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Legacy on Ice: Blake Geoffrion and the Fastest Game on Earth
In 2010, Blake Geoffrion became the first player from the University of Wisconsin hockey team to receive the Hobey Baker Award, recognizing him as the best player in men’s college hockey. Blake was a rising scion of hockey royalty, descendant of legendary Canadian players Howie Morenz and Bernie “Boom Boomâ€� Geoffrion, and he would soon be the first fourth-generation player to reach the NHL. His professional career promised to cement his family’s storied legacy on ice. But in 2012, while playing for the Montreal Canadiensâ€� minor league team beneath Morenz’s and Boom Boom’s retired numbers, Geoffrion suffered a devastating injury that ended his career—and nearly his life.Ìý
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With sure-footed and swift-moving prose, Sam Jefferies tells Geoffrion’s story against the backdrop of modern North American hockey. Thorough research and scores of interviews fuel this tale of soaring success and terrible tragedy, offering insight not only into one man’s athletic journey but also into the rise of American hockey on the national and international stage. Geoffrion’s brief career, marked by tribulation and triumph, illustrates the subtle but omnipresent currents of American media, sports labor, and the interplay between college and professional athletics. It tells the story of what was, what is, and what may yet be for the fastest game on earth.
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Ìý
With sure-footed and swift-moving prose, Sam Jefferies tells Geoffrion’s story against the backdrop of modern North American hockey. Thorough research and scores of interviews fuel this tale of soaring success and terrible tragedy, offering insight not only into one man’s athletic journey but also into the rise of American hockey on the national and international stage. Geoffrion’s brief career, marked by tribulation and triumph, illustrates the subtle but omnipresent currents of American media, sports labor, and the interplay between college and professional athletics. It tells the story of what was, what is, and what may yet be for the fastest game on earth.
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- GenresSports
192 pages, Hardcover
Published October 31, 2023
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
November 11, 2023
As not the most avid hockey/sports fan this book truly peaked my interest in this lifelong sport. It follows a dedicated young hockey player through his growth, ups and downs, while highlighting the history, tension, and pressures of the ever evolving sport and its development system. Sharp and quick prose kept every chapter racing toward the next.
November 21, 2023
Not a hockey fan - but a fan of the author. What a wild tale of a forest gump type character who takes us through a series of major developments in recent hockey all while carrying the weight of generations of legendary hockey players. I read it in one sitting - a fast paced and enjoyable read for fans of all stripes!
March 29, 2024
Read it all in one shot. It doesn’t take a hockey lover to get emotionally involved in this narrative. Consistently trying to hold back from skipping paragraphs to instantly gratify your suspense, but then are happy you took the time to read every sentence. Highly recommend.
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August 31, 2023Sam Jefferies �11
Author
From the author:
In 2010, Blake Geoffrion became the first player from the University of Wisconsin hockey team to receive the Hobey Baker Award, recognizing him as the best player in men’s college hockey. Blake was a rising scion of hockey royalty, descendant of legendary Canadian players Howie Morenz and Bernie “Boom Boom� Geoffrion, and he would soon be the first fourth-generation player to reach the NHL. His professional career promised to cement his family’s storied legacy on ice. But in 2012, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens� minor league team beneath Morenz’s and Boom Boom’s retired numbers, Geoffrion suffered a devastating injury that ended his career—and nearly his life.
With sure-footed and swift-moving prose, Sam Jefferies tells Geoffrion’s story against the backdrop of modern North American hockey. Thorough research and scores of interviews fuel this tale of soaring success and terrible tragedy, offering insight not only into one man’s athletic journey but also into the rise of American hockey on the national and international stage. Geoffrion’s brief career, marked by tribulation and triumph, illustrates the subtle but omnipresent currents of American media, sports labor, and the interplay between college and professional athletics. It tells the story of what was, what is, and what may yet be for the fastest game on earth.
Author
From the author:
In 2010, Blake Geoffrion became the first player from the University of Wisconsin hockey team to receive the Hobey Baker Award, recognizing him as the best player in men’s college hockey. Blake was a rising scion of hockey royalty, descendant of legendary Canadian players Howie Morenz and Bernie “Boom Boom� Geoffrion, and he would soon be the first fourth-generation player to reach the NHL. His professional career promised to cement his family’s storied legacy on ice. But in 2012, while playing for the Montreal Canadiens� minor league team beneath Morenz’s and Boom Boom’s retired numbers, Geoffrion suffered a devastating injury that ended his career—and nearly his life.
With sure-footed and swift-moving prose, Sam Jefferies tells Geoffrion’s story against the backdrop of modern North American hockey. Thorough research and scores of interviews fuel this tale of soaring success and terrible tragedy, offering insight not only into one man’s athletic journey but also into the rise of American hockey on the national and international stage. Geoffrion’s brief career, marked by tribulation and triumph, illustrates the subtle but omnipresent currents of American media, sports labor, and the interplay between college and professional athletics. It tells the story of what was, what is, and what may yet be for the fastest game on earth.
November 27, 2024
While tracking the life of one hockey player from a young age into the NHL, this book takes on many other topics, including the development of American hockey players and the far-reaching effects of the NHL lockouts in the 2000s. Blake Geoffrion was the first 4th generation player in the NHL - his great-grandfather (Howie Morenz) was a legend of hockey and the first player to have his jersey number retired by the Canadiens. His grandfather ("Boom Boom" Geoffrion) was also a hockey legend for the Canadiens. His dad (Dan) also played for the Canadiens for several seasons, but he was not the legend that his ancestors were. Blake was also notable for being the first "homegrown" NHL player from Tennessee; he grew up in suburban Nashville and was eventually drafted by the Nashville Predators before being traded to...you guessed it, the Canadiens.
This is more than a biography about a hockey player's rise to fame before an abrupt end to his career during the 2012 lockout. It really discusses the hard work and dedication needed to pursue a hockey career. He leaves home at a young age because there's little chance to advance his skills in Tennessee and goes to a boarding school in Indiana before being invited to join the USA Hockey development program. It's grinding work but Blake rises to the challenge. Blake spent his college years at Wisconsin and eventually was named the winner of the Hobey Baker award as the top collegiate player. The book also traces some of the changes in the collegiate and professional game, partly due to the lockouts and NHL's change to younger, faster players.
I enjoyed this book, and not just because it involves my favorite NHL team (Nashville Preds). The elementary school (Granberry) where Blake eventually signs with the Preds is less than 2 miles from my husband's childhood home. It was also interesting to see the intersection of Geoffrion's career with so many other hockey players, like Ryan McDonagh and Kyle Turris (who both also played for Nashville during their careers). This is worth the read.
The book I have is autographed by both the author and Geoffrion. It's a keeper...
This is more than a biography about a hockey player's rise to fame before an abrupt end to his career during the 2012 lockout. It really discusses the hard work and dedication needed to pursue a hockey career. He leaves home at a young age because there's little chance to advance his skills in Tennessee and goes to a boarding school in Indiana before being invited to join the USA Hockey development program. It's grinding work but Blake rises to the challenge. Blake spent his college years at Wisconsin and eventually was named the winner of the Hobey Baker award as the top collegiate player. The book also traces some of the changes in the collegiate and professional game, partly due to the lockouts and NHL's change to younger, faster players.
I enjoyed this book, and not just because it involves my favorite NHL team (Nashville Preds). The elementary school (Granberry) where Blake eventually signs with the Preds is less than 2 miles from my husband's childhood home. It was also interesting to see the intersection of Geoffrion's career with so many other hockey players, like Ryan McDonagh and Kyle Turris (who both also played for Nashville during their careers). This is worth the read.
The book I have is autographed by both the author and Geoffrion. It's a keeper...
November 2, 2023
This book is a captivating account of a remarkable American athlete and his unique legacy in arguably the most demanding of all sports. It is engaging and entertaining, and spares no detail in covering the inevitable physical and emotional highs and lows in the timeline of an athlete fully committed to his sport. The author's thorough research and lively writing style result in a book that tells a unique, worthy story that will appeal to any reader. I highly recommend it.
February 21, 2024
A wonderful book highlighting the story of a Wisconsin Hockey Legend. Most, if not all, stories about athletes are about the successes and highlights while skipping over the hardships and journey an athlete took to get there. Legacy on Ice tells a much needed story for hockey and how success is not measured entirely on success at the pro level, but rather, on the journey and the impact you made on the way there.
February 2, 2024
This is a great book and great story about Geoffrion. However, the writing is a little drawn out losing you at times. It’s almost a blend of the Geoffrion story with a bit too much unnecessary narrative.
February 20, 2024
An insightful look into the life of a hockey legend, the author masterfully delves into Blake’s career and invites you to partake in the peaks and valleys he experiences through captivating storytelling. If you love an heart wrenching sports story, this book is for you.
February 10, 2025
excellent book, really enjoyed reading about the hockey journey of a 4th generation hobey baker winner.
February 27, 2025
The book wasn’t especially well written and was full of lazy tropes about the South. Geoffrion’s story is really interesting, which is the only thing that saves this book.
April 16, 2025
Fantastic book from a gifted storyteller! I simply couldn’t put it down after I started reading it. Blake’s story needed to be told. All sports fans will enjoy this incredible narrative.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
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