Hockey’s rich history explored through some of its most fascinating documents

Every great career in hockey starts with a pen and a piece of paper. In Blue Lines, Goal Lines & Bottom Lines, author Greg Oliver takes a peek into historical documents of the stars, from Wayne Gretzky’s first contract to a scouting report on Mario Lemieux; from Bobby Hull promoting a hair restoration product to Glenn Anderson fighting for his playoff bonuses. And what’s this about baseball Hall of Famer Fergie Jenkins playing with the St. Louis Blues? The journeymen tell their tales too, from Lou Nanne explaining why he signed his own retirement papers to Pierre Pilot talking about Elmer “Moose” Vasko’s battle with his weight. Culled from the archives of Allan Stitt, one of hockey’s leading collectors, the book offers up page after page of treats never before seen by hockey fans. The documents that breathe life into Blue Lines, Goal Lines & Bottom Lines are complemented by a wide variety of stunning and rare photos from the Hockey Hall of Fame archives.

A writer, editor, and stay-at-home dad, Greg Oliver has written extensively about hockey and professional wrestling. Recent books include Blue Lines, Goal Lines, & Bottom Lines; Don’t Call Me Goon; The Goaltenders’ Union; Written in Blue & White; and Duck with the Puck. A member of the Society for International Hockey Research, Greg lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and son. Learn more at OliverBooks.ca. Jim Gregory is a vice-president with the NHL and was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

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“Every hockey fan should seriously consider adding this book to his or her library. The documents are wonderful, the accompanying stories interesting and full of information, and it is one that can be shared with all hockey fans.” — The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books Blog

“The vintage look of the contracts and historical documents nicely shines through and captures the time period from when they were created. . . there is something of interest for every hockey fan. . . the content allows the reader to walk through the rich history of the game.” — Hockey Then & Now

“Readers will enjoy flipping through this book for fun tidbits, hockey nostalgia, and a glance at the upsides and downsides of less regulated times.” — Publishers Weekly