The Game of Our Lives

Despite being written in the early 80s, The Game of Our Lives is still a fascinating, and relevant, book about a season in the NHL. As a young kid at the time, I followed Gretzky and the Oilers as much as one could growing up in central Pennsylvania. But this is a hockey book for all hockey fans; not just a story about the pre-championship Oilers, but an engaging insight into the history of the Canadian game. I highly recommend it.

I first read this book when I was 11 years old and once again 12 years later. Both times it made me realize that hockey in Canada is a right of passage that is one of the few threads holding our nation together. It also helped me to understand that for those of us who love this fast graceful and violent game happiness is only a frozen pond away. The book follows the trials and tribulations of the 1980 pre champion Edmonton Oilers. The team is a group of young unproven players with a few cagey veterans mixed in for guidance. Under the helmanship of Glen Sather the team rises above their lackluster regular season performance. Gzowski travels with the team and becomes a trusted companion which allows him a rare look at the inner workings and social power structure of a professional sports team. Led by the pasty faced 18 year old Wayne Gretzky the Oilers eventually gell into a close knit team which will eventually dominate in the future but must first learn some valueable lessons. I found myself caring for the players and I stopped viewing them as helmeted thugs who compete more for money then for their team. The book enabled me to realize that a successful team can only succeed if it has a good supporting cast of grunts. It's a refreshing read in this day and age of spiralling salaries and inflated egos. Gzowski also includes insights from his childhood growing up in rural Ontario which are very effective. A great read.