A Slap Shot in Time: The Wild but True History of the Minnesota Fighting Saints

by Dan Whenesota, MIke Lefty Curran (Foreword)

In the early 1970's an upstart professional hockey league known as the World Hockey Association was formed to challenge the well-established and long-standing National Hockey League. The WHA set its sights on competing with the NHL for players, fans and dollars.

The Minnesota Fighting Saints were one of the WHA’s original franchises, playing their games downtown St. Paul at the newly built Civic Center. They were the first major professional sports team to be based in St. Paul, at a time when Minnesota’s other major professional sports teams were based across town in Minneapolis.

Competing in parts of five seasons, the Fighting Saints, along with their minor league team, the Johnstown Jets, were notorious for wild antics both on the ice, and off. Some of those events were the inspiration for a major Hollywood film. Over time, that film became a cult classic and is still today considered one of the greatest sports movies of all time.

This book is about the real stories. The wild but true history of the Minnesota Fighting Saints.

Genres: Hockey

172 pages, Paperback

Published July 17, 2022

Reviews

[Howie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun read through the Rebel League history of the Minnesota franchise.

[Dave Cottenie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well researched, “A Slap Shot in Time” delves into the history of the Minnesota Fighting Saints. Of particular note is how the Saints, and their farm team the Johnstown Jets, were the inspiration for the movie “Slap Shot.” There are a number of instances that were chronicled that felt like they were right out of the movie and it was easy to see who the cast of characters were modelled after. A fairly chronological approach, this book would have benefited from more first person interviews and quotes that would give the reader a sense of who the players on the team were and their feelings. A good dip into history though.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book bought back many memories of nights at the Civic Center watching Glen’s goons and watching hockey through glass “boards”. I was actually there the night Mike “Shakey”Walton took off the ice with skates on and walked up the cements steps at the red line and exited out onto Kellogg Blvd. Didn’t know he ended up at a bar, but no surprise.

The author addressed the rivalry between the Saints and the North Stars. This took many forms, attendance, fan base and media attention. To see the Wild draw 17K today while the Saints struggled back in the 70’s is to see the growth of the sport over the years in Minnesota. Thanks for documenting this fun time for the ages.

[Lawrence Maas · Rating 5 out of 5]

fantastic

What fantastic look into the Seventies and the State of Minnesota Hockey not just the history of the Fighting Saints.

Wish the Book was longer.