The literary road has been very well travelled, but it’s safe to say that there has never been a hockey book quite like In the Pressure of the Moment. A cultural critique, a meditation on the art and iconography of sports photography, and also a son’s memoir of his hockey-playing father, it is at once scholarly and moving.

David McNeil is an Associate Professor of English at Dalhousie University where he teaches a hockey literature class (including an online section) among a number of other subjects. Upon the death of his father, Gerry McNeil, he inherited a number of unique or rare hockey photographs from the 1940-50s era and hours of rare NHL footage. He is the author of a book on war and the grotesque and a number of articles

David McNeil's profile page

“Gerry McNeil might be a lesser-known member of the Montreal Canadiens’ goaltending brotherhood, but he was a champion and a vital part of the success of his teams. Gerry’s son, David, has produced a fascinating, enriching look at his father and at the unique challenges faced not just by Gerry but by many players during a glorious hockey era.”

Montreal Gazette