Hockey Dad: True Confessions of a (Crazy?) Hockey Parent

A revealing look at the good, the bad, and the ugly of minor hockey culture

Known as TSN's "Hockey Insider," Canada's Bob McKenzie is synonymous with the sport and one of its most respected analysts. In Hockey Dad, McKenzie describes firsthand the joys and heartbreak of raising two sons, with entirely diverging athletic futures. He details their separate paths, describing Michael, a 22-year-old playing NCAA hockey on scholarship, and Shawn, now 19, whose competitive minor hockey life was cut short at age 14 because of multiple concussions. Their deeply personal stories, and the trials and tribulations of a father creating futures for them, offer readers a compelling look into the world and culture of minor hockey.

• Includes funny anecdotes, debates on numerous hockey issues, and personal reflections on the game and its culture

With an unwavering look at his own strengths and weaknesses, as well as the entire system of minor hockey in Canada, Hockey Dad is an honest, irreverent and sometimes moving look at a sporting culture that is not so much a recreation as it is a way of life.

“And people think I'm crazy? This guy is the definition of crazy.”—John Tortorella, Head Coach, New York Rangers

“A must-read for all parents of athletes, not just hockey parents.”—Brian Burke, Toronto Maple Leafs' President and General Manager

“There will be ugly hockey stories this coming season, but there will, at the same time, be thousands of good ones that will go untold. This is a good one-and richly deserves to be heard.”—Roy McGregor, the Globe and Mail.

“You'll find yourself cheering for Michael and Shawn McKenzie and maybe a little bit for their father, too...if you're the parent of a young person playing this game, Hockey Dad is well worth the read.”—Ken Campbell, The Hockey News

Minor Hockey. Major Passion.

Hockey Dad? Definitely. Crazy? Maybe. But only if you think that camping out in an arena lobby for 48 hours to register your son for house-league hockey is crazy. Or getting escorted out of an arena by two policemen. Or calling for a stick measurement in a game involving 11-year-olds. Twice.

Hockey Dad is a revealing look at the good, the bad and the ugly of minor hockey culture as seen through the eyes of a committed parent/hockey coach-or is it a parent/hockey coach who should have been committed?—who also just happens to be one of the most well-known hockey personalities in North America. Hilarious, candid, and at times poignant, Hockey Dad is a true slice of life as thousands live it in the world of minor hockey culture. Bob McKenzie reveals himself—and his entire family—in ways you've never seen him before.

These deeply personal stories, and how Hockey Dad dealt with the highs and lows of his sons' hockey careers (sometimes well, sometimes not so well), are a compelling look into the world of minor hockey—a major Canadian passion.