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

by Ken Dryden

Overview

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BC NATIONAL AWARD FOR CANADIAN NON-FICTION
A GLOBE AND MAIL BEST BOOK

From the bestselling author and Hall of Famer Ken Dryden, this is the story of NHLer Steve Montador—who was diagnosed with CTE after his death in 2015—the remarkable evolution of hockey itself, and a passionate prescriptive to counter its greatest risk in the future: head injuries.

Ken Dryden’s The Game is acknowledged as the best book about hockey, and one of the best books about sports ever written. Then came Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), also a major TV-series, in which he explored hockey’s significance and what it means to Canada and Canadians. Now, in his most powerful and important book yet, Game Change, Ken Dryden tells the riveting story of one player’s life, examines the intersection between science and sport, and expertly documents the progression of the game of hockey—where it began, how it got to where it is, where it can go from here and, just as exciting to play and watch, how it can get there.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780771027499
Publisher:	McClelland & Stewart
Publication date:	10/15/2019
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	368
Sales rank:	532,263
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

KEN DRYDEN was a goalie for the Montreal Canadiens in the 1970s, during which time the team won six Stanley Cups, and he played for Team Canada in the 1972 Summit Series. He has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame. He is a former federal member of parliament and cabinet minister, and is the author of many books, including The Game, Home Game (with Roy MacGregor), Game Change, and Scotty. He and his wife, Lynda, live in Toronto and have two children and four grandchildren.

Editorial Reviews

Game Change is excellent. Well written. Well researched. Well reasoned. Informative. Intriguing. Thought provoking.” —Bob McKenzie, TSN

“Game Change is arguably Dryden's most significant book since The Game, which is still widely regarded as the greatest hockey book ever written and as one of the best sports books of all time. As good as The Game was, this latest work is the more important to read right now.” —Brett Popplewell, Globe and Mail

“Game Change [is] a powerful and convincing examination of hockey's failure to address the growing issue of concussions.” —Roy MacGregor, Globe and Mail

"Game Change . . . is about the brain and head shots and concussions. But more than that, the thread that carries you through this well-crafted story is the life of Steve Montador . . . who was destroyed too young by injury and circumstance.” —Steve Simmons, Ottawa Citizen

From the Publisher

10/30/2017
Dryden, a former NHL goalie, retired Canadian politician, and author (The Game), offers a startling hybrid of a biography and a call to save the lives of athletes who are vulnerable to brain damage caused by concussions. His subject, Steve Montador, was a journeyman hockey player who “was never not on the margins.” After a decent career, with more than 500 games on six NHL teams from 2001 to 2012, Montador dealt with concussion-related health issues. He died in February 2015 at age 35. Montador’s story begins as an inspiring one as he moves from being an unlikely prospect to making the big leagues, but it becomes harrowing as he descends into addictions to deal with his deteriorating physical and mental health. Dryden includes excerpts from the journal Montador kept during his last years, which increases the drama. His story is a page-turner. The book also ventures into the stories of other players sidelined by brain injuries and the doctors who study the condition. Dryden proposes dramatic fixes for the “ever-escalating game,” such as limiting when players can be checked and eliminating all hits to the head and fighting, that are sure to anger traditionalists, but it’s hard to deny his powerful warning that by delaying taking action “we waste careers and lives.” Agent: Bruce Westwood, Westwood Creative Artists. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly