Pairing the best writing and photographs about a sport is a winning formula that Sports Illustrated takes a step further with “Hockey’s Greatest.” This coffee-table book doesn’t just review the game’s greats, it uses a panel of writers and editors to rank them. Beyond a mere ranking by position, though, there are lists of the best coaches, rivalries, franchises, skaters, and clutch performers. There are also Top 10 lists of the best uniforms (the nod goes to the Montreal Canadiens) and hair styles (Jaromir Jagr’s mullet). Complete articles and excerpts are lifted from back issues of the magazine to relive some the of the great players and moments, including the the unquestioned No. 1 moment, the 1980 US Olympic team’s “Miracle on Ice,” which aced out any game ever played in the National Hockey League.
Here’s an excerpt from Hockey’s Greatest:
“The Sports College of Canada and Fitness Institute has described Robert Marvin [“Bobby’’] Hull as the ‘perfect muscular mesomorph.’ Hull stands 5’ 10” and weights 195 pounds. His biceps measure 15-1/2 inches – bigger than that of Cassius Clay and Floyd Patterson. His skating speed has been timed at 29.2 mph, the fastest in the NHL. Perhaps the most fascinating statistic about Hull reveals that his wrist shot is faster than his slap shot. At 95 mph Hull’s slap shot is the fastest in the league, but his wrist shot, that seemingly easy flick he uses when in full flight, has been timed at 105 mph. Goalie Glenn Hall was asked how he feels during the hours of practice when he has to defend against Hull’s attacks. ‘There are days,’ says Hall, ‘when you just step aside and leave the door wide-open. It is a simple matter of self-preservation.’ ”
