first run in 2008 and his Coach of the Year award the followed. It was very similar to listening to hockey play by play on the radio....somewhat painful.
December 24, 2011
So far pretty interesting. Since I'm relatively new to enjoying hockey sometimes reading all the names is confusing but it's not boring. This is really my first sports type of bio - and surprisingly I gotta say I like it! Gabby's voice is distinctive and you really do feel like he is one of the regular folk vs. a big celebrity or something!
Update: Got a little too detail oriented which made it kind of sag in the middle. Picked up towards 2/3 of the way in..a good effort. Great story about an ordinary guy. Good luck Gabby at the Pond!
Update: Got a little too detail oriented which made it kind of sag in the middle. Picked up towards 2/3 of the way in..a good effort. Great story about an ordinary guy. Good luck Gabby at the Pond!
November 3, 2012
Fun book that's takes you through nearly every league and city involved in North American competitive hockey! Gotta love how quickly Gabby rushed this onto the market shortly after making it to the NHL. Between this and his local TV advertisements, he made an admirable push to capitali$e on his ascent to the NHL.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews