When the Final Buzzer Sounds

by Colleen Howe, Gordie Howe, Charles Wilkins

Sharing the sometimes bittersweet, sometimes unexpected, always insightful accounts of the lives of some of the NHL's most famous players after retirement and the turns their lives have taken—often just as wild and crazy as their time on the ice—this collection of poignant stories details the hockey's greatest players after the last goal has been tended and the final buzzer sounds. Through in-depth one-on-one interviews, the book offers vivid and captivating portraits of nine hockey greats, profiling heroes such as Phil Esposito, Bobby Hull, Gordie Howe, and Eric Nesterenko, and it chronicles the struggles and triumphs that came after a life on the ice.

Genres: Hockey

224 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[David Horton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book came to me as a gift suited to my love for all things hockey but as I close the back cover and return it to the shelf, it feels more like a book about men and aging. It picks 9 retired hockey players and explores their lives away from and without the influence of the game. There are recaps of their sporting accomplishments but there is nothing new to be learned. The purpose of the book is to show how young hockey idols grow into ordinary human beings with flaws and unrealized dreams. In other words, we watch them becoming human again. The writer is good at his work, in some instances even great. His ability to set a scene proves he has the chops to rise to more high brow material. Yet, in spite of his command of poetic language, the title seems awkward and lame.

[Ryann Mehney]

I have just started this book. I am not very far yet and I would like to keep reading. I like that each chapter is about a new person. I wonder why some of the chapters are about more than one individual and how they would split up the learning part of it for each one. I also wonder if all of the players are on separate teams or are some teammates. I am excited to keep reading this book.

[Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting to learn about the lives of nine hockey stars after they left the hockey arena, especially since they played and retired before "big money" changed the game forever. The big difference, because they were not paid huge salaries, was that they all played with great passion because they loved playing hockey. The other thing I took away from this book that it must be a very difficult life for the wives of hockey players, because many of these guys had multiple divorces.