TBC: Fast Ice Superstars

I have to admit that I sometimes take my position as a hockey fan a little for granted in that I have accumulated a vast spectrum of hockey knowledge. There are those who are discovering the game and certainly trying to learn more about the game in this connected world today, and it's part of any good hockey fan's responsibility to help foster that learning and appreciation for the game. When I picked up today's entry in Teebz's Book Club, I was left feeling underwhelmed, but it occurred to me that not every book is written for my level of hockey fan. In saying that, Teebz's Book Club is proud to review Fast Ice Superstars of the New NHL, written by Andrew Podnieks and published by ECW Press. If you need to know who to keep an eye on in this era's NHL, Mr. Podnieks' new book will certainly give you a number of names to follow in this new NHL.

Directly from his website, "Andrew Podnieks has written more than 80 books on hockey, all of which are featured on this website. In addition, he has attended four Olympics, 13 World Championships, and many World Junior, Women's Worlds, and Women’s U18 Championships for the IIHF, writing extensively for IIHF.com. He has worked with Hockey Canada and USA Hockey to produce comprehensive statistics for all levels of competition. For Canada's Sports Hall of Fame, he helped develop web and exhibition content and successfully nominated several inductees." I've been lucky enough to review a number of Mr. Podnieks' books on this site, so check out the list on the right to get reviews on more of his books!

When you think about the superstars of today's NHL, you can probably come up with a pretty comprehensive list if you've been following the game for a while. Names like Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, Auston Matthews, Erik Karlsson, and Alexander Ovechkin will certainly make lists for most fans, but what if you were just breaking into being a fan of the game? How would you know who are the best players from across the league without watching every game and highlight available? The answer would be Fast Ice Superstars as Andrew Podnieks highlights 63 of the best players in the NHL right now from across the league for fans who want to know a little more about each of these players.

The five names mentioned above make appearances in Fast Ice Superstars, but there are players that I may have overlooked that Mr. Podnieks highlights that should be noticed by hockey fans. You may list off names like Laine, Seguin, Stamkos, and Subban in your top-ten players right now, but there are a pile of players on teams one may forget about that should also be included, and that's what Mr. Podnieks identifies in Fast Ice Superstars. Players like Cam Atkinson from the Columbus Blue Jackets, Rasmus Ristolainen from the Buffalo Sabres, and Noah Hanifin are often forgotten in this conversation about today's best players, and new fans should certainly be aware of these great players who play for teams who often don't get the national spotlight.

Each player of the 63 chosen by Mr. Podnieks is profiled in Fast Ice Superstars. The write-ups list career accomplishments, unique facts, where the player developed, and statistics. The facts listed by Mr. Podnieks will be appreciated by long-time fans while newer fans will learn where these players developed and why they are considered some of the best players in the game today.

For the long-time, knowledgeable hockey fan, Fast Ice Superstars won't introduce you to any random, obscure, or eccentric information about players. It's a very straight-forward, factual book about how the 63 players highlighted by Mr. Podnieks reached the pinnacle of the sport. For fans who want to know more about their favorite players or for fans who are just learning about the game, this book will be vital in accelerating one's learning about the players thanks to the very clear and concise writing that Mr. Podnieks employs in describing the players contained within Fast Ice Superstars.

There is nothing more important than giving factual and correct information to people, and Fast Ice Superstars delivers on that front as Mr. Podnieks profiles 63 NHL stars with solid write-ups for each player. You won't be dazzled with personal information or obscure facts about the player, but you will get a solid history of the player's development and his work within the NHL to date. For newer and/or younger fans, this is the kind of information that will lead to those fans following players and the sport for a long time. For that very reason, Fast Ice Superstars is absolutely deserving of the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

Find Fast Ice Superstars at your local library and bookstores as of tomorrow when it hits shelves! It is a suitable for all hockey fans of all ages, and would be suitable for hockey fans at all levels!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!