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In the Crease: Goaltenders Look at Life in the NHL
No one knows hockey like Dick Irvin. Now Canada’s most experienced hockey broadcaster draws together stories by and about the players who catch the rubber, from the giants of hockey’s early years to the superstars of today.
As in his previous best-selling books, The Habs and Behind the Bench, Irvin brings the game alive by combining his own rich store of hockey lore and the words of the players themselves. Here are the giants of the crease: Georges Vezina, whose name is carved on the trophy given annually to the game’s best goalie; Lorne Chabot, the netminder who lost the longest game ever played; and Charlie Gardiner, who died heroically, practically with his skates still on.
Here, too, are the legends of the modern era. Tony Esposito, the great Chicago netminder, explains why he refused to speak to anyone – even his wife – on game days. Glenn Hall, Chicago’s best stopper of the 1960s, admits that he did, indeed, throw up before every game he played. Ken Dryden remembers with special pride the 1976 Stanley Cup finals in which he and the Montreal Canadiens won a furious grudge match against the Philadelphia Flyers. Among current stars Ron Hextall defends himself against his detractors; Patrick Roy admits that controversy over his million-dollar salary affected his play; and Martin Brodeur, once the game’s most underpaid player and now the wearer of a Stanley Cup ring, explains his winning philosophy.
Irvin does not neglect goaltending’s less-exalted practitioners. One chapter is devoted to back-up goalies. Another is given over to good goalies whose fate it was to play for bad teams. Yet another tells the stories of goalies whose philosophical ruminations about the game have led to a career after goaltending.
In the pages of In the Crease, hockey’s goaltending heroes and its merely human practitioners vividly convey their unique view of Canada’s best-loved game.
As in his previous best-selling books, The Habs and Behind the Bench, Irvin brings the game alive by combining his own rich store of hockey lore and the words of the players themselves. Here are the giants of the crease: Georges Vezina, whose name is carved on the trophy given annually to the game’s best goalie; Lorne Chabot, the netminder who lost the longest game ever played; and Charlie Gardiner, who died heroically, practically with his skates still on.
Here, too, are the legends of the modern era. Tony Esposito, the great Chicago netminder, explains why he refused to speak to anyone – even his wife – on game days. Glenn Hall, Chicago’s best stopper of the 1960s, admits that he did, indeed, throw up before every game he played. Ken Dryden remembers with special pride the 1976 Stanley Cup finals in which he and the Montreal Canadiens won a furious grudge match against the Philadelphia Flyers. Among current stars Ron Hextall defends himself against his detractors; Patrick Roy admits that controversy over his million-dollar salary affected his play; and Martin Brodeur, once the game’s most underpaid player and now the wearer of a Stanley Cup ring, explains his winning philosophy.
Irvin does not neglect goaltending’s less-exalted practitioners. One chapter is devoted to back-up goalies. Another is given over to good goalies whose fate it was to play for bad teams. Yet another tells the stories of goalies whose philosophical ruminations about the game have led to a career after goaltending.
In the pages of In the Crease, hockey’s goaltending heroes and its merely human practitioners vividly convey their unique view of Canada’s best-loved game.
368 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1995
60 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 25, 2007
Im a hockey geek, and a goldtender to boot so what do you expect?!
This is a fun collection of anecdotes from and about some of the greatest goltenders to play the game.
This is a fun collection of anecdotes from and about some of the greatest goltenders to play the game.
March 1, 2018
Found this in a thrift shop, grabbed it quickly. As time goes by I appreciate people like Dick Irvin who have seen it all in the game of hockey. Irvin, the son of legendary Leafs and Habs coach Dick Irvin Sr, writes of the great goalies in the game. Most are in their own words, but Dick writes an excellent opening chapter about early legends like Georges Vezina, Charlie Gardiner, Turk Broda, Bill Durnan and more. From the 50's to 1995, Dick interviews many great goalies.
Gump Worsley, Glenn Hall, Ken Dryden, Eddie Giacomin, the list goes on. Gary "Suitcase" Smith, who had a cup of coffee with the Maple Leafs in 1966, and skated over the centre line trying to score a goal. That's why there's a rule that goalies can't go past centre ice. Lovely tidbits like that.
Retired now, in 2018, Dick is in his mid-80's but I could still sit back and listen to his stories of hockey history.
Gump Worsley, Glenn Hall, Ken Dryden, Eddie Giacomin, the list goes on. Gary "Suitcase" Smith, who had a cup of coffee with the Maple Leafs in 1966, and skated over the centre line trying to score a goal. That's why there's a rule that goalies can't go past centre ice. Lovely tidbits like that.
Retired now, in 2018, Dick is in his mid-80's but I could still sit back and listen to his stories of hockey history.
May 2, 2021
This book on NHL goaltenders follows Dick Irvin's format in other books he has written about coaches and referees. Chapters begin with a couple of pages of commentary by Irvin, followed by a transcription of part of interviews Irvin has done with various subjects. It's basically goaltenders looking at life in one of the most unique positions in pro sports, in their own words. Irvin draws on his many years experience to include chapters on goalies of another era like Gump Worsley and Glenn Hall, as well as others from the more modern era. The book was written in 1995, so if it has one weakness it's that there is a preponderance of chapters about goalies from the late 80s and early 90s. It is interesting to read the impressions of a rookie Martin Brodeur, and of others who later went into broadcasting themselves. A quick and enjoyable read for any hockey fan.
August 1, 2025
Dick Irvin writes an excellent hockey book. Great behind the scenes look at goalies and their craft. really enjoyed the book.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews