Best Hockey Memoirs (2026): 5 Memoirs Compared

The best hockey memoirs are the ones that tell you what the game costs and what it gives back. We compared five hockey books by pages, edition, publisher and what each description says, so you can pick the memoir that fits the reader.

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The picks

#	Product	Shelf Score	Buy
1	Thunder and Lightning	9.7/10	Buy
2	Memoir of a Hockey Nobody	9.7/10	Buy
3	Tales of a First-Round Nothing	9.7/10	Buy
4	Pee Wees by Rich Cohen	9.7/10	Buy
5	Fabric of the Game by Creamer	9.6/10	Buy

1

Thunder and Lightning

Phil Esposito·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For hockey fans, a 294-page memoir of a record-breaking career and life in pro hockey.

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Pros

• 294 pages, published September 1, 2003 as stated
• Memories of playing with Howe, Hull and Orr as stated
• Later roles as commentator, coach and GM as stated

Cons

• 2003 edition, older edition
• No reading age or grade stated
• First edition from 2003

2

Memoir of a Hockey Nobody

Jerry Hack·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For underdog fans, a 230-page memoir of an average kid's haphazard shot at pro hockey.

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Pros

• 230 pages, published April 22, 2020 as stated
• Illustrated edition as stated
• Journey from Vancouver to Alaska as stated

Cons

• No reading age or grade stated
• Did not reach the NHL as stated
• 2020 edition

3

Tales of a First-Round Nothing

Terry Ryan·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For pro hockey fans, a 240-page memoir of eight NHL games and life after the dream.

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Pros

• 240 pages, published May 1, 2014 as stated
• Eighth overall in the 1995 NHL draft as stated
• Eight NHL games recounted as stated

Cons

• No reading age or grade stated
• 2014 edition
• Covers eight NHL games only as stated

4

Pee Wees by Rich Cohen

Rich Cohen·9.7/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For hockey parents, a 240-page memoir of a season with a Pee Wee team.

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Pros

• 240 pages, published January 11, 2022 as stated
• Part memoir, part youth sports exploration as stated
• Covers a full season as stated

Cons

• No reading age or grade stated
• About a parent, not a player
• Youth hockey focus, not the NHL

5

Fabric of the Game by Creamer

Chris Creamer·9.6/10 Shelf Score

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The Shelf Score runs from 9.2 to 9.8 and weighs fit for the reader or goal (35 points), contents and edition (25), value (25) and listed reading age or level (10, where the listing gives one), using only what the book listing states. How we pick ›

For hockey history fans, a 280-page look at NHL team names, logos and uniforms.

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Pros

• 280 pages, published November 3, 2020 as stated
• Origin stories of NHL names, logos and uniforms as stated
• Interviews with those responsible as stated

Cons

• Not a memoir, a history of team branding
• No reading age or grade stated
• 2020 edition

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More picks to compare

• Iron Mike by KeenanFor hockey fans, a 336-page memoir of a Stanley Cup coach.Check on Amazon
• Goon by Doug SmithFor hockey fans, a 240-page memoir of a minor league enforcer.Check on Amazon
• Gloves Off by Behn WilsonFor hockey fans, a 308-page memoir of an NHL career.Check on Amazon
• Ken Morrow by MorrowFor hockey fans, a 320-page memoir of Miracle gold and four Cups.Check on Amazon

Compare the picks

Book details as published on each listing, collected 17 October 2026.

How we scored them

The Shelf Score weighs fit for the reader, contents and edition, and value. No listing here states a reading age or grade level. How we pick explains the weights.

Scores run from 9.2 to 9.8: each book’s point total is placed on that range, so more points always means a higher score. Reading age or level counts on a list where at least one listing gives one, and a book whose listing gives none then scores zero on it. Where no listing gives one, the score is taken over the other 85 points. Books carry no warranty, so warranty is not scored.

How to choose the best hockey memoirs

Players, nobodies or parents

Four are memoirs and they come from different corners of the game. Phil Esposito’s Thunder and Lightning is the legendary star’s record-breaking career and later roles as commentator, coach and general manager. Jerry Hack’s Memoir of a Hockey Nobody is the opposite end: an average kid’s haphazard shot at pro hockey. Terry Ryan’s Tales of a First-Round Nothing covers eight NHL games and a career that ended early. Rich Cohen’s Pee Wees is a parent’s season with a youth team. Pick the star for glory, the nobodies for honesty, the parent for the stands.

Check the edition year

Editions span two decades. Thunder and Lightning is a 2003 First edition, Tales of a First-Round Nothing a 2014 edition, Memoir of a Hockey Nobody an Illustrated 2020 edition, Fabric of the Game a 2020 book, and Pee Wees the newest at January 11, 2022. Older editions are fine for memoirs, but the year tells you which era of the game you are buying.

One that is not a memoir

Fabric of the Game is the odd one out: a history of NHL team names, logos and uniforms by Chris Creamer and Todd Radom, with interviews behind the designs. It fits a hockey shelf but not a memoir list. If the reader wants the game itself, the other four are the memoirs.

Before you buy

• Check the edition: Thunder and Lightning is a 2003 First edition; Memoir of a Hockey Nobody is an Illustrated 2020 edition.
• Fabric of the Game is a history of NHL branding, not a memoir.
• Compare page counts: 230 to 294 pages across the five.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which memoir is by a legendary player?

Thunder and Lightning, by Phil Esposito with Peter Golenbock, covering his record-breaking career.

Which is about a player who barely made it?

Tales of a First-Round Nothing, Terry Ryan’s account of eight NHL games, and Memoir of a Hockey Nobody, Jerry Hack’s shot at pro hockey.

Which is not a memoir?

Fabric of the Game, a history of NHL team names, logos and uniforms.

Which is the newest?

Pee Wees, published January 11, 2022.

Which has the most pages?

Thunder and Lightning, at 294 pages.

Still deciding? Our top pickThunder and Lightning

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Related lists

See every history and biography list and all nonfiction lists. Also see our journalist memoirs and children’s books about hockey.

More lists: browse history and biography, musician memoirs and memoirs from the last 10 years.