Sports Blog

If you have hockey fans on your holiday list, consider picking up a copy of Stephen Brunt’s new book Searching for Bobby Orr. Brunt, a columnist with the Globe and Mail Newspaper, writes a very insightful account about Bobby Orr - the person and the hockey player. Brunt clearly states that this is an unauthorized biography. I am fortunate to have a few memories of seeing Bobby Orr play, but honestly, I was just too young to remember much. Most of my memories of Bobby Orr come from my father and older brother. Having said this, Brunt is able to capture the magic of a player I still consider the greatest to ever play the game.

Stephen Brunt also effectively discusses the evolution of professional hockey and the business of hockey. Whether you have a youngster on your shopping list who has no idea who Bobby Orr is, a parent who had the thrill of watching him play, or a fan of the great Bruin teams of the 1970’s, there is something for every hockey fan. Brunt creates such imagery that I found myself wishing that there was a DVD to go with the book – and, as if he is able to read my mind, he reveals that much of the footage of Bobby Orr’s playing days is gone forever – “erased or taped over at television networks to save a few bucks”.