The Best Game You Can Name

The Best Game You Can Name follows Dave Bidini's season playing recreational hockey with a Toronto men's league team called the Friday Game. Through his experiences on and off the ice, Bidini documents the culture of amateur hockey in Canada. While playing with his recreational team, Bidini travels to meet former NHL players and hockey personalities to discuss their relationship with the sport after leaving professional play. The book combines these conversations with accounts of his own team's weekly games and locker room dynamics. The narrative shifts between Bidini's personal hockey journey and the stories shared by hockey veterans, examining how the sport maintains its grip on players long after their competitive days are done. His interviews span from hall-of-famers to obscure former players. The book explores themes of aging, community, and the ways sports can provide meaning and connection throughout different stages of life. It presents hockey as more than just a game, but as a thread that runs through Canadian culture and personal identity.

Readers describe this as an engaging behind-the-scenes look at minor league hockey, with many praising Bidini's personal experiences playing recreational hockey and interviewing former NHL players. The book resonates with amateur hockey players who relate to the recreational league stories. Likes: - Authentic portrayal of beer league hockey culture - Honest accounts from retired players - Balance of humor and serious moments - Strong storytelling about both famous and unknown players Dislikes: - Some find the structure disorganized, jumping between storylines - A few readers note redundant passages - Non-hockey fans struggle with industry terminology Ratings: Goodreads: 3.8/5 (124 ratings) Amazon: 4.2/5 (16 ratings) "Captures the spirit of why we play the game" - Goodreads reviewer "Too scattered in its focus" - Amazon reviewer "Perfect mix of pro hockey history and beer league reality" - LibraryThing review

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🏒 David Bidini played in a Canadian recreational hockey league while writing this book, using his personal experiences to explore the deep connection between hockey and Canadian culture. 📖 The book's title comes from a line in Stompin' Tom Connors' famous hockey song "The Hockey Song" ("The good old hockey game is the best game you can name"). 🎸 Before becoming an author, Bidini was a founding member of the Canadian rock band Rheostatics, known for their hockey-themed album "The Night of the Hockey Fights." 🌟 The book features interviews with NHL legends like Phil Esposito and Tiger Williams, offering intimate glimpses into their lives after professional hockey. 🍁 Bidini traveled across Canada to explore different hockey communities, from remote northern towns to urban centers, documenting how the sport connects diverse populations across the country.