- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: McClelland & Stewart (Oct 2 2007)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0771029128
- ISBN-13: 978-0771029127
- Product Dimensions: 15.9 x 2.3 x 23.4 cm
- Shipping Weight: 581 g
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #254,594 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
A revealing look inside the Russian Super League by its first Canadian coach.
Until now no Canadian had penetrated the coaching ranks of Russian hockey, but the year after the NHL lockout, Dave King became head coach of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk. From the beginning, King, Canada’s long-time national coach and former coach of both the Flames and Blue Jackets, realized he was in for an adventure. His first meeting with team officials in a Vienna hotel lobby included six fast-talking Russians and the “bag-man” — assistant general manager Oleg Kuprianov, who always carried a little black bag full of U.S. one hundred dollar bills.
The mission seemed simple enough: keep the old Soviet style combination play on offence, but improve the team’s defensive play — and win a Russian Super League Championship. Yet, as King’s diary of his time in Russia reveals, coaching an elite Russian team is anything but simple. King of Russia details the world of Russian hockey from the inside, intimately acquainting us with the lives of key players, owners, managers, and fans, while granting us a unique perspective on life in an industrial town in the new Russia. And introducing us to Evgeni Malkin, Magnitogorsk’s star and the NHL’s newest phenomenon.
Until now no Canadian had penetrated the coaching ranks of Russian hockey, but the year after the NHL lockout, Dave King became head coach of the Metallurg Magnitogorsk. From the beginning, King, Canada’s long-time national coach and former coach of both the Flames and Blue Jackets, realized he was in for an adventure. His first meeting with team officials in a Vienna hotel lobby included six fast-talking Russians and the “bag-man” — assistant general manager Oleg Kuprianov, who always carried a little black bag full of U.S. one hundred dollar bills.
The mission seemed simple enough: keep the old Soviet style combination play on offence, but improve the team’s defensive play — and win a Russian Super League Championship. Yet, as King’s diary of his time in Russia reveals, coaching an elite Russian team is anything but simple. King of Russia details the world of Russian hockey from the inside, intimately acquainting us with the lives of key players, owners, managers, and fans, while granting us a unique perspective on life in an industrial town in the new Russia. And introducing us to Evgeni Malkin, Magnitogorsk’s star and the NHL’s newest phenomenon.
About the Author
Dave King was coach of Canada’s national team for nine years, during which he coached the team to three Olympic games and a silver medal at Albertville in 1992. He has also been the coach of the NHL’s Calgary Flames and Columbus Blue Jackets, as well as the assistant coach for the Montreal Canadiens. He had taken a job with the top team in Finland, Helsinki IFK, before Magnitogorsk began to court him.
Eric Duhatschek was the winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for “distinguished contributions to hockey writing” in 2001. In 2000, after twenty years of writing about the NHL and the Calgary Flames, he joined globeandmail.com, where he writes a five-times-a-week NHL column. A frequent contributor to Hockey Night in Canada’s Satellite Hot Stove segment, he has covered four Winter Olympics, nineteen Stanley Cup finals, every Canada Cup and World Cup since 1981, plus two world championships. Most recently, he was appointed as the newest member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s annual Selection Committee.
Eric Duhatschek was the winner of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Elmer Ferguson Memorial Award for “distinguished contributions to hockey writing” in 2001. In 2000, after twenty years of writing about the NHL and the Calgary Flames, he joined globeandmail.com, where he writes a five-times-a-week NHL column. A frequent contributor to Hockey Night in Canada’s Satellite Hot Stove segment, he has covered four Winter Olympics, nineteen Stanley Cup finals, every Canada Cup and World Cup since 1981, plus two world championships. Most recently, he was appointed as the newest member of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s annual Selection Committee.
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Most helpful customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Not just a hockey tale,
By
This review is from: King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League (Hardcover)
Ex-Canadian Olympic team coach Dave King seems the perfect guy to be the first Canadian coach in Russia's Super League (now known as the Continental Hockey League) and we're so lucky he kept this running diary/journal of his time there. Eric "Du-hat-trick" adds his usual editing and tight writing style as the ghost writer on this and it shows as this is a real page turner.The best thing you learn about the hockey part is how Russians train and how dedicated most of them are to drills and training (both on- and off-ice). If anyone ever has any doubts about their heart (hello, Don Cherry), they need to read this book. The added bonus was King was coaching Evgeni Malkin this particular year before he moved to the Pittsburgh Penguins and you can feel how much joy he brings to the rink unlike many of his stoic (yes, the stereotype fits at times, and King explains why this is connected to how Russian coaches still coach old school at all levels of the game) Russian teammates. King's story does not stop at the rink, and although he doesn't have as much contact as he'd like with the locals bar the usual (i.e., shopping or at restaurants), you do get a strong picture of life in the industrial town of Magnitogorsk where he was based and how Russia is changing so much and how some things change ever so slowly (the hunt for fresh produce is almost like a spy novel throughout the book). Plus we get a look at all these other "famous" teams, personalities and cities throughout the league plus throw in the Spengler Cup and a pre-season camp in Germany. The Epilogue and Afterword fill us in on what happened after his first season in Russia. That's sort of the cherry on top of this delicious tale of hockey in a culture we know so little of here in Canada.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews) 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Entertaining, A quick read.,
By Carol S. Bradley "bradleau" - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League (Hardcover)
I really enjoyed reading this book. Had to put it down once in a while to get some sleep! I had read an earlier book about the first NHL player that went to Russia. This fits in well with that book. A very good update about the players. The world hockey that you don't hear about in the States, and Canada.You will recognize the names. A good book. 5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A terrific story,
By B. Trusinsky "Astro-German-Latvian-Genealogy ... - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League (Hardcover)
This book is a terrific almost day-by-day account of the experience Dave King had coaching in Russia. I was particularly interested in this title because, besides being an avid hockey fan from Minnesota -practically a Canadian province in terms of hockey- I am also someone who has been interested in first, the Soviet Union as a teenager, and now Russia and its transition away from communism. Before I read it, I wondered how the Russian players, media and fans would treat him. I also wondered whether or not and to what extent he would succeed in this literally foreign hockey league, if he would be mugged or meet the Russian mafia (as Russia has a bit of a reputation for "lawlessness"). I also wondered how he would manage to reside in a country and if he would be insulated from some of its problems. ALL of these questions are answered, but you'll have to read it to find out! It is a GREAT and EASY read!! I highly recommend it!
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
An interesting, easy-to-read book,
By Ice Linux - Published on Amazon.com
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: King of Russia: A Year in the Russian Super League (Paperback)
This book is essentially the coach's daily diary, describing his year in Russia and organized around the four seasons (although Spring was incorrectly labeled as Winter in my copy). Because of the diary format, it's easy to put down and pick up again at your leisure, without losing the thread.Having lived a couple of years in the former Eastern bloc, it jogged memories of my experiences and some of the struggles. You'll get observations and insight on a wide range of different aspects of daily life and nuances of the culture. The discussion of youth hockey in Russia (page 103 and following) is fascinating. It's no surprise that so many Russian-trained players are excelling in the NHL. Be sure to read the Epilogue and Afterward, which put the whole adventure in nice perspective. |
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