Gold: How Gretzky’s Men Ended Canada’s 50-Year Olympic Hockey Drought

by Tim Wharnsby

"Now after 50 years, it's time for Canada to stand up and cheer. Stand up and cheer everybody! The Olympics Salt Lake City, 2002, men's ice hockey gold Canada!" —Bob Cole, CBC play-by-play broadcaster

There was no iconic Paul Henderson moment, nor a Sidney Crosby golden goal, but Canada’s 5-2 victory against the rival United States in the men's 2002 Olympic gold medal game wiped out 50 years of frustration for the nation that invented ice hockey.

Canadians from coast to coast were whipped into a frenzy, with impromptu celebrations on streets like Granville in Vancouver, Yonge in Toronto, Ste-Catherine in Montreal, and Portage and Main in Winnipeg.

Gold is the definitive chronicle of how the men of Team Canada made history. Marking 20 years since the momentous victory, Tim Wharnsby delivers the inside story of how Gretzky built the team and Pat Quinn got them to the gold medal, featuring exclusive interviews with players, coaches, and personnel.

Readers will hear directly from Gretzky, Jarome Iginla, Joe Sakic, Steve Yzerman, and more in this thrilling and immersive narrative of Olympic triumph.

Genres: Sports, Nonfiction, Canada, Audiobook

256 pages, Hardcover

Published February 15, 2022

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun story to hear retold. The author was able to interview a lot of the players and staff on this super team (more than a dozen players in the Hall of Fame!), and it is clear how much winning a gold medal after 50 years meant to the players and the Canadian Hockey community. But at the same time it felt like surface look at the experience, heavy on superlatives and not much depth. We get a high level look at each game, but nothing in depth n tactics of exactly why the Canadians were able to win (other than overwhelming talent). The bulk of the book is about the talents that constructed and played, so it frequently ventures in hagiography. When writing about Gretzky, Lemieux, Sakic, Yzerman, et al. it is hard not to do. And the book does a good job capturing what made each player special. I would have just like more details into what made the team as a whole special (why did some line configurations work and others didn't? what was the plan to beat the US in the finals?) and what made the experience special (we get high level beats like a somber ride back from barely beating Germany and learn that a steak dinner with the women's team was fun, but no details). Good for what it was but I wanted more.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

Put a book about Canadian hockey players competing for gold in front of me and it’s impossible to put down. Fantastic book about the greatest hockey nation in the world winning gold in 2002 at the Winter Olympics. True Canadian hockey fans should enjoy this book.

[T.J. Millar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love gold

[John P · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was extremely disappointed. Way too many lists of line combinations, roommates, trophies won, too many game recap summaries and very little “new stuff”. Lots of time spent on inter-connections between players/executives careers. We mostly know that, as hockey at that level is still very much a closed shop/old boys network. I was very glad I borrowed from the local library rather than spent my own money on it.

[Alex Baron · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is good, but not great. It really could have benefited from better editing. Too much information was getting repeated and a lot of content was just who had already played with who or who knew each other from what past event. Not really all that interesting. It didn’t try and build up to any suspense, it was written as if for a newspaper. This is not the book that this great hockey tournament deserves.

[Ankur Kumar · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of Canada's gold medal victory in Salt Lake City is a history everyone loves to read about!

Here's another great one, about the best roster ever. So much to learn from, and get entertained with, thanks to a passionate and dedicated writer of the game like Tim Wharnsby.

Highly suggest this book to anyone that wants to understand the structure, the organization, and the overall result of the greatest hockey victory.

[Valerie Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a bit biased. Tim writes with a reporters depth and knowledge of stats and understanding of both the game and the perspective of real the real people involved. It is a fascinating look at a wonderful moment in sports history and an inside peek at much of the behind the scenes, and personalities that are often lost as the bigger story is the headline.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

During the Olympics, reading books about the Olympics was really the only Olympic things I consumed.

I found this pretty interesting, but sports are not my favorite subject.

It was a bit dry at times as well.

3.1/5

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good accounting of Canada’s 2002 Olympic hockey story and hockey history. Unfortunately, the story was fairly bland with not much in the way of intrigue or mystery involved. Perhaps it is that the story has been told too many times or that there seems to be little in the way of conflict that makes it less than exciting. An interesting story for those who may not have lived through it.

[Steven Beningo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some very good information, but way too many lists - do readers really need to know the training pairs at the Canadian Men's Hockey Team Summer Camp in 2001? The forward to the book, written by Chris Pronger, is the worst forward to a book that I have ever come across.

[Jessica Bates · Rating 4 out of 5]

So sure this book can be dry if you don’t have an interest in the story (but then why are you reading it). I love a good sports story and this is one of those. The book is just matter of fact.

[Aaron White · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars. Nice to read about the background of building the 2002 team. Always fun to hear to hear the strategy behind the making of greatness.

[Steve Hooft]

Fun, Makes you want to research more of Canada's great hockey moments.

[Calvin Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the great win of '72 for Canada but big just the same, and this brings back the memories nicely :)