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 - Good start dragged down by mediocre writing and factual errorsAs a longtime NHL fan who grew up watching the tag team of Probert & Kocur in Detroit, I am no stranger to fighting in the NHL. I was hoping with this book to get some insight into the unwritten rules and systems in place for fighting in the NHL. In the first 75 pages or so, I got that. Then... The last 2/3 of the book is dragged down by pointless sidetracks into discussions of rule changes, economics, and other nonsense not related to "The Code". The focus gets lost and the points being made are dragged down by the mediocre writing style. Additionally, there are numerous factual errors throughout. Referring to the Calgary/Edmonton feud as "The Battle of Ontario" would be one (though it was correctly labeled later in the book); stating that Chris Pronger and Steve Yzerman are both finesse players would be another (Yzerman, yes. Pronger, no.). Labeling Borje Salming and Doug Weight as enforces would be another. Doug Weight? The guy is a first-line center. And on and on and on. So what starts out promising doesn't finish that way. Too bad! Rating: - MediocreVery interesting topic, I loved some of the quotes. Overall, the books thesis is disproved by itself, poor logic. I think that the author is deep down against fighting, dispite what he claims. The real problem is that the book gets old fast. It is not a thick book, but it could easily lose half the pages. Repetition with different chapter titles. Should have just made a point with all the quotes and stories left in. Rating:  - BOOK JACKET TEXTHockey is, and always has been, a sport steeped in a culture of violence. Players have learned, however, to navigate through its mazes and labyrinths of physical contact by adhering to an honor code of conduct known simply as "The Code." As mysterious as it is sacred, the Code is an unwritten set of rules, the bible of hockey sportsmanship if you will, that has been handed down from generation to generation. While the Code has been around since the early days of the game's inception up in Canada, it remains a very taboo subject shrouded in secrecy. In fact, many players are simply unwilling to talk about it publicly. Everything from bench clearing brawls; to when and how you can challenge a guy to a fight; to settling old scores -- it's all covered in the Code. But, you won't read about it anywhere. Nope, there is no manual or rule book to refer to, just a way of life for hockey's elite who are lucky enough to find themselves initiated into one of professional sports' greatest fraternities. The players know that if they break the rules of the Code, then there will be hell to pay. You see, hockey is all about respect and disrespect, and that is ultimately why these frozen warriors don't wear facemasks. Each and every act of disrespect out on the ice must be accounted for, the Code says so. If that means dropping the gloves and getting dirty, so be it -- even if that means having to fight your former roommate or best friend. Players understand that if they cheap shot a guy, or run him from behind, or carry their sticks high, then they are fair game to in turn get punched in the face. It is a very simple, yet effective, deterrent. There is a chain of accountability in pro hockey and it's been that way for more than 100 years. In a militaristic sense, it is intimidation based on the theory that a good offense can be established by having a good defense. Hockey's rules of engagement come down to players protecting one another, factors of intimidation, and plain ol' retaliation. If a player challenges another player, then that player must answer the bell, and "show up," or face the humiliation of being considered dirty, or even a coward. Worse yet, if that player refuses to right what was wronged and defend his actions, he risks having that incident escalate to a higher level, involving additional teammates. That is when the big fellas come off the bench to keep the peace, and that is also usually when the crowd goes wild. Would you believe that by the time two heavyweights drop the gloves, that there may have been up to a dozen events between several different players that led up to that fight? That is all a part of the intricate matrix that makes up the Code. To fully understand the significance and history behind the Code, Ross Bernstein, the author of more than 30 sports books, interviewed more than 100 current and former NHL tough guys, as well as a handful of coaches and media personalities. Their insight and memories help weave the story of why fighting is allowed in professional hockey and how the Code allows the players to police themselves both on and off the ice. It is truly a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the only true gladiators left in the world of professional sports. When they step onto the ice, it is all about the Code... all about respect, accountability, pride and honor. Rating: - Read it if you're curious, but get it from the library. If you want to know why fighting in hockey is not only accepted, but necessary, or if you want some privy information from some of the game's top heavyweights, then read this book. But don't spend your money for it. There are numerous errors of fact throughout this book. One is tempted to give Bernstein the benefit of the doubt, and think it's a keystroke, like when he reports the standard size of an NHL rink as 100' X 85'. Later he lists the correct dimensions of 200' X 85. By the time I was reading how Mike Vernon led his team to two consecutive Stanley Cups from 1996-1998 though, I knew they weren't typos. Mike Vernon wasn't the starting goaltender for the Detroit Redwings in `96-97, but he did build his stock up enough in the playoffs to get a fat contract from San Jose the following year, when Chris Osgood (and Kevin Hodson) backstopped the Wings to the Cup in '97-98. It is impossible to type "Ontario" though when you mean "Alberta". Bernstein refers to the rivalry between Calgary and Edmonton as "the battle of Ontario", and I know he knows the difference, because he later refers to it as "the battle of Alberta". After a while of reading other completely irresponsible factual mistakes, the book would seem to be much less credible. The only thing that salvages it is that quite a bit of the text is verbatim interviews with former and current players, referees and other hockey personalities. Here are some other items that will make a hockey fan furrow their brow - Listing Mario Lemieux as at least 6'5", 230. Well, he ended his career at 230, but came in weighing much less at 6'4". I am quite sure he didn't get taller. Comparing Muhammad Ali, the world's most recognizable athlete to Tie Domi. Spinning the 1987 Canada / USSR junior bench clearing brawl as a head-to-head championship game. (The Soviets were out of contention.) Claiming the biggest rivalry of the six-team NHL was Chicago / Detroit. Not to disrespect that for what it was, but read any Canadian's book that has anything to do with hockey, and you will know the best NHL rivalry of all-time is Montreal / Toronto. Calling Derian Hatcher fast. After all of that, the book is not well organized or written. I did not buy this book to read the author's personal testament to his favorite players or endure pages of redundant opinion. And you shouldn't either. If you want to read some great anecdotes, or really are curious about the necessities of fighting in hockey, then you'll find it here. But check it out from your local library. Rating: - Outstanding BookAs a 25+ year hockey veteran, this book taught me a lot about the game behind the game. The commentary by many ex-players had me laughing out loud and my wife looking at me funny. I would recommend this book to anyone who thinks hockey is a brutal or barbaric sport since it definitely teaches the reader lessons on what provokes enforcers in the NHL.
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