An Evening With A Legend

It isn't often that I head out on a weeknight thanks to work obligations starting way too early the next morning. Tonight, though, I cleared my schedule for an event that I believed would be rather entertaining thanks to the this man's longevity in his career. The success he had as a hockey player at all levels can't be overlooked, but the people he skated with and against were some of the biggest characters in the game from yesteryear. Monday was made all the better with this planned outing, so I'm glad I tossed caution to the wind to hear this man speak.

Bryan Trottier is a seven-time Stanley Cup winner - six as a player and one as a coach - so it's hard to argue with the man's success. That success led him to being inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, it saw him recognized as one of the NHL's 100 Greatest Players of all-time, and it has cemented him as a legend of the game. Thanks to his vast experiences, Trottier has documented some of the key moments in his life in his new book, All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice published by McClelland & Stewart, and he was in town to speak about his new book!

Normally, I don't take notes at these things as I believe in giving the speaker my full attention, and I did the same for Trottier tonight. He was funny, he was introspective, he was engaging, and he was passionate about his experiences which made the chat very entertaining. What I thought was ingenious, though, was that McNally Robinson webstreamed the event for those who were interested. And if one is webstreaming, that likely means there's a recording!

I went hunting on YouTube when I got back to HBIC Headquarters and, lo and behold, the entire discussion that I witnessed in person is available on YouTube! If you want to hear all about All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice and some of Bryan Trottier's experiences as a hocey player, hit the play button below for tonight's chat!


Getting to see a couple of his Stanley Cup rings from the Penguins and Avalanche was incredible as those rings are massive and beyond sparkly, but Bryan Trottier was so welcoming and so grateful for everyone showing up for his chat. He signed books and met with fans long past McNally Robinson's closing time, and it was fairly clear there were a number of delighted Islanders fans and hockey fans who got to meet one of hockey's legends tonight.

If you're looking to meet Bryan Trottier, there are only a few stops left on his book tour through Canada. He'll be in Vancouver at the Vancouver Public Library on Tuesday evening, in Calgary at WordFest on Wednesday, in Regina at Chapters on Thursday, in Kingston at Chapters on November 18, and he'll be at the Ottawa International Writers Festival in the nation's capital on November 19. Block off a few hours to head down to one of these locations to meet one of hockey's most successful Indigenous players of all-time as Bryan Trottier will give you an hour of laughs and stories when he visits a city near you to promote All Roads Home: A Life On and Off the Ice.

Keep your eyes on this space as there will be a review of the book coming up, and I'm already excited to crack the spine of the book with some of the great stories with which Bryan Trottier entertained the crowd tonight!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!