From Arena to Zamboni, this entertaining A-to-Z guide for hockey lovers covers everything there is to know about Canada’s game--its origins, rules, equipment, terminology, culture, evolution and obscure facts: - A brain basket is nickname for a helmet, but a biscuit in the basket means to score a goal - The infamous Hanson brothers from the cult movie Slap Shot were based on three real brothers, two of whom starred in the movie while the third played for the Edmonton Oilers - The weirdly glowing Foxtrax puck appeared for several years on American television networks - The first artificial ice rink in the world was built in 1876 in London, England, but Canada didn’t get one until 1911 - Most people believe the C and H of the Montreal Canadiens team logo stands for "Canadiens" or "Habitants," but it stands for "Club de hockey," the corporate name for the Montreal franchise - In the 1980s, the long hockey pants called the Cooperalls were introduced; universally mocked, they were soon banned because of safety concerns

- Even though the Gordie Howe hat trick--scoring a goal, logging an assist and getting into a fight--is named after him, Howe only achieved the feat twice in his career - And let’s not forget the inebriated Calgary Flames fan, naked except for a pair of red socks, who tried to jump over the glass onto the ice, but instead fell and was knocked unconscious.

Also includes histories of every team to have played in the NHL and little known facts about each one, from the Anaheim Ducks to the Washington Capitals

Arpon Basu had said since the age of eight that he would one day make the National Hockey League. Any chance of that happening, came to a crashing halt when, at 15 when he realized he was completely devoid of any talent. He earned a graduate journalism degree from Concordia University and went straight to a sports-writing job with the Canadian Press. The first time he walked into the Montréal Canadiens dressing room as a giddy cub reporter, Basu nearly fell over as it dawned on him that, despite his ineptitude on the ice, he had in fact been telling the truth as a dreamy-eyed eight-year-old.Basu covers sports for the Canadian Press in Montréal and writes a weekly sports column for the Montréal Gazette. He is also editor of Montréal’s South Shore, The St-Lambert Journal.

J. Alexander Poulton's profile page