Sunday, October 8, 2017

Review of "Dennis Maruk"

Every now and then, a book comes out that will bring back some good sports memories even before I read it.  That was the case with this book, as I remembered Dennis Maruk during his seasons with the Minnesota North Stars, the team I loved growing up and later as a young adult before they left for Dallas.  Even though Maruk had his best season with the Washington Capitals, I was eager to read his memoir.  This is my review of that story. 


Title/Author:
“Dennis Maruk: The Unforgettable Story of Hockey’s Forgotten 60-Goal Man” by Dennis Maruk with Ken Reid
Tags:
Ice Hockey, professional, memoir, Seals, Barons, North Stars, Capitals
Publish date:
October 17, 2017

Length:
320 pages

Rating: 
4 of 5 stars (very good)
Review:
There have been only 20 players who have scored at least 60 goals in one season during the 100 year history of the National Hockey League.  Most of them are well known stars such as Wayne Gretzky, Mike Bossy and Phil Esposito.  There was also a player who was considered too short to be successful in the game and often toiled for poor teams who was the seventh player to scored 60 goals.  That player is Dennis Maruk.  His memoir, co-written with hockey scribe Ken Reid, tells of the story of a player who always had to prove he belonged in the game and lived just as obscure a life after hockey.

The consistent theme throughout the book for Maruk is that he always would do what he felt needed to be done.  Whether it was on the ice during his days in junior hockey or the NHL, he would always believe he had to prove himself.  Whether it was to show his junior coaches he could play, to prove in NHL training camp that he didn’t need to go to the minor leagues (the only time he played in the minor leagues was well into his career when he did a rehab stint in the minors) or to gain more ice time, Maruk’s stories about his career sounded like he played with a constant chip on his shoulder. 

Even during his amazing season in 1981-82, when he scored 60 goals for the Washington Capitals, he felt responsible for the fact the team did not make the playoffs.  In those days, that was not easy as 16 of the 21 teams in the league would do so.  Also, that season is when Wayne Gretzky set the all-time record for goals scored with 92 and points with 212.  In comparison, Maruk’s 60 goals seem small potatoes and because so much attention was given to Gretzky’s accomplishments, this was barely noticed, even in Washington.  While Maruk doesn’t express any bitterness toward this, the overall tone set in the book will make the reader wonder whether deep down, he does.

This also the case with his teams – his first professional team, the California Golden Seals, was a lost soul among NHL clubs, first struggling in the Bay Area, then moving to Cleveland and playing in a large empty arena and finally merging with the Minnesota North Stars.  After the merger, the North Stars traded Maruk to the Capitals, where he had that magical season.  Later, he headed back to Minnesota and played there for a few more seasons before retiring in 1989.  His life after hockey was filled with many encounters with celebrities.  Maruk talks most about his interaction with Kurt Russell, who played Herb Brooks in the movie “Miracle.”  Maruk played for Brooks for one season with the North Stars, and was the coach with whom he had the most pleasant memories in the book. 

Maruk also talks about the problems he had in his personal life, including his two divorces and his depression in which his daughter talked him out of a dark place in his life.  He held various jobs after hockey, including working on a boat in the Gulf of Mexico. These stories made this memoir a little different than many.  Also, another unusual aspect of this sports memoir is that Maruk often states that he didn’t remember many of his career milestones, such as his first NHL goal, although at least that wasn’t the case for his 60th in 1982.  It wasn’t because he was in a fog, hung over (although he does talk about alcoholism) or high – he simply states he doesn’t remember.  Aside from some drinks, he wasn’t a hard partier or seen with many women – he just did the work that he felt needed to be done.

This book was a very quick read – it took me less than a two hour sitting to complete it, another rarity in sports memoirs.  It is one that is recommended for hockey fans who either remember him and his play, as I did, or for readers who want to learn more about the forgotten 60-goal man.

I wish to thank ECW Press for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)

Buying Links:
https://www.amazon.com/Dennis-Maruk-Unforgettable-Hockeys-Forgotten-ebook/dp/B06ZYJR5F8/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1507508658&sr=1-1&keywords=dennis+maruk+book


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