A chronicle of the local hockey greats

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This article was published 20/11/2017 (2871 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Readers don’t have to be hockey lovers to enjoy Ty Dilello’s new book — but it helps.

The 24-year-old River Park South resident will officially release the book — titled Golden Boys: The Top 50 Manitoba Hockey Players of All Time — at McNally Robinson at Grant Park on Wed., Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.

Published by Winnipeg-based Great Plains Publications, and coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the NHL, the book details the stories of 50 players who have shaped the history of hockey in the province, and includes detailed biographies and rare photos. Dilello also conducted extensive interviews with subjects past and present, which he said proved invaluable in reaching a consensus regarding how the players should be ranked.

“I consulted with other writers, historians and hockey players to create a consensus, so the ranking order is pretty accurate I think,” said Dilello, who is a history major at the University of Winnipeg.

“For the players that played before television and the internet, I’ve watched a lot of old footage from the ’20s and ’30s and tried to go all out and be as accurate as possible. In fact, it’s been a labour of love, as I love history and I love hockey. I’ve been obsessing about writing the book since last year,” he added, with a laugh.

Of course, part of the fun of a book of this nature is that there are no right or wrong answers in terms of the ranking order, and Dilello is looking forward to his book starting up more than a few friendly debates between hockey fans. That said, he said there was little doubt in his mind when it came to choosing his number one player — NHL great and local legend Terry Sawchuk, who began his career playing for the Winnipeg Monarchs.  

“The debate is part of the fun of it. Maybe around 40 of the guys are locks, but anyone in the last 10 or so could have been chosen from at least 20 players, so there were lots of tough decisions. I could’ve done a top 100 players, but that would’ve made the book too long,” Dilello said.

“Sawchuk was hands-down my number one. He’s considered one of the greatest keepers ever. Others are considered one of the best of their time, but he’s considered one of the best of all-time. He was the perfect goalie living in an imperfect world.”   

 
Dilello, a former student at Dakota Collegiate, will be joined at the upcoming release event by Ab McDonald, another NHL great, who started his career in Winnipeg playing for the St. Boniface Canadiens.

“He won four back-to-back Stanley Cups and is definitely a Manitoba legend and an amazing ambassador for the province,” he said.

With the festive season fast approaching, and discerning book buyers thinking about what to pick up for their loved ones, Dilello said his tome is suited to individuals with an interest in both hockey and history.

“If you’d like to learn about your province’s history, you don’t need to be a hockey fan, as lots of towns in Manitoba are talked about. And if you are, it’s a story about how these players built a legacy, so any hockey fan should like this.”

This is Dilello’s fourth book.

Go online at www.greatplains.mb.ca/product/golden-boys for more information.  

simon.fuller@canstarnews.com