Hell Bent

by Marty McSorley, Kirstie McLellan Day

Marty McSorley was no natural. His coaches told him he was too slow and not skilled enough to play hockey. But he worked hard, and this unlikely, undrafted underdog made it to the NHL, becoming one of the most effective and best-loved team players in the history of the league. He was also one of the toughest guys ever to play the game. For years, he watched Wayne Gretzky's back, first with the Oilers in Edmonton, then with the Kings in Los Angeles. He was fearless and never backed down. He played on the edge, and sometimes over it. In one notorious incident, he became the first NHLer to face a criminal trial for high sticking. He was suspended for 23 games and the playoffs, the harshest penalty ever handed out by the league up to that time.

In Hellbent, McSorley shares the inside story of his remarkable life for the first time—from a tough childhood growing up on a pig farm with ten brothers and sisters to surprising and often hilarious locker room anecdotes. He takes us inside The Trade that moved him with Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. Lemieux, Gretzky, Messier, Hrudey—he played with the greats, shared successes and setbacks, won Stanley Cups and faced the music. Hellbent is fast-paced and thoroughly entertaining.

With a foreword by Wayne Gretzky.

336 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2014

About the author

Martin James McSorley is a Canadian retired professional hockey player, who played in the National Hockey League from 1983 until 2000. A versatile player, he was able to play both the forward and defense positions.

A former head coach of the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey League (2002–04), aside from his hockey career, McSorley has worked as an actor, appearing in several film and television roles. McSorley was a valued teammate of Wayne Gretzky during their years playing together for the Edmonton Oilers and Los Angeles Kings, where he served as an enforcer. In 2000, his on-ice assault of Donald Brashear with his stick, in which Brashear suffered a severe concussion, led to McSorley's suspension and eventual retirement from the NHL.