Catch 22: My Battles, in Hockey and Life

by Rick Vaive, Scott Morrison

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

Was one of the most unheralded captains of the Toronto Maple Leafs also one of the greatest players in the history of hockey's most popular team? In telling his story of turmoil in Toronto's Ballard years (and with Don Cherry's Mississauga Ice Dogs), growing up in an environment filled with alcohol and alcoholism, and his own struggles and battles, Rick Vaive finally sets the record straight.

In the storied history of the Toronto Maple Leafs, no player scored fifty goals in a season until Rick Vaive in 1981-82. He did it three years in a row (only two others have scored 50 since) before being unceremoniously stripped of his captaincy and traded out of town, and he did it for a promising team that was nonetheless largely stuck at the bottom of the standings. So why isn't his number 22 hanging from the rafters of the Leafs' rink and his name as revered in Leafs lore as Gilmour, Sundin and Clark?

You could blame it on a team that lost far more than it won. You could blame Harold Ballard and his erratic ownership. You could blame the fans, the media...Rick Vaive doesn't blame anybody. Sometimes, life just doesn't go your way. He'd know. Growing up in a household plagued by alcoholism, the gifted young hockey player took shelter in the company of his grandmother and a blind and severely disabled uncle. Rick learned quickly that there are more valuable things in life than hockey. Even after his promising coaching career stopped dead when it ran into Don Cherry in Mississauga--one of the worst seasons in Ontario junior hockey history--he still doesn't point fingers. Life is too sweet for regrets, but learning that lesson can be one hell of a ride.

Genres: Hockey, Sports

272 pages, Hardcover

Published November 17, 2020

Reviews

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good summary of how Ballard set the roots for a completely inept organization. I do feel bad for the players who have had to live through this 53 years of mediocrity as it wasn't their fault what the head office did but I do blame the fans for supporting this garbage. Rick Vaive has had a difficult life in a number of ways but it is nice to see that he has pulled it back together.He was a tremendous Leaf.

[John De Marchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw Rick Vaive at a bar in Peterborough when they were hosting the Memorial Cup week in the mid 1990's. Me and my friends went up to him and my friend asked him, when you scored your 50th goal, who passed you the puck and Rick said, 'Bill Durlego'. My friend asked him, who was the defenceman, Rick said 'Guy Lapointe'. My friend asked him, who was the goalie that you scored against, he said, ' Mike Liut'. He says that he has a picture of that hanging in his office. My sister helped deliver his first son at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Toronto when he played for the Leafs. Rick talks about the problems that he had with Leaf staff with Punch Imlach, Howard Ballard, Dan Maloney (coach) and Gary McNamera (GM). He was striped of his captaincy when his slept in during practice but he mentions there were other reasons with the personnel problem especially with the Leafs coach Dan Maloney. He describes Don Cherry as an a*hole because when he was coaching the Mississauga IceDogs, they kept losing and Don Cherry kept leaving messages on his house phone number saying stuff like 'he couldn't coach a peewee team'. Rick eventually got fired but Don Cherry didn't want to give him all the severance remaining in his contract. Rick did sue the team and settled.

For anyone following the Leafs back in the 80's, this is a must read. Rick takes you behind the scene on how inept Howard Ballard was and how badly he ran the Toronto Maple Leaf, his clashes with other coaches and GM who he played for like Mike Keenan and GM John Muckler in Buffalo.

[Michael Gibson · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book a 4…but as the topic may not be appealing to a wide range of people gave it a 3 instead.
As a Leaf’s fan who struggled through watching the Ballard years, it is interesting to see behind the scenes and just how weird those days were. To also hear what it was like at all levels of hockey at that time, it makes me glad I wasn’t pushed harder in my hockey playing days to go further in the sport. While I played rep hockey, it wasn’t anywhere near the levels covered in the book. Even at the levels I played though, the politics around the sport were awful. I have heard from my friends who have kids playing hockey now that the politics are even worse now.
I had great respect for Rick as a player and thoroughly enjoyed watching him play throughout the years. How he managed to play at that level while dealing with the internal demons and difficult personalities around him at the time makes me think even more of him now. So glad that he has turned his life around and is enjoying every moment life has for him now.

[Gary VandeBroek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoy reading the stories of the players I cheered for over the year. So interesting hearing/reading the behind the seen goings on of players as they make their way to the NHL

[Bradley Proctor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew Vaive had been a great player; however, I never fully understood why he wasn’t as celebrated as other Leafs alumni for the last 25 years. This book sheds light on the reasons why. Worth the quick read!

[Mike Balsom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Following in the footsteps of George Armstrong, Dave Keon and Darryl Sittler, Rick Vaive had the "C" added to his Toronto Maple Leafs uniform in the '81/'82 season. At only 22 years old, number 22 became the first Maple Leaf to score 50 goals, netting 54 that season, his first of three 50-goal seasons in a row. Problem was, though, he didn't have much of a team around him to make any serious noise in the playoffs, handcuffed as the Leafs were under the ownership of Harold Ballard. Vaive goes into much detail about those futile Leafs years, as well as his life growing up in PEI and his time spent in the coaching ranks after his playing days ended. Running through the memoir are Vaive's struggles with both alcohol and anxiety, both of which seemed to have kept him from reaching his true potential as both player and coach. You may wonder why he stole the title of Joseph Heller's literary classic. To Vaive, the 22 refers, of course, to his age and jersey number when he was named captain, but the "catch" is in the way there always seemed to be something he had to give up to reach that next level. An enjoyable, revealing look into the life of a Leafs legend.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having been an Ontario child of the 80s, Rick Vaive was one of the few highlights of some horrible Maple Leaf teams. Unfortunately, Catch 22 was fairly bland with not much that was terribly interesting. It is told in a way that lacks any real drama or intrigue. Probably the most interesting parts of the book were Vaive’s days as coach of the Mississauga IceDogs and dealing with Don Cherry and the foreword by Scott Morrison making the case for Vaive’s number retirement at Scotiabank Place. Probably much more therapeutic for him to write rather than interesting to read.

[Doug Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a huge Leafs fan during Vaive's hey day I had to read this. It's a fairly easy and interesting read. Sometimes hard to keep track of where we are and who we are talking about as first names are thrown away quickly.

I can relate to the battles in being surrounded by people who drank too much. Something that is common in NS.

I guess I lost track of Vaive after he left the Buds. I didn't realize what a prolific scorer he was during his career.

I am so happy he is clean now.

[Joe Seliske · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rick Vaive gives us the story of his life. Much we have heard before, the three seasons he scored 50 goals, the previous high 54 goals for the Toronto Maple Leafs (until Auston Matthews scored 60 this year), his captaincy of the Leafs and the list goes on. What we have never heard about is the bed wetting, the struggles with alcohol and his coaching experiences. A well-rounded tale from a famous Toronto Maple Leaf.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Saw the book in the store. Borrowed it from the library. Didn’t have high hopes but gave it a chance. I remember watching Vaive on TV. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Vaive speaks honestly and without bitterness. He owns his personal issues and doesn’t pull punches. Leafs fans should read the book. It’s excellent.

[Mikey24 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great look inside the "Ballard" years for the Leafs and inside the thoughts of a great Leaf. I was always a Rick Vaive fan. He never really got the credit or respect a 3-time 50 goal scorer should have gotten.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very good 3+ for Leaf fans

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great sports memoir. It was raw, honest, unfiltered. I truly appreciate Rick Vaive both as a person and as a hockey player.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting stories of Rick Vaive's time as a Leaf, the craziness of the Ballard years, Vaive's struggles with alcohol.

[Henry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raw and honest but a little tedious.

[Kristina Maye · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy reading the lives of former Toronto Maple Leafs

[Russell R · Rating 5 out of 5]

good hockey book

[Paul Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rick Vaive had a 13 year career in the National Hockey League. He began his NHL career with the Vancouver Canucks, traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs, then to the Chicago Black Hawks, the Buffalo Sabres and finally, as a member of the American Hockey League's Hamilton Canucks in 1993. His 2020 memoir, Catch-22: My Battles In Hockey and Life (co-written by Scott Morrison) relives the days before, during and after his career. The peak of his career was during his seven years with the Toronto Maple Leafs, most of them as the captain. He became the first Maple Leaf to score 50 or more goals in one season. He accomplished that feat three times during his time in Toronto. Unfortunately, his hard work and productivity was diminished by the fact he played for some rather poor Leaf teams in the 1980s. It's that period many Leafs fans consider a "lost decade". Due in no small part to Leafs owner Harold Ballard. The stories, mishaps and capers of Edwin Harold Ballard (yes, Edwin was his first name) are legendary. An overwhelming number of those stories reveal an owner that didn't want to spend money to make a better team. Vaive and his teammates tried to put forth a good effort. It's hard to put forth a good effort when the owner isn't backing you up. In his memoir, Vaive discusses being coach of the now-defunct Mississauga IceDogs of the Ontario Hockey League following his NHL retirement. He regales us with stories of working with former NHL coach/commentator Don Cherry, one of the team's co-owners. It was not a productive relationship. Vaive lasted only one year as coach of a very poorly-drafted team. Cherry was not a hands-off owner. He liked mixing it up and making noise. Sounds a bit like Mr. Ballard. Vaive is candid about his battle with alcoholism. He finally became after finally admitting he had a problem. All in all, this book is entertaining, honest and fair. Vaive admits his mistakes, offers his perspective with some explanation. I don't usually read a lot of these sports memoirs. I remember Vaive in the 80s playing for the Leafs. On a better team, he would have been more appreciated. This book is available in accessible formats from the Centre for Equitable Library Access in Canada and Bookshare in the United States. Recommended.