Long Shot

Eric Zweig brings his experience as a sports journalist and hockey historian to Long Shot, which is aptly described in the subtitle that appears on the cover, How the Winnipeg Falcons Won the First Olympic Hockey Gold. In 15 short chapters, the reader is taken for an exciting journey from hockey crazy Winnipeg in 1896 to the creation of the Winnipeg Falcons in 1909 and eventually to the 1920 Olympic Games when the team made up almost exclusively of Icelandic-Canadians from Manitoba became Olympic champions and the toast of the nation. Excerpts from contemporary newspaper reports provide a sense of immediacy to the Olympic action.

The Falcons' story wasn't always so glorious. Prejudice against the working class sons of Icelandic immigrants kept them from playing in the Winnipeg Hockey League, but fortunately a couple of other teams joined with the Falcons in other amateur hockey leagues. After their rise to international victory, members of the Falcons moved on to professional hockey with the National Hockey League and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association. Frank Fredrickson had the greatest success in the professional leagues and was eventually elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The excerpt illustrates Zweig's ability to succinctly capture historical details about the evolving nature of hockey in Canada. A basic understanding of current hockey rules is all that is required to appreciate the differences explained. A two-page glossary includes terms, like blocked shot and combination play, that may be unfamiliar to some readers. Most chapters include one sidebar that contains interesting facts such as the origin of the Allan Cup, the amateur hockey trophy first presented in 1908. Also included are nine black and white photos of various Falcons teams or members and related images.

Recommended.

Canadian Review of Materials - Voulme XIV, Number 3 - September 28,2007