New Releases by Bobby Orr

Even hockey legends start with hand-me-downs. A beautifully illustrated true childhood story about hockey great Bobby Orr. Bobby eats, sleeps and breathes hockey. So when his birthday is coming up, he only wants one thing: new skates. He''s seen the exact pair he wants in the shop window: sparkling blades, shiny leather, clean new laces tied in perfect bows. But when Bobby opens his gift, he''s dismayed to find hand-me-down skates: scuffed leather, nicked blades, floppy laces. Once Bobby breaks them in, though, he and the hand-me-down skates become inseparable, and he can''t imagine life without them . . . until the brand-new skates come into his life. How can he leave his hand-me-down skates behind? Log Driver''s Waltz illustrator Jennifer Phelan brings this classic story to life with timeless, gorgeous art, and Kara Kootsra''s words evoke the joy and dedication that Bobby Orr brought to his favorite sport. A perfect gift for readers and fans big and small, this book is destined to be a classic that is reached for time and time again.

Springfield Illinois has a rich history of locally owned and family operated neighborhood taverns. The tavern business was an honorable one; husband and wife worked it together and everyone respected them. The proprietor wore a crisply pressed white shirt with a bleached white apron. It seemed that in Springfield Illinois taverns were set up like a local church parish. People worked, worshiped and socialized together, their kids went to church and school together and the friendships and stories generated were lasting and passed down for generations. There are local families who have been and still are in the tavern business in Springfield for over 75 years, that''s History! Some of the most honest hard working people around are the patrons of the neighborhood taverns. How wonderful it is to listen to the old-timers tell their tales; we believe it''s important to document their memories before they are gone. Each tavern has its tale''s, its regular characters and its favorite bartender. The goal of this small book it to get some "Tavern Talk" started! Remember when, who owned what and where was it back in the day. Enjoy the history and keep the Tavern Talk alive.

One of the greatest sports figures of all time at last breaks his silence in a memoir as unique as the man himself. Number 4. It is just about the most common number in hockey, but invoke that number and you can only be talking about one player -- the man often referred to as the greatest ever to play the game: Bobby Orr. From 1966 through the mid-70s he could change a game just by stepping on the ice. Orr could do things that others simply couldn’t, and while teammates and opponents alike scrambled to keep up, at times they could do little more than stop and watch. Many of his records still stand today and he remains the gold standard by which all other players are judged. Mention his name to any hockey fan – or to anyone in New England – and a look of awe will appear. But skill on the ice is only a part of his story. All of the trophies, records, and press clippings leave unsaid as much about the man as they reveal. They tell us what Orr did, but don’t tell us what inspired him, who taught him, or what he learned along the way. They don’t tell what it was like for a shy small-town kid to become one of the most celebrated athletes in the history of the game, all the while in the full glare of the media. They don’t tell us what it was like when the agent he regarded as his brother betrayed him and left him in financial ruin, at the same time his battered knee left him unable to play the game he himself had redefined only a few seasons earlier. They don’t tell about the players and people he learned to most admire along the way. They don’t tell what he thinks of the game of hockey today. Orr himself has never put all this into words, until now. After decades of refusing to speak of his past in articles or “authorized” biographies, he finally tells his story, because he has something to share: “I am a parent and a grandparent and I believe that I have lessons worth passing along.” In the end, this is not just a book about hockey. The most meaningful biographies and memoirs rise above the careers out of which they grew. Bobby Orr’s life goes far deeper than Stanley Cup rings, trophies and recognitions. His story is not only about the game, but also the age in which it was played. It’s the story of a small-town kid who came to define its highs and lows, and inevitably it is a story of the lessons he learned along the way.

Voici un livre qu’on n’attendait plus: l’autobiographie de Bobby Orr, l’un des plus grands joueurs de l’histoire du hockey, un défenseur qui a complètement révolutionné son sport durant une carrière prématurément écourtée par des blessures récurrentes aux genoux. D’une humilité rarement vue chez une grande étoile du sport professionnel, l’homme préfère mettre en lumière, plutôt que ses exploits et statistiques personnelles, les gens qui l’ont aidé et influencé dans son parcours: parents, entraîneurs, coéquipiers, adversaires, célébrités. Il s’attarde aussi à la résilience qu’il a développée face aux épreuves qui ont jalonné son parcours ainsi qu’aux plus belles valeurs que peut offrir le sport: le dépassement de soi, la persévérance, l’entraide, l’amitié et bien d’autres encore. Pour l’amour du hockey n’est pas qu’un livre tourné vers l’évocation du passé, il est aussi très actuel: Orr nous parle de l’évolution de ce jeu dont il resté un grand passionné et propose des changements pour le rendre plus attrayant et plus sécuritaire pour les joueurs. Il adresse également aux jeunes hockeyeurs d’aujourd’hui et à leurs parents un message déterminant: les enseignements qu’un jeune retire de la pratique d’un sport, il pourra les appliquer dans sa vie pour en faire un succès. Le hockey est une école de vie et de formation des valeurs d’un individu, et Bobby Orr nous le démontre de manière éloquente dans ce témoignage fascinant.

Hockey legend Bobby Orr tells his story, from his Ontario childhood to his years with the Bruins and Blackhawks to today in this New York Times bestselling sports memoir. Bobby Orr is often referred to as the greatest defenseman ever to play the game of hockey. But all the brilliant achievements leave unsaid as much as they reveal. They don’t tell what inspired Orr, what drove him, what it was like for a shy small-town kid to suddenly land in the full glare of the media. They don’t tell what it was like when the agent he regarded as a brother betrayed him and left him in financial ruin. They don’t tell what he thinks of the game of hockey today. Now he breaks his silence in a memoir as unique as the man himself.... INCLUDES PHOTOGRAPHS

When former NHL referee Bill Beagan became CCHA Commissioner he found it a bit ironic that he headed a prestigious U.S. college hockey league. The story of a high school dropout and army apprentice''s rise to the top of the hockey world is a testimony of the value of a lot of hard work, determination and a dash of good luck. Discover how he rose to the top of the hockey world and through collaboration with NHL Presidents and NHL team owners, he innovated changes in the world of hockey.