Sunday, Feb. 19th, 2012

KEVIN ALLEN

In 1967, there were just two American-born players logging regular minutes in the NHL. More than 40 years later, the United States roster at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics was filled completely with NHL players, including the likes of superstars Ryan Miller, Zach Parise and Patrick Kane. USA Hockey has overseen the growth of the sport from the days of the early “hockey belt” of Massachusetts, Michigan, and Minnesota to today’s organization that boasts nearly 500,000 registered players across all 50 states. 

Star-Spangled Hockey: Celebrating 75 Years of USA Hockey by veteran hockey writer Kevin Allen traces the history of hockey in the United States—spanning nearly a century from Hobey Baker’s emergence as a star at Princeton University in the early 1900s through Team USA’s bronze medal at 2011 World Junior Championship. Allen takes readers through the early highlights in American hockey history. Coached by Boston native Bill Stewart, the 1937–38 Chicago Black Hawks won the Stanley Cup behind the efforts of American-born goaltender Mike Karakas. Karakas came from tiny Eveleth, Minnesota—an immigrant town of 5,000 that sent 11 players to the NHL during an era when the league was almost entirely Canadian.

Star-Spangled Hockey includes an in-depth history of the USA’s Olympic hockey program, including the “Miracle On Ice” 1980 team that won gold at Lake Placid. Mike Eruzione’s game-winning goal to beat the Soviets was a defining moment for the United States during the Cold War. The Associated Press and Sports Illustrated chose the upset by coach Herb Brooks’ team as the greatest sports moment of the 20^th century. 

With a foreword by Jeremy Roenick, one of the most colorful characters in the game, Star-Spangled Hockey utilizes first-hand accounts from some of the sport’s legendary figures to help readers fully understand the remarkable rise in prominence of American hockey over the past three quarters of a century.

About the Author:

Kevin Allen has been writing about hockey since 1986 and has covered more than 550 NHL playoff games. He has written about every level of hockey, from the NHL to the Olympics and the Women’s World Championship. He has authored and co-authored more than a dozen sports books, including Brett Hull’s as-told-to autobiography and Without Fear: The Greatest Goalies of All-Time. Allen is currently president of the Professional Hockey Writers Association. He lives with his wife, Terri, in Ypsilanti, Michigan.