Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life On and Off the Ice

by Curtis Joseph, Kirstie McLellan Day

The instant #1 national bestseller Curtis Joseph, known affectionately to hockey fans around the world as Cujo, was an unlikely NHL superstar. The boy from Keswick, Ontario, didn’t put on a pair of skates until most kids his age were already far along in organized hockey, and he was passed over by every team in the NHL draft. Despite an unorthodox start, he would go on to play eighteen seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes and Calgary Flames; be ranked among the all-time greats in several key categories; and win an Olympic gold medal while representing Canada. Joseph is a legend in Toronto, where his fandom rivals that of other beloved Leaf greats, and he’s widely thought of as one of the best goalies of all time. For the first time, in this revealing memoir, Joseph talks about his highly unusual upbringing and what led him to put on his first pair of skates. Written by Kirstie McLellan Day, the world’s top writer of hockey books, this book surprises and entertains, and shares on- and off-the-ice tales no fan has heard the untold story behind the legend.

Genres: Sports, Hockey, Biography, Nonfiction, Canada

352 pages, Hardcover

Published October 23, 2018

Reviews

[Sarnfield · Rating 1 out of 5]

I’m a life long die hard Leafs fan and loved Cujo back in the day, but this book was lame in every way — the writing, the anecdotes, it was choppy and disjointed. I was intrigued to read it because of the circumstances of his upbringing but the majority of the book was a laundry list of guys he played with and games he played in. This guy was funny, this guy was hilarious, this guy was quiet...if that sounds like scintillating reading to you, fill your boots. It was all surface stuff, nothing in-depth. He was married to his first wife for 17 years and her name is never even mentioned in the book, no mention of getting married. He suddenly has 5 kids but no mention of their being born. Of course he had help in writing this fiasco. If Kirstie McLellan Day is the “top hockey-book writer in the world” as purported on the book jacket, then I’d hate to read something by #2. Sorry Cujo.

[Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Curtis Joseph is my Leafs childhood goalie. I was too young to idolize Felix Potvin. Reading the Leafs chapters was nostalgia overload. I loved it. So many interesting tidbits. However, the writing throughout the book was jumbled even with the aid of an established author. An unfortunate standard for hockey autobiographies. Regardless, this is a must-read for Leafs fans. Joseph lived a difficult childhood, and it’s incredible he endured and had a successful NHL career. The last chapter gave me goosebumps, with his advice to Fredrick Anderson. This book give you a greater appreciation for the man and goalie, Cujo.

[Robin LMD · Rating 4 out of 5]

The writing is not awesome, but the story is, so 4 stars. I knew Curtis (Munro) as a shy, little high school student who sat behind me in some classes in Grade 9, 10 and 11. I moved away from Newmarket, and it wasn't until Curtis emerged as a worldwide phenom in net for the St. Louis Blues that some old friends from Huron Heights Secondary School clued me in to the fact that Curtis Munro was now Curtis Joseph. I was tickled that nice guys -- and I remember him as a nice, polite, quiet guy-- do finish first. Or almost first. Over his 18 season career, that Stanley Cup eluded him, but the story he tells is one of resilience and perseverance and ultimately, life success. But it is also a story of how a humble hockey star, who enjoyed an amazing number of lucky coincidences and generous patrons who helped him cultivate his athleticism into stardom, succumbed to the arrogance of the hockey hot shot. The backstory Curtis writes about is incredible. I, along with almost everyone else, had no idea about the tough life that Curtis was enduring. It was stunning and heartbreaking, and it makes me think about just how little we know of one another. There are gaps in this story, and he has every right to keep those personal details to himself, but I do wonder if he has edited out the less than glamorous details of his later life. His first marriage to his high school girlfriend ends without much comment and then he steps right into that J. Geills Band song Centrefold, straight out of our high school playlist. (Really, Curtis, a Playboy bunny?) Great story. Hollywood ending.

[Lynn · Rating 2 out of 5]

random verbal diarrhea. Can't believe the helper author (Kristie McLennan) also assisted on Ron McLean's, Wayne Gretzky's and Theo Flurry's books - what were they thinking? Subject changes multiple times in a paragraph. Despite the crappy writing, I saw through to the end. Cujo sure had a rough childhood and defied the odds by making it to the NHL. Good timing to play before salary cap. He was paid $8M a year at one point and if you translate to today's dollars, it's about $11M. Not many players today make $11M.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

CUJO: THE UNTOLD STORY OF MY LIFE ON AND OFF THE ICE tells the story of former NHL goaltender Curtis Joseph. With the assistance of Kirstie McLellan Day, Joseph brings to light his tumultuous upbringing as well as his legendary career between the pipes.

For me, hockey memoirs can often be hit or miss. There are athletes who dazzle crowds on a nightly basis, but unfortunately do not carry enough personality to warrant a compelling memoir, so you’re often left with a book as dry as kindling. For the first three quarters of Joseph’s memoir, he manages to escape the trappings that often befall these books as they can devolve into play-by-play recountings of some of the subject’s more famous games. The advantage, or disadvantage, of Curtis’ life story is that he had one hell of an upbringing. It’s rife with neglect and hardship as Joseph had just about every obstacle thrown his way on his journey to the NHL. Not every hockey memoir is going to explore the craziness of the subject coming of age living inside of a mental institution run by their parents.

Once he gets there, things still struggle to go his way. For goaltenders, your performance is often scrutinized more than any other position on the ice. You’re responsible for holding leads, shutting down star players and giving your team the confidence that they can make mistakes and you have their backs. So, if you’re not perfect most nights, you are often hit with the most criticism. Joseph tackles the ups and downs of his career before turning his star status around as an Edmonton Oiler in the mid-90s and landing two back-to-back lucrative contracts with the Toronto Maple Leafs and then the Detroit Red Wings.

After his career winds down, the book more or less stutters to a stop. However, it’s hard for players and what they do post-career and how they can keep it interesting for the reader. One common complaint about the book is the writing on the part of McLellan Day, which for me wasn’t much of an issue. The tone strikes me as informal and conversational, which I think may be best for this type of story; not every memoir can or should be THE GAME by Ken Dryden.

[Scott Gamble · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s a shame how this book was edited (or more likely how it wasn’t edited). Joseph has an interesting childhood, great stories, and an unique perspective on life in hockey. His writing voice is quite good as well. So if this book had all these things going for it, why was it still so passable? Because it had no structure, no narrative flow, no critical eye for removing redundancies, no strong hand to limit unnecessary name dropping or commentary. The story as a whole suffered and made this contribution to sport writing largely a waste of time.

Shame on Kirstie McLellan Day for not doing a better job of harnessing the raw material of this story and channeling it into a powerful book.

I read this a part of Book Clubs for Inmates and all of the men in the book club gave it a hard pass. Some didn’t even finish it, which is a very rare occurrence. We even had a die hard Maple Leafs/Cujo fan who was deeply disappointed in this book.

[Curious · Rating 3 out of 5]

I distinctly remember many of Cujo's highlights over the years and was happy to get this book. But there are many fascinating stories and anecdotes that could have been developed in a more in-depth manner by the co-author. It was disappointing that certain family events or experiences were absent or randomly appeared...like his children, like his divorce. I'm sure I'm not alone in wanting to know how elite athletes try to balance sports, home and life and it's a shame that more co-authors can't draw that out in books these days.

[Lindsay · Rating 2 out of 5]

Joseph has such an interesting story and I was excited to read about his life. My only complaint is the writing (his co-writer and editor let him down big time!). The short chapters work well overall, but the choppy nature of the writing made the book frustrating to read. The "I'll get to that later.." line or something close to it appeared more than once. Just tell the story already!!! This was my first hockey biography, so maybe they are all like this?

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for for nostalgic reasons. I grew up watching the Leafs with Cujo in net. It really makes me appreciate the game more reading about hockey from his perspective. Great stories about players and the game as well as his interesting story of growing up. Definitely a must read for Leafs fans as well as hockey fans.

[Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished my first book of 2019! The writing in this book is definitely not great. However, Curtis’ story (especially his dysfunctional childhood) was absolutely compelling. He has done amazing things with his life, especially when there were so many chances for it to go wrong. Overall, probably about 3.5 stars.

[priscilia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Alex Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first started watching hockey in my teenage years, Cujo was one of my favourite goalies to watch. His style was exciting and he used his natural athleticism to make those saves that most other goalies could never attempt to make. To top it off he had a cool nickname and fun goalie mask.


This book is really two books in one. The first part is his crazy upbringing, while the second part focuses on his career as a NHL goalie. I don't know if this is intentional, but it seems like Joseph and a hard time connecting the two. Good biographies keep a narrative from start to end. As you start this book you think the topic of family would be a highlight moving forward and could be strong connective tissue holding everything together. However, Joseph barely mentions his ex-wife or even his children. It is almost like he cannot effectively write about those thoughts and feelings so he chooses to ignore them.

If you are a hockey fan you will enjoy the stories he has to tell about playing in the NHL. But most readers can likely see that there was strong potential in this book and Joseph just didn't bring that little bit extra to make this book truly special

[Karen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a little disappointed. I skipped a lot as I was tired of the game reports and stats. He didn’t talk much about his family life while playing in the NHL and how he navigated being a husband and father in new cities as he moved, or how the family felt about his moves. Was he just being sensitive to his ex wife by not talking about it? Pretty significant 17 years....I don’t think he even used her name in the book.

[Richard Mulholland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Curtis Joseph is the man I watched that made me start playing hockey in my late 20s and become a goalie. I loved reading about his career. Biographies like this really humanise your heroes for you.

At one stage I was frustrated as he was detailing all the players he'd played with (noticeably absent was Kaberle!?) but then you realise that this book is as much a tribute to them as anything else.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mixed bag, start-to-finish. The amount a reader will enjoy this book will be based on their feelings about Cujo. I adored him as a kid, and I think he'll always be my favorite goalie, so I forgave a lot here and genuinely enjoyed most of it. It delivered on what I wanted, and at the end of it he (for the most part) turns out to be the guy you hoped he'd be, but the mechanics are a bit rough.

There's another writer on here. I hesitate to say "ghost writer" because it's pretty open about the cooperation. I don't know what to make of it though. If she had much control here, she maybe chose to commit to finding his "voice" a little too much? I say this because so much of it reads like it could be a post-game interview from any number of laconic Canucks. It leans toward a matter-of-fact, concise, (almost to the point of being staccato) sentence pattern. It feels kind of conversational which has it's good and bad points. Topics meander. Also know that you will get very little tea spilled here. You definitely get the feeling that hockey was his first real and only forever family, and he pays his loyalty back accordingly. He finds something good to say about every player, every coach--even eventually Coach from Hell Mike Keenan (don't worry, we'll get there). He throws no one under the bus.

You would think this would be incredibly tedious to read, but I enjoyed it (almost in spite of itself) for a few reasons.

1) I found the descriptions of action sequences in games suprisingly vivid. I love hockey, but I was a borderline fanatic as a kid and it really brought me back to the days where I'd be glued to the TV, riveted to the game before me, yelling at the screen.

2) If his descriptions of individual *people* were a little spare (including his own family for the most part) the behind-the-scenes stories were mostly a lot of fun, and satisfying and again--surprisingly vivid. His stories are the stories of a low-key guy on the sidelines who clocks all the action but pretty much stays out of the fray as a solid voice-of-reason to the group, which is pretty on brand.

3) Every bit of the St. Louis parts. The Blues were the first team I loved, and will always probably be the first hockey team of my heart. The period of time Cujo was with the Blues was the peak of my hockey fever and I followed the team tenaciously. I kept a roster list, collected their cards, had a binder of game clippings (I still have it!) etc. etc. Even seeing the names of those players checked in the memoir brings back a flood of feelings. I remember being devastated when Cujo was traded, under the regime of a hawk of a coach who made a series of crushing (and one might say baffling) trades of fan favorites and solid players.

As someone who had very keen eyes on all that activity, it's extremely satisfying to see the flip side of the headlines that I'd been following, and how right I had been in my indignation. That it was as messed up as it looked. Although Cujo ends up encountering a supposedly redeemed Keenan again later in his career and forgives him (also on brand). I don't, and feel pretty justified in that even now.

4) His childhood was pretty much the definition of traumatic--almost too wild to believe, and it's both fascinating and very hard to read, but it explains a lot. It explains how hockey was basically a surrogate family and the beyond-brotherhood he feels for the guys and teams he's played with for better or worse. How he can waver between giving only the necessary details, not dwelling overlong on feelings, his silence and I assume protectiveness of his own family, and then be on fire talking about a game.

During Curtis Joseph's time with STL in spite of his vicious nickname, he always read as a quiet, stand-up guy, a team player, and though I suppose that's not very interesting, the kid fan in me is pleased to see that it basically appears to be true. If he spent time partying or womanizing he's not bragging about or glamorizing that. His first marriage was to his girlfriend from school and they were married for 17 years. He doesn't have beefs.

More than anything in the writing style, the one truly disappointing thing to me was the reference to one of his stepbrothers, Victor, who has passed away. Victor was gay and it sounds like may have had a time in their childhood where he was questioning his identity. It's pretty clear that Joseph even at the time of writing wants to be able support him and has regrets but the verbiage around the whole thing is awkward at best and it's all too clear that he's still wrapping his head around it. It's a shame because he comes off as pretty accepting and compassionate. There's a couple of moments like that in there where he will say something and then be like, "I wouldn't say this now. It was a different time." and a part of me wonders, where is Kirstie McLellan Day? Where is the editor? Why even include that at all then? Those are the points where I feel like someone should have asserted more guidance.

Overall, not a super exciting ride for the average reader, but absolutely recommended for true Cujo fans to get a peek at the human being behind the mask.

[Andrew Patterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I haven't read a ton of auto-biographies, and I'm a huge basketball fan rather than a hockey fan. However, I heard an interview with Curtis Joseph on CBC a while back talking about his book and life, and added it to my list immediately.

I have to say, he's led a fascinating and incredible life and overcome quite a few obstacles to become the man he is today, and this book does a pretty good job of revealing these trials and tribulations.

My own experience is very different, but I was initially drawn to Joseph's story hearing that he's a child of adoption. The circumstances of this and his childhood are quite unusual and at times horrific - I was kind of hoping there'd be a bit more insight into how this affected him off the ice and less about his career. Not in a morbid or voyeuristic way, just from the perspective that I'm interested to hear how people navigate trauma and emerge to accomplish great things, or find happiness. That being said, it's not my story, and there's enough there to set the tone and paint a vivid picture without getting too involved.

It is after all a hockey book, however. I will say, from the point where his NHL career begins was less interesting for me, but it's presented in quite a compelling way and the personal angle helped to keep me turning the pages. I'd even go so far as to say hearing about the sport from his perspective had me more interested in hockey than any time in my life since I played and collected cards as a kid. Goalies were always my favourite, and it was cool reading about pro hockey from the eyes of someone in that position. The book also does a good job humanizing some of the players in a sport where players are obscured by helmets the whole time, and also can seem quite brutal to outsiders.

Overall, an interesting read outside my comfort zone in more ways than one; worth checking out if you're a goalie, a hockey fan, or are interested in pulling back the curtain a bit on quite an extraordinary life story in a place you might not expect.

[Brentman99 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't read many writer-assisted biographies, but I have to say that as a big Leaf fan during the time Curtis Joseph was playing, it was great learning about the stories behind the locker room door.

Very respectful, I appreciate how Curtis speaks well of even some players he didn't have a lot of time for on the ice. It was also nice to get a sense of how hockey stars are off the ice.

One thing that really surprised me, but I understand his reluctance to open himself up that much, was how his first wife is virtually unmentioned. Was it during his divorce that his performance started dropping? Did the divorce happen because of the hockey life? But that is fine as it is his story and none of my business, but it was just a glaring hole in amongst the other parts of himself that he shared.

As a huge Barenaked Ladies fan, I was not surprised to hear that he and Tyler Stewart are good friends as they grew up together, and that Tyler was a huge Leafs fan himself. That would be hard - having a friend play for the NHL, then have them beat your home team. But obviously they sorted it out.

This book was a nice glimpse into the locker rooms of the teams that Curtis Joseph played in over 19 seasons. I like his approach about speaking well of many people and not judging others negatively.

I think that the book was fairly well done and worth the time spent reading. The short chapters loaned itself well to my reading it during my daily commute and short breaks.

[Keenan Crone · Rating 4 out of 5]

There aren't many hockey autobiographies that I think I would enjoy, but Curtis Joseph was my favourite player growing up as a Leafs fan. That factor plus his atypical background for an NHLer made this an extremely enjoyable read for me - even more so than I was expecting.

I picked it up from the library thinking I would get through the first half then skip through the rest, seeing as I don't watch much hockey anymore and don't really have an interest in the NHL, but Curtis's descriptions of pivotal games and moments kept me enthralled the whole way through. Makes me miss my time as a hockey fan.

EDIT: Looking through other reviews I'm surprised at everyone complaining about the writing. To me it felt genuine; like Curtis was sitting down with you and telling the story of his life. To have it too polished or overwritten would make me feel like I was reading someone else's account of his life. Even the random tangents felt genuine to how natural conversation flows.

I've read other autobiographies from celebrities who aren't writers and heard the same complaints, but I felt the same way with those as well. I'd rather feel like I'm reading someone's genuine voice.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would have been better if there were more personal stories. It felt like a lot of it was describing his teammates. Even the stories were stories of teammates from years before Cujo met them.

As well, he never went back to describe the relationship he had with his biological mother after he met her. Hardly any mention of his first wife. At the end, he talks about how much he loves his kids, but he never talks about them at any point before that.

Also, I thought it was strange that he was quoting other books talking about the players he is talking about instead of putting it into his own words. Then I realized those other books were also co-written by the same person who co-wrote this book. So maybe a type of in-house advertising for those other books? Strange when reading though.

[Erica · Rating 3 out of 5]

Die hard Leaf fan here. Don't @ me about it. Cujo was one of my faves! My Dad and brother were both goalies so I have a little soft spot for goalies. Who wasn't crushed when he left us for Detroit (for more on that whole thing, read his book!).

This was such a quick and easy read! My only complaint is that I wish there was more about him. So much of his book was anecdotes about people he met and played with along the way. Half the time the stories he told about these people didn't even involve him directly, it was more things that happened to the person.

He does go pretty deep into his childhood (which is quite the story and I had no idea about before reading this) but he was married to the same lady for 17 years and had a bunch of kids and that is all totally glossed over with barely a mention (though I can fully appreciate that perhaps his ex and children didn't want to be written about and he may have been respecting that!).

After reading this I still love him and I have a new found respect for him too!

[Steven Eliasson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book became a read on the side while this years hockey playoffs came into full swing. The history of Curtis Joseph on the ice was always known, but the intricacies behind the scenes of the game were quite interesting for Cujo. From his pre NHL origins, to his noted ties to musical group Barenaked Ladies, to his relationship with the McDavid family long before Connor McDavid became the sensational hockey player he is today.

I enjoyed this read, however the rating is more indicative of the style in which the memoir is traversed through. A tough read in some spots, very scattered, while in others as a hockey fan you could follow and engage with the chapters that spoke to specific details in hockey history.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting story. Quite a page turner. Only complaints are the pivot from talking in great depth about family life as it related to hockey in his youth, and then no mention at all of family life from when he was married until his retirement. Leaves out a tonne of his story IMO. Also, reads like a list of everyone he liked in some places, whether they impacy the story from the readers point of view or not. Finally, its kind of in poor taste that he only references hockey books written by his cowriter. Would say 3.5/5 if i could, but rounding up to 4 because it was still a great read and its Cujo

[Robert Metz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t put this book down. I have been a St. Louis Blues fan since 1992 so Curtis Joseph was the first goaltender I watched. Naturally I wanted to read this book and I realized how little I knew about one of my favorite goaltenders. He is honest and vulnerable about his life and career, tells great stories, and speaks to the love of hockey. As a hockey fan through his entire career I remembered that incidents he talked about from a fans perspective and was just overwhelmed with nostalgia. If you aren’t a hockey fan this is a great peak behind the curtain of being an elite player.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

As some other people had mentioned, I found the book kind of sloppy and disjointed as well. I love Cujo and was looking forward to read about his life, but I found it hard to get through. The excessive name dropping, of players that I’ve always admired through much of my life, was a little bit too much. I’d like to hear a little bit more than just the surface stories of this guy was a cool guy, etc.. I’m glad I finally got through it and his story is admirable, but I don’t think I could recommend this to any of my friends who are big Cujo or leaf fans.

[Jonathan Zwarych · Rating 5 out of 5]

may be a little biased but I really enjoyed this book. he was my favourite goalie growing up, a big reason I choose to play the position. the book dives into his chaotic personal life, from having different parents and living in an actual insane asylum. He goes to give detailed accounts of not just big moments and games but individuals he played with all along the way. it's interesting the way he sees life as a goalie, you have a different perspective, not just on the ice.
Also I named my dog after him.

[Leeanne Kilpatrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book reads like a guy standing outside of the dressing room with his buddies.... waiting to suit up before a game .... telling stories of his glory days.

Pretty resilient dude, is Mr Joseph. It was interesting to read the behind the scenes play by play of his Career. It was kinda a revisit of my own childhood, ultimate tween fan girl....

Light hearted, good flow. A worthwhile read for the goalie enthusiast.

[Inspire Thithers · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautifully told, inspiring story made my heart soar. My husband got it for Christmas and said it was fantastic, but because it was about a sports figure, and I don't watch sports, I never bothered to read it. But I picked it up during our isolation during Covid and I can't recommend it enough. It was incredibly emotional and the writing is wonderful. It's just like a novel. Five stars from me.

[Joan Butler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thought it was his untold story but really stories of many other players. There was a mention of his Dad showing up at some point when he was in NHL but no other details. We read so much about his early life and family of sorts but then nothing in the rest of the book. The writing was choppy and juvenile but found that with other books that Kirstie Day co authored.

I am a Leafs fan and remember him playing so wanted to read the book.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I grew up watching Cujo and had no idea about his upbringing. What a story! Reading this book was as if I was sitting across the table from him. I loved reading about his experiences - what inspired him, his never quit "half glass full" attitude, behind-the-scenes sneak peeks into the relationships he had with his teammates. A stand up guy and a great read.

[Katherine Nix · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading about Cujo's life. I had no idea his childhood was very difficult. He seems like a positive person, which is what got him through. Some people have written reviews of the book that say it's poorly written, but it's written as if a hockey player is talking to you about his life. I recommend the book to fans.