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Mucking in the Corners

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Just when you thought hockey couldn’t get any weirder, here come the fights, face plants, and far-out tales you never saw coming.NHL history is much more than the collection of tales about its lege...
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  • 24 November 2026
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Just when you thought hockey couldn’t get any weirder, here come the fights, face plants, and far-out tales you never saw coming.

NHL history is much more than the collection of tales about its legends and champions. In this book, you'll discover long-forgotten journeymen, one-game wonders, and back-up goaltenders who have their own fascinating stories to tell. Steve Currier delves into the quirky history of forgotten franchises, obscure players, and head-scratching experiments that defined the 1970s. By focusing on the overlooked oddities and misfits of the sport, Mucking in the Corners offers a fresh perspective on hockey’s most chaotic decade.

Stories of the legendary teams and players take a back seat to the less-heralded standouts of the era: Swedish sensation Hardy Åström, the streaky Ross Brooks, the trailblazing London Lions, the fifteen-day Ottawa Civics, the phantom Taro Tsujimoto, and more, who shaped the game in unpredictable ways.
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Price: $21.99
Pages: 360
Publisher: Dundurn Press
Imprint: Dundurn Press
Publication Date: 24 November 2026
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9781459757158
Format: Paperback
BISACs: SPORTS & RECREATION / Winter Sports / Hockey, Ice hockey, SPORTS & RECREATION / History, BIOGRAPHY & AUTOBIOGRAPHY / Sports, True stories / true accounts of events, Biography: sport
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Steve Currier is a hockey historian, author, and member of the Society for International Hockey Research. He lives in Ottawa.
  • Introduction
  • Part I: Hockey Gods at Work
  • 1 Fit to Be Tied
  • 2 Last- Second Goals for the Ages
  • 3 Ross Brooks: The Man Who Couldn’t Lose
  • 4 He Shoots, He Scores, Bring Out the Stretchers
  • 5 Jacques Be Nimble
  • 6 A Trio of Tricks
  • 7 The Luckiest Hat Trick
  • 8 Pronovost’s Coincidental Goal
  • 9 Fit to Be Tied Once More
  • 10 Don McLeod: King of the Penalty Shot
  • 11 Coaching Kiss of Death
  • Part II: Goalie Guffaws
  • 12 “Suitcase” Smith: Packed and Ready to Score
  • 13 “Smokey” McLeod Saves Doug Favell
  • 14 Minnesota’s Good Samaritan Goalie
  • 15 Al Smith Quits the Sabres
  • 16 Cheesy’s Coaching Debut
  • Part III: From Doubt to Destiny
  • 17 The Islanders Drop the Bruins
  • 18 The Night the Hamburgers Ate Hot Dogs
  • 19 Tip of the Cap
  • 20 The Cleveland Crusaders’ Epic Comeback
  • 21 Hardy Åström’s Debut for the Ages
  • 22 Maine Mariners Sink the Caps
  • 23 How the Cleveland Barons Derailed a Dynasty
  • Part IV: Hockey Hijinks
  • 24 Imlach’s Draft Ruse
  • 25 Sometimes There’s Such a Thing as Bad Press
  • 26 Carol Vadnais: Criminal Mastermind?
  • 27 Nailed It!
  • 28 The Trailblazing Female Streakers of Hockey
  • 29 The Mythical Star Who Won Buffalo’s Heart
  • 30 Gord McRae’s Brush with Ballard
  • Part V: Dream Teams Dashed
  • 31 The London Lions Take on Europe
  • 32 Blind Faith and a Pig in a Poke
  • Part VI: Baffling Gimmicks and Fiascos
  • 33 Technicolor Blades
  • 34 The Free- Faceoff Rule
  • 35 Revenge of the Free Shot!
  • 36 The Coach Who Never Was
  • Part VII: Punches, Pugnacity, and Pandemonium
  • 37 The Fabulous Plager Boys
  • 38 Valentine’s Day Mayhem
  • 39 The Coca- Cola Bottlers’ Cup
  • 40 The Thanksgiving Day Massacre
  • 41 John Wensink: One Man Gang
  • Acknowledgements
  • Sources
  • Image Credits
  • Index