Like yourselves, The Maven is itching for the Canes-Rangers series to begin already. But we have to wait, and while we wait I have a worthy Blueshirt distraction for you.
Like yourselves, The Maven is itching for the Canes-Rangers series to begin already.
But we have to wait, and while we wait I have a worthy Blueshirt distraction for you.
Read Rangers books, and then read more about your favorite team. And I have the guy who can help you select a few.
My buddy Nathan Lajoie of Chatham, Ontario boasts the largest collection of hockey books in the world; not to mention every Ranger work ever printed.
As a public service for Rangerville, I asked Nathan to pick out some of his favorite Blueshirts books that will not only inform but provide joy as you relive games and playoffs past. Here goes:
1. WHEN THE RANGERS WERE YOUNG: By Frank Boucher and Trent Frayne
"This is the best Rangers book ever written," says Lajoie, and The Maven will back him up on that. "It's also one of my all-time favorite hockey books. Boucher crafted a fantastic overview of the first three decades in Rangers history alongside the great Trent Frayne. Frank features the likes of Bill and Bun Cook, Murray Murdoch, Taffy Abel, Ivan Johnson, and others.
He details his years spent as a coach and then general manager, touching on his relationship with Lester Patrick, which had become strained."
2. A YEAR ON ICE: THE RANGERS ROLLER COASTER 1970 SEASON: By Gerald Eskenazi
"This was the first hockey book to feature a behind-the-scenes look at a club both on the ice and of the lives of its athletes away from it," says Lajoie. "Eskenazi describes the wild ride -- perhaps the wildest ever -- the Rangers took to improbably squeeze into a playoff spot. A must-read for any Rangers fan."
3. WE DID EVERYTHING BUT WIN -- FORMER RANGERS REMEMBER THE EMILE FRANCIS ERA (1964-1976): By George Grimm
Lajoie: "This wonderful history of an unforgettable era is meticulously researched and filled with many entertaining and insightful interviews with the players and 'The Cat.' himself. Readers will feel as if they've entered a time capsule to relive many of their favorite memories. Grimm delivers a winner here.
4. NEW YORK RANGERS: SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS: By John Halligan
A Lester Patrick award-winner, Halligan, the Rangers public relations director, expertly covers the history of the franchise up to that point," notes Lajoie. "All the franchise greats are covered here, as well as the biggest moments. It's all capped with superb photography."
At this point The Maven must immodestly point out that one Fischler book made Lajoie's list. The critic's review follows:
METRO ICE: A CENTURY OF HOCKEY IN GREATER NEW YORK: By Stan Fischler and Tom Sarro. Critic Lajoie made it his runner-up with these words:
"A beautiful, lavishly illustrated celebration of hockey's history in New York. This stunning coffee table book should be the go-to resource for any fan and researcher wanting to learn more about the history of hockey in the Greater New York area.
It covers not only the Rangers but also the Americans, Islanders, Devils, Rovers, Raiders, and the Golden Blades. It deserves its place on the shelves of any serious hockey fan."