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Against All Odds: The Untold Story of Canada's Unlikely Hockey Heroes
For readers of
The Boys in the Boat, the remarkable story of the unlikely Canadian hockey team that clinched Olympic gold in 1948
The announcement was shocking—Canada, the birthplace of hockey, would not be sending a team to the 1948 Winter Olympics in Switzerland. Outraged, a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader, Sandy Watson, quickly assembled a team of air force hockey players who were “amateur enough” to complete under the Olympic guidelines.
Sergeant Frank Boucher was recruited to coach the team and begin the cross-Canada search for players. Hubert Brooks, a decorated flying officer and serial escapist from POW camps, was another early recruit. Andy Gilpin joined from the RCAF base in Whitehorse, as did airmen from Quebec, the Maritimes and western Canada. And when their starting goalie, Dick Ball, didn’t pass a medical exam, Murray Dowey was called up from his job as a TTC driver and occasional practice goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The ragtag team got off to a rough start, losing so many exhibition games that Canadian newspapers called them a disgrace to the country. But the RCAF Flyers battled back, and Boucher’s defensive strategy paid off. They eliminated the American team, tied the Czech team and beat the Swiss as the hometown crowd pelted the Canadians with snowballs during the game. On the same ice where Barbara Ann Scott won a gold medal, the underdog RCAF Flyers also won Olympic gold, and their goalie, Murray Dowey, set an Olympic record that still stands.
Against All Odds is the inspiring untold story of a group of determined men, fresh from the battlefields of WWII, who surprised a nation and the world.
The announcement was shocking—Canada, the birthplace of hockey, would not be sending a team to the 1948 Winter Olympics in Switzerland. Outraged, a Royal Canadian Air Force squadron leader, Sandy Watson, quickly assembled a team of air force hockey players who were “amateur enough” to complete under the Olympic guidelines.
Sergeant Frank Boucher was recruited to coach the team and begin the cross-Canada search for players. Hubert Brooks, a decorated flying officer and serial escapist from POW camps, was another early recruit. Andy Gilpin joined from the RCAF base in Whitehorse, as did airmen from Quebec, the Maritimes and western Canada. And when their starting goalie, Dick Ball, didn’t pass a medical exam, Murray Dowey was called up from his job as a TTC driver and occasional practice goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The ragtag team got off to a rough start, losing so many exhibition games that Canadian newspapers called them a disgrace to the country. But the RCAF Flyers battled back, and Boucher’s defensive strategy paid off. They eliminated the American team, tied the Czech team and beat the Swiss as the hometown crowd pelted the Canadians with snowballs during the game. On the same ice where Barbara Ann Scott won a gold medal, the underdog RCAF Flyers also won Olympic gold, and their goalie, Murray Dowey, set an Olympic record that still stands.
Against All Odds is the inspiring untold story of a group of determined men, fresh from the battlefields of WWII, who surprised a nation and the world.
336 pages, Paperback
Published October 24, 2017
13 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
March 31, 2021
Wow! What a hidden gem!!!
Very well-researched & well-presented Story of true superheroes - men who faced truly tough times & circumstances & overcame without complaint.
Very well-researched & well-presented Story of true superheroes - men who faced truly tough times & circumstances & overcame without complaint.
February 24, 2018
The documentary about the 1948 RCAF Flyers team that represented Canada at the Winter Olympic Games was a great story of tough Canadian perseverance by a band of brothers both in the air and on the ice. Faced with a last-minute Olympic rules change that meant most of Canada's best players were now ineligible, the Royal Canadian Air Force stepped up and found players from within their ranks and sent them overseas against all odds.
There are two stories behind this book: the way the team had to come together to win, and the more important stories behind the players being there at all. First, the team had to be assembled in just 9 weeks before going overseas, and with the new eligibility rules no player could be on the team had they ever been compensated for playing hockey. The reason the RCAF could come in and make a team was because so many young men who could have made the senior hockey leagues in Canada had instead joined the armed forces during the Second World War and so were still eligible. The issue was, however, how to get them together, get them trained and selected, and get them overseas in time. Thankfully it was the RCAF, so they had planes at their disposal at least!
The team was selected from players in the RCAF, some of whom were air crew (Naworynski calls them "warriors") during the war, while others had been based in Canada (some just playing hockey throughout the war as morale boosters). There were also a few university boys who were too young for the war who got signed up as reservists just for the Games. They came together in intense training camps in Ottawa, new guys added to the fray replacing the first invitees as the days went on. All this happening under the watchful eyes of Sgt. Frank Boucher, whose father and uncle are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Squadron Leader Sandy Watson, who had to pick the best 17 players and arrange how to get them to Europe. The RCAF didn't have much money for sports, and spending thousands of dollars on a team right after the war - and a team that wasn't supposed to be competitive - wouldn't look good in the public eye.
In the lead-up to the trip overseas, the team played a number of games against local senior teams and lost badly, putting the Canadian media fully against their participation in the Games and pre-emptively labelling them a disgrace to Canadian hockey. When overseas, the boys in blue didn't do much better, losing or barely winning some games in England and France. But, during the Olympics, it all game together. As is often the case with Team Canada in tournaments, the team played their hearts out and overcame tough adversaries to win the gold. A wrinkle in this tournament: only round robin play, no tournament, so goal differential was really important. There were lots of great stories within the Olympic tournament, like how the Canadian team helped the Polish team with gear and medical work during the game, and the team's adoption of Barbara-Ann Scott, the teenage figure skating phenom. After the Games, team Canada went on a three-month fundraising tour around Europe, playing a tough schedule of games against Europe's greatest teams, all in an effort to pay off their steamship tickets and gear purchases!
The other big story, and the one that actually captures your heart more, is the story of those players who had served in the RCAF during the war. As much as we love stories of gritty hockey players and the team coming together, stories of air crew like Hubert Brooks flying through the worst of the war, getting shot down, spending time in resistance networks or prisoner camps, and being involved in really interesting post-war work like finding the graves of downed airmen are so much more impactful. The fact these men came home, let alone came home to get the chance to play, is amazing.
Naworynski tells the story well. This is his first book, but he is a writer for TV shows and knows how to craft the story in chunks, with vignettes back to the war and exciting action to keep the pages turning. I almost felt the war stories were more emotional and better told than the sports action, which seems surprising given Naworynski's connection to the sports story (Naworynski was involved in the RCAF Flyers documentary too). I had the opportunity to hear Naworynski talk about the book at Bolen Books in Victoria and you could tell the war stories and the interviews with the few remaining players at the time had such an impact on him that it overtook the underdog sports story.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was made even more fun reading it before the 2018 Winter Olympics where NHL players were replaced by the underdog Canadians playing in Europe. Not quite the same as the Flyers, but the first time I remember Canada being underdogs in an Olympic tournament. And while the bronze medal in 2018 isn't quite the same as the gold in 1948, the underdog story of journeymen who never thought they'd be considered for an Olympics (and medal hopes also coming down to a game against the Czechs) was fun.
Canada has an amazing Olympic and hockey history, but it's the stories of the men who went to St. Moritz in 1948 that really stand out.
There are two stories behind this book: the way the team had to come together to win, and the more important stories behind the players being there at all. First, the team had to be assembled in just 9 weeks before going overseas, and with the new eligibility rules no player could be on the team had they ever been compensated for playing hockey. The reason the RCAF could come in and make a team was because so many young men who could have made the senior hockey leagues in Canada had instead joined the armed forces during the Second World War and so were still eligible. The issue was, however, how to get them together, get them trained and selected, and get them overseas in time. Thankfully it was the RCAF, so they had planes at their disposal at least!
The team was selected from players in the RCAF, some of whom were air crew (Naworynski calls them "warriors") during the war, while others had been based in Canada (some just playing hockey throughout the war as morale boosters). There were also a few university boys who were too young for the war who got signed up as reservists just for the Games. They came together in intense training camps in Ottawa, new guys added to the fray replacing the first invitees as the days went on. All this happening under the watchful eyes of Sgt. Frank Boucher, whose father and uncle are in the Hockey Hall of Fame, and Squadron Leader Sandy Watson, who had to pick the best 17 players and arrange how to get them to Europe. The RCAF didn't have much money for sports, and spending thousands of dollars on a team right after the war - and a team that wasn't supposed to be competitive - wouldn't look good in the public eye.
In the lead-up to the trip overseas, the team played a number of games against local senior teams and lost badly, putting the Canadian media fully against their participation in the Games and pre-emptively labelling them a disgrace to Canadian hockey. When overseas, the boys in blue didn't do much better, losing or barely winning some games in England and France. But, during the Olympics, it all game together. As is often the case with Team Canada in tournaments, the team played their hearts out and overcame tough adversaries to win the gold. A wrinkle in this tournament: only round robin play, no tournament, so goal differential was really important. There were lots of great stories within the Olympic tournament, like how the Canadian team helped the Polish team with gear and medical work during the game, and the team's adoption of Barbara-Ann Scott, the teenage figure skating phenom. After the Games, team Canada went on a three-month fundraising tour around Europe, playing a tough schedule of games against Europe's greatest teams, all in an effort to pay off their steamship tickets and gear purchases!
The other big story, and the one that actually captures your heart more, is the story of those players who had served in the RCAF during the war. As much as we love stories of gritty hockey players and the team coming together, stories of air crew like Hubert Brooks flying through the worst of the war, getting shot down, spending time in resistance networks or prisoner camps, and being involved in really interesting post-war work like finding the graves of downed airmen are so much more impactful. The fact these men came home, let alone came home to get the chance to play, is amazing.
Naworynski tells the story well. This is his first book, but he is a writer for TV shows and knows how to craft the story in chunks, with vignettes back to the war and exciting action to keep the pages turning. I almost felt the war stories were more emotional and better told than the sports action, which seems surprising given Naworynski's connection to the sports story (Naworynski was involved in the RCAF Flyers documentary too). I had the opportunity to hear Naworynski talk about the book at Bolen Books in Victoria and you could tell the war stories and the interviews with the few remaining players at the time had such an impact on him that it overtook the underdog sports story.
I really enjoyed reading this book, and it was made even more fun reading it before the 2018 Winter Olympics where NHL players were replaced by the underdog Canadians playing in Europe. Not quite the same as the Flyers, but the first time I remember Canada being underdogs in an Olympic tournament. And while the bronze medal in 2018 isn't quite the same as the gold in 1948, the underdog story of journeymen who never thought they'd be considered for an Olympics (and medal hopes also coming down to a game against the Czechs) was fun.
Canada has an amazing Olympic and hockey history, but it's the stories of the men who went to St. Moritz in 1948 that really stand out.
January 17, 2024
Unfortunately written after most of the team members had passed away, the author does a good job of telling the story of the 1948 Canadian Olympic gold medal team - a story I knew nothing about prior to reading this book. It’s a story that weaves in the Olympic hockey journey plus also provides insight of the role members of the RCAF Flyers fulfilled in WWII.
March 26, 2018
It’s a story of how a group of RCAF airmen won Olympic gold in ice hockey in 1948. If you don’t rate it five stars you’re unpatriotic, there I said it.
May 20, 2021
A fun, breezy read about a fascinating post-war Canadian story
July 23, 2017
While it lacks a strong narrative style, this account of the 1948 Olympics is sure to stir the patriotic heartstrings of Canadian readers this holiday season. A bunch of no-names and war heroes coming together to bring home gold medals is just too good a story to resist.
June 22, 2020
Rounded up, but good! Bought for my husband to create an audiobook. Still waiting to see what his thoughts are since I just finished recording the audio files for him today.
January 13, 2018
I rarely, if ever, read sports books but I have to say that Against All Odds is much much more than just a story about a hockey team. It is a captivating and thoroughly researched true life tale of dedication, perseverance, hard work and fun exquisitely told in an honest and heart warming tone. This is the type of story that should be taught in history classes. A great book!
July 13, 2020
Interesting timing for me to be reading this book. Many in my current pandemic world are whining about liberties lost and masks worn. You read of these men’s grueling sacrifices in war time, and it gives the “struggles” of Covid, a whole new light. Meaning, we haven’t suffered at all. Good read, but you’d better be a hockey fan to fully enjoy. 🏒
January 6, 2018
This is a book that could have been longer . I wanted more so often in this one, but knowing those involved were mostly gone, and war stories were often little talked of, I understand the issues the author must have faced. Still a great read for any Canadian hockey fan.
January 29, 2018
Cool story about an amazing group of men. I was pleasantly surprised to learn this was so much more than just a hockey book. Written in a style that kept me turning the pages all the way to the end. Great book, highly recommend it.
November 25, 2025
I always seem to have a hard time finding a new book to read. Besides a handful of favourite authors, I tend to scroll through Goodreads or my local library and see if anything catches my eye. In this case, my library app suggested Against All Odds: The Untold Story of Canada's Unlikely Hockey Heroes. It seemed to be right up my alley. I enjoy history books, especially war history, I enjoy hockey and I enjoy true stories.
This book follows the Royal Canadian Air Force attempt to put together a national hockey team to represent Canada in the first Winter Olympics after World War II, which would be hosted by St. Moritz, Switzerland. The player selection process introduced us to veterans of the war who lived and breathed hockey. Some even brought their ice skates overseas in case they had time to hit the ice.
An interesting aspect of this book was some of the war activities of the players. This includes air raids, escaping POW camps, joining resistance groups and many other feats of bravery. These same men came together to represent Canada on the ice to try and capture Gold in the Olympics. The Canadian team was not favoured to get a medal. They faced many obstacles, European hockey rinks, awful (outdoor) ice conditions, questionable referees and more. But they overcame and brought the Gold back to Canada. (This is not a spoiler, the book synopsis mentions this in the first line.)
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book for both history and sports fans. I would highly recommend it. As a sidenote, the movie “Miracle on Ice” does not deserve that title at all. These fine gentlemen overcame a lot more to win. They didn’t do it for money or personal glory. They did it for Canada.
This book follows the Royal Canadian Air Force attempt to put together a national hockey team to represent Canada in the first Winter Olympics after World War II, which would be hosted by St. Moritz, Switzerland. The player selection process introduced us to veterans of the war who lived and breathed hockey. Some even brought their ice skates overseas in case they had time to hit the ice.
An interesting aspect of this book was some of the war activities of the players. This includes air raids, escaping POW camps, joining resistance groups and many other feats of bravery. These same men came together to represent Canada on the ice to try and capture Gold in the Olympics. The Canadian team was not favoured to get a medal. They faced many obstacles, European hockey rinks, awful (outdoor) ice conditions, questionable referees and more. But they overcame and brought the Gold back to Canada. (This is not a spoiler, the book synopsis mentions this in the first line.)
Overall, this was a really enjoyable book for both history and sports fans. I would highly recommend it. As a sidenote, the movie “Miracle on Ice” does not deserve that title at all. These fine gentlemen overcame a lot more to win. They didn’t do it for money or personal glory. They did it for Canada.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2024
I picked this book up at my local thrift store. I really enjoyed the story. There was a combination of Olympic hockey, WWII and biography.
The first Winter Olympics since WWII were going to be hosted by St. Moritz, Switzerland in 1948. Since the rules had been changed, you could no longer send any athletes that were paid so Canada had to put together a whole new hockey team. Lead by Dr. Sandy Watson and Frank Boucher, they gathered guys that fought in WWII for the RCAF. Their exhibition games were a disaster so most people had no hope in this team. But when it came time to play, they proved everyone wrong and came home with the gold medal for Canada.
Some interesting facts were: The rink size in Europe is different than in North America. The boards were lower. If you were pushed out over the boards during play, you could run on the outside till you were able to jump back onto the rink.
During one of the games, the Canadian goalie got a penalty. He had to literally leave the ice and serve is penalty. You couldn't replace him with another goalie but rather another player on the bench.
You could only dress 11 players per game.
The history of the Olympics during that time was very interesting. Every few chapters, the author would do a biography on one of the players detailing his time in the war. The survival rate for a RCAF pilot was 50%.
Canada had made a massive contribution to the Allied war effort, home to the 3rd largest navy and 4th largest air force.
The first Winter Olympics since WWII were going to be hosted by St. Moritz, Switzerland in 1948. Since the rules had been changed, you could no longer send any athletes that were paid so Canada had to put together a whole new hockey team. Lead by Dr. Sandy Watson and Frank Boucher, they gathered guys that fought in WWII for the RCAF. Their exhibition games were a disaster so most people had no hope in this team. But when it came time to play, they proved everyone wrong and came home with the gold medal for Canada.
Some interesting facts were: The rink size in Europe is different than in North America. The boards were lower. If you were pushed out over the boards during play, you could run on the outside till you were able to jump back onto the rink.
During one of the games, the Canadian goalie got a penalty. He had to literally leave the ice and serve is penalty. You couldn't replace him with another goalie but rather another player on the bench.
You could only dress 11 players per game.
The history of the Olympics during that time was very interesting. Every few chapters, the author would do a biography on one of the players detailing his time in the war. The survival rate for a RCAF pilot was 50%.
Canada had made a massive contribution to the Allied war effort, home to the 3rd largest navy and 4th largest air force.
February 13, 2020
PJ Naworynski did an admirable job of researching and cataloging the story of this unusual hockey team that was formed rapidly to fulfill the nationalistic ideals of a few proud, post war Canadians.
Particularly well documented were truly astonishing heroics of some of the future team members as they fought during the war in the years leading up to the Olympics in St. Moritz.
While the hockey exploits were less filled out, the overall picture of these underdogs battling unbelievable conditions to form a cohesive team helps the reader grasp the growth of this group of men. It is remarkable they succeeded in achieving the gold medal for Canada on behalf of the brave fighters of the RCAF.
If you enjoy hockey history, WW2 history, or a good re-telling of an unusual moment in Olympic history, you will enjoy this book.
Particularly well documented were truly astonishing heroics of some of the future team members as they fought during the war in the years leading up to the Olympics in St. Moritz.
While the hockey exploits were less filled out, the overall picture of these underdogs battling unbelievable conditions to form a cohesive team helps the reader grasp the growth of this group of men. It is remarkable they succeeded in achieving the gold medal for Canada on behalf of the brave fighters of the RCAF.
If you enjoy hockey history, WW2 history, or a good re-telling of an unusual moment in Olympic history, you will enjoy this book.
September 14, 2020
This is the true story about the 1948 Canadian Men's Olympic Hockey Team, a team that was made up of Royal Canadian Air Force members who had all been fighting in WW2 a couple of years before being thrown together as a last minute entry to the Olympic games. I'd never heard a peep about this story which surprised me as I am a Canadian and an Olympic junkie. I am so glad that I discovered the book - it is certainly a 'feel-good' story for any Canadian as well as anyone who enjoys great sports stories. The book highlights each of the members of the Team including the Coaches and Manager and weaves together the stories of each of the men pre & during the war as well as the story of the team's journey to the Olympics. It is also a story of Canadian history surrounding WW2 revealing many facts that I didn't previously know, which are also woven into the story in a very readable manner.
November 26, 2021
A well-written book with a wealth of research. I had never heard of the RCAF Flyers but I picked up the book at Chapters out of hockey interest. I had a hard time putting the book down! I read it in two days it was so good. Stories from the war for a number of players, excellent background information about others. You couldn't help but root for them. And the account of life in Europe after the war was fascinating. The stories about the absolutely criminal refereeing were actually not that surprising based on many international tournaments during the 70s and 80s that we watched on TV. The revelations about the Swiss fans during Canada's game with the Swiss national team made their victory in that game even more satisfying.
August 9, 2021
This isn't just a look at games played at the 1948 Winter Olympics, but also showcases the individuals who were named to the team. As the team was drawn from air force members, nearly all of the players had served in the Second World War, and Naworynski does a good job of giving each of them attention to their exploits. While all of them of course had incredibly stories, some are even more amazing, and it gives a good background to the games themselves. It shows the struggles the team faced, which can be surprising to hear considering it was the Canadian national hockey team.
May 22, 2023
A shame no one tried to write the book before! Feels like it could have been all the better with more firsthand accounts from the players. Enjoyed the personalities of all of the folks involved, the rivalries, the grit, but would have appreciated a bit more perspective, even anecdotally about the other teams on the field.
November 22, 2017
Amazing story that I had never heard of before! The telling was bland as these sorts stories often are! I think it could have been more exciting! The ending was lacklustre and should have been more razor sharp but Overall a good story and worth reading!
April 15, 2021
A great read about a little known part of Canadian sports history. These men deserve more recognition for what they did during the war and at the Olympics. This is what the Olympics is all about, not the modern cash grab it is today.
March 16, 2018
Great read, has it all war heroes, hockey and the Olympics. Definitely recommend this book.
June 3, 2018
Very cool story of Canadian Olympic History. Great story of perseverance and determination. Love the story about how the whole team came together and Brooks’ story of his survival during the war.
July 4, 2018
I enjoyed it.
August 23, 2018
Great book. A lot of good information on the last true Canadian Olympic Gold.
January 11, 2020
Great story. Before this book I knew nothing of the event
June 13, 2020
A true story of Canadian Olympic glory. When there are no live sports to watch this was a super fun read.
July 16, 2022
A well researched and presented book. It adds to the story of hockey, the Olympics, Canada and the emotional recovery off the World after WWII.
February 2, 2025
Fun story to read and fantastic Canadian hockey history to know.
August 3, 2025
Maybe a bit too much history for me… but overall really cool book about how they got a team together to go play in the Olympics and what repping Canada meant to them.
September 19, 2024
hockey not war
Biography of the first Canadian Olympic hockey team post WWII, when being an amateur was enforced. Hard to form a team when the best are professionals. Here is how they did it.
Biography of the first Canadian Olympic hockey team post WWII, when being an amateur was enforced. Hard to form a team when the best are professionals. Here is how they did it.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews