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65+ Best Hockey Books (2021 list)

Last updated on March 30, 2021

Want to learn more about the history of hockey?
Or be inspired by the stories of great players?

Or discover techniques to improve your game?
Check out my list of the best hockey books for you to read and do just that.

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Quick Navigation
Best Hockey Books - Summary
Best hockey overview books - great gift ideas
Books about Hockey History & Team/Game stories
Hockey Players' Biographies (and coaches, personalities)
Books for fans of Hockey Teams
Books about Hockey's Rules, practice and techniques
Hockey novels
Best hockey books for kids
Hockey coloring books
Hockey notebooks and journals

Back to all ice hockey articles

This article may contain affiliate Links (info on the Disclosure page). If you purchase using my link, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.


Best Hockey Books - Summary

This page contains a lot of suggestions about wonderful books to read about ice hockey.
However, if you want a summary with my top picks in each category, here it is:

category

Book

Cover

Best Hockey Trivia book

100 Years, 100 Moments:
A Centennial of NHL Hockey


Buy it / Read the reviews

Best Hockey Stories

Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories


Buy it / Read the reviews

Best Hockey Player Biography

Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player


Buy it / Read the reviews

Best Hockey Team book

Collection - If these walls could talk


Find out more teams on this page

Best Hockey Techniques book

Hockey Plays and Strategies


Buy it / Read the reviews

Season Hockey Training Log notebook
Season Hockey Training journal notebook

Best ice hockey overview books - great gift ideas

Let's start with some of the best overview books about hockey to offer as a gift to hockey players or hockey fans alike.
They cover:

  • The best moments of the sport
  • Interesting facts and stories
  • All the best players of several generations
  • Hockey trivia 
  • ...

But if you are looking for more inspiration books, head to the next section.

100 Years, 100 Moments: A Centennial of NHL Hockey

by Scott Morrison

Veteran hockey journalist gathers in this book many pictures and info about a century of NHL hockey teams and games: the most important moments!

Buy it / Read the reviews

The Great Book of Ice Hockey: Interesting Facts and Sports Stories

by Bill O'Neill and Ryan Black

Collection of interesting facts and stories about the game of ice hockey, including stories before the NHL...
Random facts about how the game started, the players, the coaches, the rules...

Buy it / Read the reviews

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Chicken Soup for the Soul: Hooked on Hockey

by Jack Canfield, Mark Victor Hansen and Laura Robinson

Lots of inspiring stories about NHL players, hockey personalities, coaches but also fans and everyday players. Why are they hooked on hockey? Deep dives into their lives.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Sports Illustrated Hockey's Greatest

by The Editors of Sports Illustrated

Find out the greatest of all times in hockey: greatest goalie, greatest center... Experts have been polled to compile these 15 lists of top 10.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Hockey Puzzlers: Offbeat Trivia for the Fan and the Fanatic

by Bob Moll

Be unbeatable during hockey parties or trivia nights
100 hockey trivia questions covering seven categories including game history and strange rules.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Fabric of the Game: The Stories Behind the NHL's Names, Logos, and Uniforms

by Chris Creamer, Todd Radom and Lanny McDonald

Looking for something different? Check out this book that covers the origins of the NHL team names as well as their logos and uniforms. 
You love wearing the logo of your favorite team? Now, you will know why.

Buy it / Read the reviews


Books about Hockey History & Team/Game stories

In this section, I am listing the best books to learn about the hockey history and its greatest moments, especially "the Miracle on ice" during the 1980 Olympics but also many other lesser known but still fascinating stories.

The Boys of Winter: The Untold Story of a Coach, a Dream, and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team

by Wayne Coffey

The true story of the 1980's US Hockey Olympic team and what Sports Illustrated called 'the greatest moment in sports history'. All you should know about the fairy-tale like story called "The Miracle on Ice", when amateurs took on the Russian team.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Miracle in Lake Placid: The Greatest Hockey Story Ever Told

by John Gilbert

The impact of that same story of "The miracle on ice" and how it impacted the sport.

Buy it / Read the reviews

99: Stories of the Game

by Wayne Gretzky and Kristie McLellan Day

Stories about "The Great one" from his own perspective, from his eyes: the people who inspired him, the famous moments in hockey history, his teammates...

Buy it / Read the reviews

The Original Six

by Lew Freedman

The NHL started in 1917 with the 6 "original teams": the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Detroit Red Wings. This is the story of how the NHL started and evolved.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Everyday Hockey Heroes: Inspiring Stories On and Off the Ice

by Bob McKenzie

The stories that make the greatest game in Canada: the NHL players, the everyday fans and coaches, the fans... Stories from on and off the ice.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Beauties: Hockey's Greatest Untold Stories

by James Duthie

57 stories... those that players tell each other: beautiful, crazy, funny... the tales of stars, coaches, referees, broadcasters, moms and dads

Buy it / Read the reviews

Hockey Strong: Stories of Sacrifice from Inside the NHL

by Todd Smith

Hockey is not an easy game. This is a collection of stories (with pictures) relating the dedication of hockey players and how they overcome injuries and difficulties to plan the game they love.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey's Greatest Coaches

by Craig Custance

Learn from the coaches. Interviews with some of the top hockey coaches to collect and confront their thoughts on leadership, game plans, critical moments...

Buy it / Read the reviews

Black Ice: The Lost History of the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes, 1895-1925

by George and Darril Fosty

The story of the complex sport organization that was the Colored Hockey League of the Maritimes in Canada. Comprised of the sons and grandsons of runaway American slaves, they redefined the sport of hockey and participated in changing it into the fast game it is today.

Buy it / Read the reviews

On the Edge: Women Making Hockey History

by Elizabeth Etue and Megan Williams

The story of how women entered the sport, and despite popularity, still face intolerance.
Portraits of the great women making history.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Kooks and Degenerates on Ice: Bobby Orr, the Big Bad Bruins, and the Stanley Cup Championship That Transformed Hockey

by Thomas J. Whalen

All the memorable moments from the 1969-70 championship season when the Bruins became the talk of the sports because of how they intimidated their opponents and took the NHL by surprise.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Chill Factor: How a Minor-League Hockey Team Changed a City Forever

by David Paitson and Craig Merz

How a minor-league hockey team, the Columbus chill, became the talk of the city and allowed Columbus to get its own NHL franchise.

Buy it / Read the reviews

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Figure Skating gift banner Zazzle 3
Ice Hockey puck skate red silver
Ice hockey skate towel goalie blue
Ice Hockey keychain favorite season black white
Born to play hockey t-shirt frozen blue
Ice Hockey luggage tag favorite season dark blue
    BUY +  PERSONALIZE + SHOW OFF your passion        

Hockey Players' Biographies (and coaches, personalities)

There is nothing more inspiring than a biography.
Dive deep into the lives of some of the greatest hockey players in the history of the games.
How did they reach their goals?
How did they live the stress, the successes and the hardship?
How was it for the first black NHL hockey players?

Orr: My Story

by Bobby Orr

Autobiography of Bobby Orr - considered one of the greatest defensemen in hockey history.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life On and Off the Ice

by Kristie McLellan Day and Curtis Joseph

Autobiography of Curtis Joseph. How he started late and still had a great 18-season career.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Most Valuable: How Sidney Crosby Became the Best Player in Hockey's Greatest Era and Changed the Game Forever

by Gary Joyce

How Sidney Crosby changed the game of hockey and how the league was re-made in his image.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Game Change: The Life and Death of Steve Montador, and the Future of Hockey

by Ken Dryden

About hockey head injuries and the death of Steve Montador, diagnosed with CTE.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player

by Willie O'Ree and Michael McKinley

A memoir about the life of Willie O'Ree and his career, first in the minors and then in the NHL, the first black player in the league's history (Canada)

Buy it / Read the reviews

Black Ice: The Val James Story

by Valmor James and John Gallagher

We saw above, the first black player in NHL history. Valmor James was the first American black player in the league. This is his story.

Buy it / Read the reviews

J.R.: My Life as the Most Outspoken, Fearless, and Hard-Hitting Man in Hockey

by Jeremy Roenick and Kevin Allen

Autobiography of Jeremy Roenick. HIs youth and how he started in the Chicago Blackhawks, and later for 4 more franchises. He has racked up 513 goals in his career.

Buy it / Read the reviews

My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star

by Darren McCarty

Autobiography of Darren McCarty. His time on the ice as a Detroit Red Wings player and his difficulties off the ice with addiction, finance and women.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other

by Ken Dryden

Biography of Scotty Bowman, considered one of the greatest coaches in hockey history and in all the sports. He won more games and more Stanley Cups than anyone else. 

Buy it / Read the reviews

Burke's Law: A Life in Hockey

by Brian Burke and Stephen Brunt

Burke has lived and breathed hockey his whole life as a player, an agent, a league executive, a scout, an Olympic GM and a media analyst. These are his views on the sport.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life

by Eddie Olczyk and Perry Lefko

Autobiography. The story of his 16-year career in hockey and how he got there.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Off Mike: How a Kid from Basketball-Crazy Indiana Became America's NHL Voice

by Mike Emrick and Kevin Allen

A memoir by broadcast legend Mike Emrick, known as the voice of hockey in America.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Undrafted: Hockey, Family, and What It Takes to Be a Pro

by Nick Kypreos and Perry Lefko

Autobiography. About his youth, his life, his hockey career and how he transitioned to being a hockey analyst after his concussion.

Buy it / Read the reviews


Books for fans of Hockey Teams

Now, hockey stories in general are great.
But you may want to learn more about your favorite hockey team.
So many things to learn... Here are some of the great collections to become even more a fan!

Collection - The Big 50

The best 50 stories about your favorite hockey teams.

The Detroit Red Wings book
Buy it / Read reviews

The New York Rangers book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Chicago Blackhawks book
Buy it / Read reviews

Collection - The Tales from the Locker Room

Even more stories about your favorite teams.

The New York Rangers book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Chicago Blackhawks book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Boston Bruins book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Montreal Canadiens Book
Buy it / Read reviews

Collection - If these walls could talk

Even more stories about your favorite teams.

Some of the teams covered are listed below - find out more teams on this page (after the other sports)

The Boston Bruins stories
Buy it / Read reviews

The San Jose Sharks stories
Buy it / Read reviews

The Calgary Flames stories
Buy it / Read reviews

The Philadelphia Flyers stories
Buy it / Read reviews

Collection - 100 things fans should know

Even more stories about your favorite teams.

Some of the teams covered are listed below - find out more teams on this page 

The Maple Leafs trivia
Buy it / Read reviews

The Vancouver Canucks book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Pittsburgh Penguins book
Buy it / Read reviews

The Saint Louis Blues book
Buy it / Read reviews

Toronto and the Maple Leafs: A City and Its Team

by Lance Hornby

The relationship between the city of Toronto, its inhabitants and its most beloved sports team.

Buy it / Read the reviews

The Montreal Canadiens: 100 Years of Glory

by D'Arcy Jenish

All you want to know about the Montreal Canadiens.

Buy it / Read the reviews


Books about Hockey's Rules, practice and techniques

All the best hockey player and goalie books that help you work on your:

  • technical skills
  • mental strength
  • physical strength

Hockey Plays and Strategies

by Mike Johnston and Ryan Walter

Introduction to a variety of tactics to improve your game.

Buy it / Read the reviews

The Hockey Drill Book

by Dave Chambers

500 drills for all aspects of the game

Buy it / Read the reviews

Hockey Anatomy

by Michael Terry and Paul Goodman

All you need to know about increasing muscular strength and optimizing efficiency of every movement in order to improve your on-ice performance.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Hockey Tough

by Saul L. Miller

The best hockey players are mentally tough; This is a book to help you strengthen your mental: control your emotions, stay focus, play aggressively but not uncontrollably...

Buy it / Read the reviews

Physical Preparation for Ice Hockey

by Anthony Donskov

Explanations and exercises to develop your physical strength especially for hockey playing.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Hockey Goaltending

by Eli Wilson and Brian van Vliet

The guide with techniques, practice exercises, physical conditioning to stopping more pucks.

Buy it / Read the reviews

The Power Within: Discovering the Path to Elite Goaltending

by Mike Valley and Justin Goldman

The mental game for goaltenders.

Buy it / Read the reviews

Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How to Watch Hockey By Knowing Where to Look

by Greg Wyshynshi

For fans to better understand the games they are watching.

Buy it / Read the reviews

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Figure Skating gift banner Zazzle 3
Ice Hockey puck player silhouette turquoise
Ice hockey notebook goalie red
Ice Hockey mug skate pairs black white
Ice Hockey t-shirt Favorite season fan purple pink
Ice Hockey skate towel black white
    BUY +  PERSONALIZE + SHOW OFF your passion        

Hockey novels

Beartown: A Novel

by Fredrik Backman

The story or a town and the game. After an intense game, a violent act eruptq and a young girl is traumatized.

Buy it / Read the reviews

And many many many hockey romance novels... but it is not really the objective of this page!


Best hockey books for kids

My complete list of the best hockey books for kids can be found in this other article.
But here are already a few ideas, which can be great hockey gifts for kids.

For toddlers

Let's Play Hockey (Chunky Lift-a-flap Book) 

by Ginger Swift and Cottage Door Press

A great introduction to Hockey for babies and toddlers: practice words from the world of hockey, count the number of players, watch the fan cheering. This lift-a-flap book is a great first hockey book.

Buy it / Read reviews

For 3 - 7 years old

The day my fart followed me to hockey

by Ben Jackson and Sam Lawrence

This book is part of the series of Timmy and his best friend the Fart. In this story, they play hockey together, when Timmy attends the hockey tryouts.

Buy it / read reviews

For 6 - 9 years old

There are no figure eights in hockey

by Chris Kreie

Josh is a champion figure skater who is looking for a new challenge. He decides to try hockey since he is already a good skater. But he soon discovers that there is more than skating to playing hockey. No more figure eights.

Buy it / Read reviews

For 8 - 12 years old

Hockey Meltdown

byJake Maddox

Dylan and his team head into the Midwinter Meltdown Tournament ready to win, but a pre-season injury takes him out of the game. Can he still be part of the team when stuck on the bench?

Buy it / Read reviews

With girl heroin

Ice rink rookie

by Jake Maddox

Pilar was born without part of her right foot. But she does not let it stop her from enjoying ice-skating. And she joins the hockey team. Can Pilar prove to herself and her teammates that she belongs?

Buy it / Read reviews

Breaking the Ice: The True Story of the First Woman to Play in the National Hockey League

by Angie Bullaro

The inspiring true story of Manon Rhéaume, the first and only woman to play a game in the NHL.

Buy it / Read the reviews


Hockey coloring books

Want to have fun and mediate while thinking about hockey.
Check out the following coloring books.

For adults

Buy it / Read reviews

For kids

Buy it / Read reviews

Buy it / Read reviews

Buy it / Read reviews


Hockey notebooks and journals

And now it is time for you to do some writing of your own.
Below are some classic notebooks with great hockey covers to personalize as well as training journals to write down your season's stories.

Notebooks to personalize

See my complete collection of hockey notebooks to personalize.

Ice Hockey notebook skate turquoise
Personalize it
Ice hockey notebook Favorite season black
Personalize it
rather be playing - red ice hockey notebook
Personalize it

Hockey training journals

Buy my training journal


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