Recommended Reading

41 books we recommend for players, coaches, parents, and fans. Filter by category or search by title and author.

Must Reads

The Game

Ken Dryden (1983)

A literary masterpiece. Dryden reflects on his final season with the Montreal Canadiens, weaving together the rhythms of a hockey season with meditations on the nature of sport, competition, and excellence. Widely regarded as the greatest hockey book ever written.

history coaches, fans

The Boys of Winter

Wayne Coffey (2005)

The definitive account of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. Goes beyond the game itself to explore the Cold War context, Herb Brooks' psychology, and the individual stories of the twenty young men who shocked the world.

history fans

Gretzky: An Autobiography

Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly (1990)

The Great One tells his own story — from backyard rinks in Brantford to breaking every scoring record in NHL history. Essential reading for understanding modern hockey.

biography fans, players

Coaching Hockey Successfully

Dennis Gendron (2006)

A comprehensive coaching manual covering team building, practice planning, game strategy, and player development. Used in coaching certification programs across North America.

coaching coaches

Hockey Plays and Strategies

Ryan Walter & Mike Johnston (2009)

200+ plays and strategies with diagrams. Covers breakouts, forechecking, neutral zone play, power play, penalty kill, and face-offs. The X's and O's bible for hockey coaches.

coaching coaches

Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World's Best Athletes

Darryl Belfry (2020)

Belfry has trained McDavid, Crosby, Tavares, and dozens of NHL stars. This book reveals his approach to skill development — pattern recognition, creative play, and the habits that separate elite players.

coaching coaches, players

Changing the Game

John O'Sullivan (2013)

A youth sports manifesto arguing for player-centered development over win-at-all-costs culture. Applies directly to youth hockey's most challenging dynamics.

coaching coaches, parents

Hockey Tough

Saul Miller (2003)

Sport psychology applied specifically to hockey. Mental preparation, focus, confidence, dealing with pressure, and performing in big moments.

psychology players, coaches

Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

Carol Dweck (2006)

The research behind growth mindset vs fixed mindset. Essential for coaches and parents who want to develop resilient, improvement-focused young athletes.

psychology coaches, parents, players

Indian Horse

Richard Wagamese (2012)

A novel about a First Nations boy who discovers his gift for hockey in a residential school. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and essential reading on hockey and colonialism in Canada.

fiction fans

Long-Term Athlete Development

Istvan Balyi (2013)

The science behind athletic development from childhood through adulthood. The framework that many national hockey programs use to design age-appropriate training.

development coaches, parents

All Books

Title	Author	Year	Category	For	Description
The Game	Ken Dryden	1983	history	coaches, fans	A literary masterpiece. Dryden reflects on his final season with the Montreal Canadiens, weaving together the rhythms of a hockey season with meditations on the nature of sport, competition, and excellence. Widely regarded as the greatest hockey book ever written.
The Boys of Winter	Wayne Coffey	2005	history	fans	The definitive account of the 1980 Miracle on Ice. Goes beyond the game itself to explore the Cold War context, Herb Brooks' psychology, and the individual stories of the twenty young men who shocked the world.
Open Ice: The Tim Horton Story	Douglas Hunter	1994	history	fans	The story of one of hockey's toughest defensemen and the donut empire that bears his name. A fascinating look at the intersection of hockey and Canadian culture.
Gretzky: An Autobiography	Wayne Gretzky with Rick Reilly	1990	biography	fans, players	The Great One tells his own story — from backyard rinks in Brantford to breaking every scoring record in NHL history. Essential reading for understanding modern hockey.
Bobby Orr: My Story	Bobby Orr	2013	biography	fans, players	The notoriously private Orr finally tells his story. From Parry Sound to Boston, from the famous flying goal to the business betrayals that marked his career. Humble, honest, and compelling.
99: Stories of the Game	Wayne Gretzky	2016	history	fans	Gretzky's love letter to hockey history, told through stories of the players, coaches, and moments that shaped the sport. Part memoir, part encyclopedia of hockey greatness.
The Riverton Rifle	Reggie Leach	2015	biography	fans	The story of one of the greatest goal scorers in playoff history, and one of the first Indigenous stars in the NHL. A story of talent, struggle, and redemption.
Net Worth: Exploding the Myths of Pro Hockey	David Cruise & Alison Griffiths	1991	history	fans	An investigative look at the business of hockey — team finances, player exploitation, and the power dynamics between owners, agents, and the NHL.
A Day in the Life of the NHL	Various	1998	history	fans	Photographers captured every NHL team on the same day. The result is a snapshot of professional hockey at a specific moment — the rituals, the travel, the preparation, the games.
Hockey Night in Canada: By the Numbers	Michael McKinley	2006	history	fans	The story of hockey told through its statistics, records, and numbers. From the first recorded game to the analytics era.
Coaching Hockey Successfully	Dennis Gendron	2006	coaching	coaches	A comprehensive coaching manual covering team building, practice planning, game strategy, and player development. Used in coaching certification programs across North America.
The Hockey Coaching Bible	Joe Bertagna	2015	coaching	coaches	Top college and professional coaches share their philosophies on offense, defense, special teams, goaltending, conditioning, and leadership. A reference book for serious coaches.
Hockey Plays and Strategies	Ryan Walter & Mike Johnston	2009	coaching	coaches	200+ plays and strategies with diagrams. Covers breakouts, forechecking, neutral zone play, power play, penalty kill, and face-offs. The X's and O's bible for hockey coaches.
Belfry Hockey: Strategies to Teach the World's Best Athletes	Darryl Belfry	2020	coaching	coaches, players	Belfry has trained McDavid, Crosby, Tavares, and dozens of NHL stars. This book reveals his approach to skill development — pattern recognition, creative play, and the habits that separate elite players.
Simply the Best: Insights and Strategies from Great Hockey Coaches	Mike Johnston & Ryan Walter	2004	coaching	coaches	Interviews with legendary coaches about their philosophies, practice methods, and leadership approaches. Practical wisdom from those who've done it at the highest level.
Gold Medal Diary	Hayley Wickenheiser	2010	coaching	coaches, players	Behind-the-scenes diary of Canada's 2010 Olympic gold medal run in women's hockey. Leadership, preparation, and the mental game at the highest level.
Make the Cut: A Guide for Minor Hockey Players	Jay Goldstein	2013	coaching	players, parents	Practical advice for young players trying to make competitive teams. Covers tryout preparation, mental readiness, and what evaluators look for.
Changing the Game	John O'Sullivan	2013	coaching	coaches, parents	A youth sports manifesto arguing for player-centered development over win-at-all-costs culture. Applies directly to youth hockey's most challenging dynamics.
Hockey Tough	Saul Miller	2003	psychology	players, coaches	Sport psychology applied specifically to hockey. Mental preparation, focus, confidence, dealing with pressure, and performing in big moments.
Hockey Plays and Strategies	Mike Johnston & Ryan Walter	2009	skills	coaches, players	Detailed breakdowns of offensive and defensive systems with play diagrams. Essential for coaches building team systems.
Laura Stamm's Power Skating	Laura Stamm	2009	skills	players, coaches	The bible of power skating instruction. Detailed breakdowns of every skating stride, turn, stop, and transition with progressive drills. Stamm trained NHL players for decades.
Total Hockey Training	Sean Skahan	2016	skills	players, coaches	Off-ice training programs designed specifically for hockey players. Covers strength, speed, agility, flexibility, and nutrition with periodized programming.
The Goaltender's Handbook	Jim Corsi	2005	skills	players, coaches	Comprehensive goaltending instruction covering stance, angles, movement, rebound control, and mental preparation. Written by one of hockey's most respected goalie coaches.
Mind Gym	Gary Mack	2001	psychology	players, coaches	Short, practical chapters on visualization, focus, confidence, and mental toughness. Used by athletes across all sports. Easy to pick up and apply immediately.
The Inner Game of Tennis	Timothy Gallwey	1974	psychology	players, coaches	Not about hockey, but about the mental game of any sport. The concept of Self 1 (conscious mind) vs Self 2 (body/instinct) applies directly to hockey performance. A classic.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success	Carol Dweck	2006	psychology	coaches, parents, players	The research behind growth mindset vs fixed mindset. Essential for coaches and parents who want to develop resilient, improvement-focused young athletes.
Relentless	Tim Grover	2013	psychology	players	The mindset of elite competitors, from Michael Jordan's trainer. Intense, unapologetic, and not for everyone — but the mentality translates directly to hockey's most competitive players.
The Champion's Mind	Jim Afremow	2014	psychology	players, coaches	Practical mental training strategies from a sports psychologist who has worked with Olympic and professional athletes. Goal setting, self-talk, pre-game routines.
Playing with Fire	Theo Fleury	2009	biography	fans	One of the bravest memoirs in sports history. Fleury reveals the abuse he suffered as a junior player and its lifelong impact. Raw, painful, and important.
All the Way	Jordin Tootoo	2015	biography	fans	The first Inuk player to play in the NHL tells his story — growing up in Rankin Inlet, the tragedy of his brother's suicide, battling addiction, and finding redemption through hockey.
Behind the Bench	Craig Custance	2017	biography	coaches, fans	Inside the minds of NHL coaches. Interviews with Babcock, Quenneville, Tortorella, Sullivan, and others about leadership, game management, and handling players.
Eleven Rings	Phil Jackson	2013	biography	coaches	While about basketball, Jackson's leadership philosophy — Zen Buddhism, team chemistry, ego management — is directly applicable to hockey coaching.
No Plan B	Mark Messier	2024	biography	fans, players	The Captain reflects on leadership, winning, and what it takes to guarantee a victory. Messier's guarantee in the 1994 playoffs is the stuff of legend.
Salvage King, Ya!	Mark Anthony Jarman	1997	fiction	fans	A literary novel following a minor league hockey player through the bus leagues. Poetic, funny, and brutally honest about life at the bottom of professional hockey.
Indian Horse	Richard Wagamese	2012	fiction	fans	A novel about a First Nations boy who discovers his gift for hockey in a residential school. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and essential reading on hockey and colonialism in Canada.
The Hockey Sweater	Roch Carrier	1979	fiction	fans, parents	The most famous Canadian short story about hockey. A boy in rural Quebec receives a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey instead of a Montreal Canadiens one. A parable about identity, belonging, and the culture of hockey.
Hockey: A People's History	Michael McKinley	2006	history	fans	Companion to the CBC documentary series. Hockey told from the ground up — pond hockey, women's hockey, Indigenous hockey, immigrant communities, and the grassroots that feed the professional game.
Long-Term Athlete Development	Istvan Balyi	2013	development	coaches, parents	The science behind athletic development from childhood through adulthood. The framework that many national hockey programs use to design age-appropriate training.
The Talent Code	Daniel Coyle	2009	development	coaches, parents	How deep practice, ignition, and master coaching create talent. The myelin science behind skill acquisition applies directly to how young hockey players develop.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World	David Epstein	2019	development	coaches, parents	The case against early specialization in sports. Research shows that multi-sport athletes often develop better than single-sport specialists — challenging hockey's year-round culture.
Positive Coaching	Jim Thompson	2010	development	coaches, parents	The Positive Coaching Alliance approach to youth sports. Redefining winning, building character, and creating environments where kids thrive. Every youth hockey coach should read this.