Howard Berger
The life a professional athlete leads is often assumed to be one of pampered, well-heeled excess. The reality of pro hockey is very different: grueling travel, practice, and game schedules combine with enormous fan and management pressure to create a turbulent, nonstop life-style. Compounding this are the threats of injury (or the management of ongoing injuries), the fear of being traded or being "sent down" to the minor leagues, and - perhaps worst of all - the possibility of losing. ,The flip side is a wild, fast-paced world of money, comaraderie, wicked practical jokes, and the flashing moments of aggressive physical grace on the ice that makes it all worthwhile.,Toronto sports broadcaster Howard Berger, taking advantage of the shortened 1994-95 NHL season, travelled with the Toronto Maple Leafs in their hunt for hockey glory. In this fascinating behind-the-scenes view, Berger follows the Leafs through a gruelling 102-day season in which they play 48 games, practise over 80 times, fly on 31 occasions and catch innumerable buses and shuttles - all of this before the torturous playoff schedule. ,Through it all, the dynamics of a 24-member team constantly pushing victory and searching for their sharpest physical edge is fascinating and compelling.,On The Road, explores this exciting world. Howard Berger captures hockey's greatest stars (Wayne Gretzky, Doug Gilmour, and Jeremy Roenick among numerous others) with immediacy and portrays vividly the dizzying swirl of NHL cities - Los Angeles, Dallas, Detroit, and Chicago among them.
Sports,Hockey,Sports,Sports
On the Road: And Inside View of Life with and NHL Team