Boy on Defence

Hockey Stories #2

by Scott Young

When forward Bill Spunska joins the Northwest High School hockey team, he thinks they have a great chance to win the city championship, but a feud with teammate Pete Gordon could destroy their chances for victory.

Genres: Hockey

256 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Scott Alexander Young was a Canadian journalist, sportswriter, novelist and the father of musician Neil Young. Over his career, Young wrote 45 books, including novels and non-fiction for adult and youth audiences.

Reviews

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is much better than the ghastly cover would suggest. It is a great Canadian classic. The boy on defence seems to be modelled on the legendary Bill Barilko (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Ba...) who scored the game winning goal against the Montreal Canadians in the 5th game of the 1951 Stanley Cup finals.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dated? Sure. Very much a product of the 1950s with mild 1980s updating. But a classic hockey novel even so.

[Danny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favorite of Scott Young's trilogy. I also read _Hockey Wingman_, which I recall liking even more.

[Trish Boese · Rating 4 out of 5]

4* Read this aloud to my children, who are also lovers of The Game. A Canadian story of an immigrant boy and his coming of age in wintry Winnipeg.