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Toe Blake: Winning Is Everything
The first ever biography of Toe Blake -- Hockey Hall of Famer and eleven-time Stanley Cup winner
"Holy Dirty Dora!" Hector "Toe" Blake would bark while pacing behind the Montreal Canadiens bench, hands thrust into his pockets, jawing at chewing gum before intentionally banging his forehead into the glass that separates players and fans. No lead was safe or sufficient for the lifelong hockey man at the helm of the greatest dynasty in NHL history. As a player, Toe won a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Maroons before captaining a stumbling Canadiens organization to glory and a pair of Cups. As the Habs coach, Toe cemented the team's status as lords of the league with eight more.
Born into a family of 11, Blake emerged from the poverty of the Depression and a youth spent working the mines of Sudbury's Nickel Belt to find junior hockey success and an unlikely shot at the NHL. While a fiery temper and penchant for stick-swinging nearly railroaded Toe's promise, the Canadiens recognized his talent and leadership, and he went on to spend more than 50 years with the organization.
History remembers Toe being hoisted onto the shoulders of his beloved players, waving his signature fedora and sipping from the Cup, but behind the success was a man driven by fear and an obsessive desire for victory. Despite personal tragedy, Toe always put winning first, and as a result, there are few coaches in any sport who have enjoyed Blake's success and even fewer who endured the toll that came with it.
"Holy Dirty Dora!" Hector "Toe" Blake would bark while pacing behind the Montreal Canadiens bench, hands thrust into his pockets, jawing at chewing gum before intentionally banging his forehead into the glass that separates players and fans. No lead was safe or sufficient for the lifelong hockey man at the helm of the greatest dynasty in NHL history. As a player, Toe won a Stanley Cup with the Montreal Maroons before captaining a stumbling Canadiens organization to glory and a pair of Cups. As the Habs coach, Toe cemented the team's status as lords of the league with eight more.
Born into a family of 11, Blake emerged from the poverty of the Depression and a youth spent working the mines of Sudbury's Nickel Belt to find junior hockey success and an unlikely shot at the NHL. While a fiery temper and penchant for stick-swinging nearly railroaded Toe's promise, the Canadiens recognized his talent and leadership, and he went on to spend more than 50 years with the organization.
History remembers Toe being hoisted onto the shoulders of his beloved players, waving his signature fedora and sipping from the Cup, but behind the success was a man driven by fear and an obsessive desire for victory. Despite personal tragedy, Toe always put winning first, and as a result, there are few coaches in any sport who have enjoyed Blake's success and even fewer who endured the toll that came with it.
300 pages, Paperback
Published March 24, 2020
2 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Paul Logothetis
8 books2 followersPaul Logothetis is a former Associated Press sports writer who contributes to The Guardian and Deutsche Press-Agentur. He spent over a decade reporting from the Olympics, Formula One, World Cup and Champions League finals while working as a correspondent in London and Madrid. He is the author of Toe Blake: Winning is Everything, the first published account of the iconic Montreal Canadiens captain and coach Hector 'Toe' Blake, who amassed 11 Stanley Cups over a lifetime in the NHL.
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
November 21, 2020
I consider myself a fast casual hockey fan. I follow the Avalanche and Kings, I saw Gretzky play, I know who Ken Dryden, Bobby Orr, and Maurice Richard are.
But I have never in my life heard of Toe Blake. Which is crazy, since the guy got into the hockey hall of fame for his career as a player (winning an MVP and two Stanley Cups) and then won *eight* more cups as the coach of the Canadiens. He won 5 cups in a row! And I've never heard of him!
Part of that is this is the first biography of the man, and it captures his working class, tough sensibility well. But interestingly, Blake's success as a coach seems to be down to a combination of not only his hard headed, taciturn, do the work attitude, but also his ability to understand and empathize with his players and control the psychology of the locker room.
He was a very private person, which perhaps explains why there isn't more lore about him outside of Montreal. The privacy and taciturnity make it hard to write a deep biography of the man, but this was a good effort. An interesting look into Hockey history.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
But I have never in my life heard of Toe Blake. Which is crazy, since the guy got into the hockey hall of fame for his career as a player (winning an MVP and two Stanley Cups) and then won *eight* more cups as the coach of the Canadiens. He won 5 cups in a row! And I've never heard of him!
Part of that is this is the first biography of the man, and it captures his working class, tough sensibility well. But interestingly, Blake's success as a coach seems to be down to a combination of not only his hard headed, taciturn, do the work attitude, but also his ability to understand and empathize with his players and control the psychology of the locker room.
He was a very private person, which perhaps explains why there isn't more lore about him outside of Montreal. The privacy and taciturnity make it hard to write a deep biography of the man, but this was a good effort. An interesting look into Hockey history.
**Thanks to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2019
Joseph Hector "Toe" Blake is best known as one of the most successful coaches in NHL history, winning eight Stanley Cup championships while pacing behind the bench for the Montreal Canadiens from 1955 to 1968. However, there is much more to the story of his life and it is told in this excellent hockey biography by Paul Logothetis.
While Blake is best remember for his coaching days with Montreal, including five consecutive Stanley Cups in his first five full seasons guiding the Canadiens, he also had a very successful playing career and that is told in great detail as well as his coaching. Blake won three Cups in his playing days, and adding on his eight while as a coach, he is one of two people to have his name engraved on the Cup 11 times. Fittingly, one of his players from his winning Canadiens teams, Henri Richard, is the other person to have won a total of 11 times.
Blake's playing days, from the time he played junior hockey in Sudbury (also winning the Memorial Cup in 1932) to his days with the Canadiens are captured in great detail by Logothetis. It did include the one Cup he did not with the Canadiens as Blake played his first eight NHL games in 1935 with the Montreal Maroons, who won the Cup that year and had Blake's name engraved.
Speaking of his name, Logothetis provides some information on where Blake got the nickname "Toe." It was widely believed that it was because his sister could not pronounce "Hector" correctly, and instead said "Hec-toe." There is doubt on that story in the book as it notes that Blake himself that was because one of his brothers couldn't pronounce the name. No matter which story is the truth, this passage is a good example of the depth and detail Logothetis writes about Blake, whether about his playing days, his coaching days or his personal life.
It should be noted that Logothetis provides a lot of material on not only Blake, but on many of the great Montreal players and teams during Blake's coaching career. This helps to portray Blake as a man of great passion to win, including displaying his legendary temper when needed. Even going down to the detail of how hard Blake would be chewing his gum during a critical playoff game, Logothetis provides a great portrait of Blake on the ice and behind the bench.
Off the ice, however, Blake is portrayed in an entirely different manner as he not only would be kind and generous to others, his devotion to family is evident in how he cared for his wife Betty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It should also be noted that included in the portrayal of Blake's life after hockey is how much time he dedicated to running a tavern he opened before he started coaching, Toe Blake's Tavern, and was a fixture there until it closed in 1983. Of course, the final years of Blake's life are mentioned when he was battling Alzheimer's disease before passing in 1995.
One of the most complete hockey biographies I have read, this book is a wonderful look at Blake's career and life and any hockey fan would enjoy reading this. Canadiens fans who may not be familiar with Blake would especially benefit from picking this up and learning about one of the legendary figures in the team's storied history.
I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
While Blake is best remember for his coaching days with Montreal, including five consecutive Stanley Cups in his first five full seasons guiding the Canadiens, he also had a very successful playing career and that is told in great detail as well as his coaching. Blake won three Cups in his playing days, and adding on his eight while as a coach, he is one of two people to have his name engraved on the Cup 11 times. Fittingly, one of his players from his winning Canadiens teams, Henri Richard, is the other person to have won a total of 11 times.
Blake's playing days, from the time he played junior hockey in Sudbury (also winning the Memorial Cup in 1932) to his days with the Canadiens are captured in great detail by Logothetis. It did include the one Cup he did not with the Canadiens as Blake played his first eight NHL games in 1935 with the Montreal Maroons, who won the Cup that year and had Blake's name engraved.
Speaking of his name, Logothetis provides some information on where Blake got the nickname "Toe." It was widely believed that it was because his sister could not pronounce "Hector" correctly, and instead said "Hec-toe." There is doubt on that story in the book as it notes that Blake himself that was because one of his brothers couldn't pronounce the name. No matter which story is the truth, this passage is a good example of the depth and detail Logothetis writes about Blake, whether about his playing days, his coaching days or his personal life.
It should be noted that Logothetis provides a lot of material on not only Blake, but on many of the great Montreal players and teams during Blake's coaching career. This helps to portray Blake as a man of great passion to win, including displaying his legendary temper when needed. Even going down to the detail of how hard Blake would be chewing his gum during a critical playoff game, Logothetis provides a great portrait of Blake on the ice and behind the bench.
Off the ice, however, Blake is portrayed in an entirely different manner as he not only would be kind and generous to others, his devotion to family is evident in how he cared for his wife Betty when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. It should also be noted that included in the portrayal of Blake's life after hockey is how much time he dedicated to running a tavern he opened before he started coaching, Toe Blake's Tavern, and was a fixture there until it closed in 1983. Of course, the final years of Blake's life are mentioned when he was battling Alzheimer's disease before passing in 1995.
One of the most complete hockey biographies I have read, this book is a wonderful look at Blake's career and life and any hockey fan would enjoy reading this. Canadiens fans who may not be familiar with Blake would especially benefit from picking this up and learning about one of the legendary figures in the team's storied history.
I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
March 25, 2020
Hector Blake
Hec-Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Explaining how a kid’s younger brother corrupted his name into a nickname that stuck for a lifetime is easy. (Aside: Toe Blake tells this story of how he got his nickname, but the book shows that there are at least two other theories.) Explaining how Hector Blake evolved from an Ontario mineworker to a Quebec legend is much more time consuming.
Paul Logothetis takes on the challenge of documenting the life of Toe Blake, one of the few people in ANY sport to make the transition from superstar player to winning coach. The book covers the beginning of the man’s life, showing how he developed the community work ethic that was equally valid for labor and hockey – and how he developed a fluency in French that served him well when he began to play for Montreal.
This is said to first published biography of Toe Blake. If so, the question is, “What took them so long??”
Rating: 5 stars
Hec-Toe Blake
Toe Blake
Explaining how a kid’s younger brother corrupted his name into a nickname that stuck for a lifetime is easy. (Aside: Toe Blake tells this story of how he got his nickname, but the book shows that there are at least two other theories.) Explaining how Hector Blake evolved from an Ontario mineworker to a Quebec legend is much more time consuming.
Paul Logothetis takes on the challenge of documenting the life of Toe Blake, one of the few people in ANY sport to make the transition from superstar player to winning coach. The book covers the beginning of the man’s life, showing how he developed the community work ethic that was equally valid for labor and hockey – and how he developed a fluency in French that served him well when he began to play for Montreal.
This is said to first published biography of Toe Blake. If so, the question is, “What took them so long??”
Rating: 5 stars
July 7, 2020
This first biography of Hall of Fame Montreal Canadiens coach Toe Blake is very interesting and engrossing. Logothetis is a good story teller whose narrative flows well and covers all aspects of Blake's life, from early years, through playing career, coaching and later years. The book also delves into his family life which had its share of tragedies and difficulties, and weaves it into the narrative of his career. The book provides enough detail to interest the fan of hockey history, but is also accessible for a novice hockey reader. It didn't get five stars from me because of some errors that a good editor should have caught, like getting names of relatively well-known Canadiens players wrong (Ralph Olmstead and Ryan Walters), and getting the year of the Forum renovations wrong, describing it as happening in 1967 rather that 1968, which I would think is significant since it coincided with Blake's retirement in 68. The author bio describes Logothetis as a writer who lived in Europe and covered soccer for many years, which shows in this book about hockey where he more than once refers to a coach as a "manager" and refers to a player checking another player as "marking" them. But overall this is a worthwhile effort on a hockey subject that hasn't received this kind of focused attention.
February 24, 2021
'Toe Blake: Winning is Everything' by Paul Logothetis is the first biography of this eleven-time Stanley Cup winner.
As a casual hockey fan, I was only really familiar with Toe Blake from the Paul Newman movie 'Slap Shot.' I didn't know that he got his nickname from a sibling, nor that he had other nicknames like The Old Lamplighter.
He was born into a family of 11 during the Depression and worked in Sudbury's mines. Hockey got him a better life, but he would still go home and work in the mines during the offseason. He was part of the Punch Line, a feared ice hockey line for the Montreal Canadiens. He went on to be a coach and is known for winning, but he had tragedies in his own life, and seemed driven by inner fear and some anger. In spite of his wins and his place in the hockey hall of fame, his number has never been retired by the Canadiens.
What a great read! I really had a fun time learning about this powerhouse player and coach. His personality is complicated and I'm not entirely sure I would have liked to meet him, but his record stands on the rings of the Stanley Cup.
I received a review copy of this ebook from ECW Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
As a casual hockey fan, I was only really familiar with Toe Blake from the Paul Newman movie 'Slap Shot.' I didn't know that he got his nickname from a sibling, nor that he had other nicknames like The Old Lamplighter.
He was born into a family of 11 during the Depression and worked in Sudbury's mines. Hockey got him a better life, but he would still go home and work in the mines during the offseason. He was part of the Punch Line, a feared ice hockey line for the Montreal Canadiens. He went on to be a coach and is known for winning, but he had tragedies in his own life, and seemed driven by inner fear and some anger. In spite of his wins and his place in the hockey hall of fame, his number has never been retired by the Canadiens.
What a great read! I really had a fun time learning about this powerhouse player and coach. His personality is complicated and I'm not entirely sure I would have liked to meet him, but his record stands on the rings of the Stanley Cup.
I received a review copy of this ebook from ECW Press and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for allowing me to review this ebook.
January 16, 2023
Interesting to read about the life of this Hall of Fame player and coach. I especially appreciated the insights into his complicated and fraught relationships with older daughter Joan and son Bruce. Some biographies like this have the impulse to lionize the figure they write about but this work does well resisting that urge. Showing both the admirable aspects and flaws of the legendary Toe Blake.
August 5, 2024
I had only seen this name in some of the few hockey history books that I have read but they never really went into the man's life. This was a really good book about a hockey legend and one that many true hockey people know about. I am glad I was able to read this story and learn about the man, the player, and the history of the league. I found this to be a very good book.
October 14, 2024
A brilliant book about the life and times of one of the greatest hockey players from his era and probably the greatest coach of all time; Toe Blake. Wonderfully written, well researched and accessible to any hockey fan of any era. A must read!
May 29, 2021
Absolute great book. Informative with a lot of insight.
November 13, 2020
Logothetis has written the first biography of one of the greatest coaches in NHL history, and does a good job at it. More than just looking at Blake's time coaching and playing, he looks at the personal side of the man, showing his upbringing in Northern Ontario, to his work after retirement when he ran his tavern and made appearances for the Canadiens. He also shows the relationship Blake had with the many figures he knew in his decades in hockey, and how he was able to get the best out of an already great team and make them legendary. A good read for anyone interested in the history of the NHL, or the Montreal Canadiens.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews