TBC: The Awesome Game

With our having Dave Hill on The Hockey Show last week to talk about his new book, I figured I should probably actually review the book at some point considering I read it for the interview. Normally, I'd post the review prior to the interview, but book went on sale on Tuesday and I chatted with Dave on Thursday. Obviously, I don't want to overshadow his publisher who wants to push the book, so Teebz's Book Club will make its appearance today as TBC is proud to review The Awesome Game, written by Dave Hill and published by Penguin Random House. Hill's book is a journey through a handful of countries as he seeks the age-old answer to why hockey isn't more popular in America, but it's in that journey across the globe that he discovers the power that hockey has in bringing people together in a number of ways!

For those who don't know Dave Hill or perhaps have heard his name associated with something other than writing, Dave works as a comedian, radio host, musician, and actor when he's not writing books. Every week, Dave hosts The Dave Hill Goodtime Hour, a livestream and podcast that is part of the Maximum Fun network, and he spends his evenings in various places as the lead singer and lead guitarist of the rock band known as Valley Lodge. In fact, you probably know one of Dave's songs without even realizing it as Valley Lodge's song "Go" is the theme song for HBO's Last Week Tonight with John Oliver! As stated, Dave has also penned other books such as Parking The Moose, Dave Hill Doesn’t Live Here Anymore, and Tasteful Nudes. Dave was born in Cleveland, loves hockey and hockey jerseys, and currently resides in New York City with his girlfriend.

I'll admit that I wasn't sure what to expect from The Awesome Game when I first started reading the book, but Dave Hill's voice comes through loudly as you read as if he were telling you these stories in person. Reading the chapters about his adventures in Katowice, Poland, growing up in Cleveland, and his first game of roller hockey in Nairobi, Kenya all have funny moments that made me laugh, but it's rather remarkable how many places Hill went to seek the answer about hockey not being popular in the US.

Make no mistake that Dave Hill speaks to some legends to get answers in The Awesome Game as well. He had a conversation with Russian legend Slava Fetisov about hockey's popularity in the US, he put the question to Islanders royalty in chatting with Bryan Trottier, he had lunch with former NHLer Len Frig, and he chatted with both Finnish Olympian Venla Hovi and another author of hockey books in Stephen Brunt. Each of these discussions is enlightening when you hear the views on hockey's popularity from each of these well-known hockey people, and I'm glad Hill was able to include these perspectives from those who may have deeper insight on the game.

A funny passage in The Awesome Game was from the chapter where Hill attended a Finnish Liiga game between HIFK and Kärpät where he discovered one player wearing a metallic gold helmet. Hill writes,

"Something else that confused me was the fact that one player on each team wore a shiny gold helmet. Naturally, I assumed that each of these players must be some sort of jerk, but upon further research, I discovered the gold helmets are worn by the top scorer on each team. Finnish hockey legend Teemu Selänne refers to this helmet as a 'Hit Me Helmet,' which makes sense as even I, normally a man of peace, had a near-Pavlovian urge to take a swing at the guy in the gold helment the moment I saw him. The wearer of the gold helmet changes from game to game, depending on which player is on top, which of course now has me wondering whether it's the same helmet being passed around the team or they break out a new one each time the helmet changes hands. These are the things that keep me up at night."

This is the kind of stream-of-consciousness writing you'll find in The Awesome Game and, as stated above, it's like listening to Hill tell these stories in person. Having that style makes Hill's stories more credible in this writer's view because it feels like he's telling you everything he experienced while throwing in those funny little asides.

Overall, The Awesome Game was a fun read about a number of hockey experiences in countries I really want to visit after having read the book, so I think Dave Hill's writing hit home. More than inspiring me to travel and watch hockey, though, there were some great human interest stories in The Awesome Game that should be read - the Ice Lions in Kenya, hockey fans in Poland, life in the nosebleed section at Madison Square Garden - to really show how hockey brings people together no matter where one calls home. Hill's comedy bring the stories to life, his descriptions add some colour to the scene you may in your head, and he's dedicated to the game of hockey, so it's pretty easy to see that The Awesome Game is absolutely deserving of the Teebz's Book Club Seal of Approval!

The Awesome Game is available at book stores and libraries across the land, and the material contained within the covers is pretty easy to read. There are a few instances of foul language in the book, and the writing is a little more advanced than children's books. As a result, I recommed this book for older teens and adults, but I'm pretty sure that all hockey fans will enjoy The Awesome Game!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!