One Night Only

August 8, 2016
So many hockey fans dream of what it would be like to play in the National Hockey League, even just for one game; this book is a fascinating, if somewhat repetitive, look at a select few who achieved that dubious feat. Reid, a Sportsnet host, has produced a self-referential book in which he’s part of the narrative, making it a little like eavesdropping on a barroom conversation. It’s the polar opposite of his first book, Hockey Card Stories, since these guys weren’t around long enough to merit a card. There are players who spent a lifetime in the minor leagues and junior call-ups; tough guys summoned to pick a fight; those who faced injuries, and those who faced shots in net. All qualify as journeymen. Their post-hockey lives are essential to the tale; for every Don Cherry or Don Waddell who went on to make careers in hockey, there are those, such as Jack Stanfield, who became a television executive, or furrier Ron Loustel. A select few, such as Larry Kwong, the oldest player profiled, for his one shift appearance in March 1948, which made him the first Chinese-Canadian player in the NHL, deserve even more ink.