Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life

by Eddie Olczyk, Perry Lefko

Overview

Eddie Olczyk had built a life and career most people could only dream of. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, he fell in love with the game of hockey during an era when most kids preferred balls to pucks. Against all odds, he played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic hockey team as a 17-year-old, and four months later he was drafted in the first round by his hometown Chicago Blackhawks. During an illustrious 16-year career, he played for and alongside some of the greatest franchises and players in history, winning a Stanley Cup with the unforgettable 1994 New York Rangers. Years later, he coached former teammate Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby on the Pittsburgh Penguins before transitioning into the broadcast booth, where he has become one of the most recognizable voices of the sport. He then combined his skills as an analyst with his second passion— horse racing—and became an integral part of NBC’s coverage of thoroughbreds.

Away from the spotlight, Olczyk and his wife of three decades raised four adoring children. He was respected and admired by fans, friends, and peers. Life was sweet. Then, at 7:07 pm on August 4, 2017, his entire world turned upside down.

In Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life, one of the biggest names in American hockey has written an inspiring and entertaining memoir of his life both on and off the ice. From shooting hundreds of tennis balls at a goal in his childhood living room to the ups and downs of his improbable hockey career to rollicking stories from the booth and the backstretch, Olczyk guides readers on his journey toward his ultimate test: a battle against Stage 3 colon cancer. For years, Olczyk’s goal was to be the best husband, father, broadcaster, and handicapper he could be. Today he has a new one: to bring as much awareness and support to those fighting cancer as he possibly can. In this emotional but often hilarious autobiography, you’ll learn why the people who know Eddie Olczyk best might describe him as “tremendously tremendous.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781629377285
Publisher:	Triumph Books
Publication date:	10/08/2019
Pages:	336
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Eddie Olczyk is an award-winning television commentator on NBC’s coverage of the NHL and thoroughbred horse racing, and for the Chicago Blackhawks. He played 16 seasons in the NHL with the Blackhawks, Pittsburgh Penguins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, New York Rangers, and Los Angeles Kings. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2012.

Perry Lefko is an award-winning Canadian journalist and bestselling author of several books on national and international sports.

Table of Contents

Foreword Pat Foley ix

Introduction xiii

Chapter 1 The Call 1

Chapter 2 The Birth of a Rink Rat 15

Chapter 3 The Olympics 27

Chapter 4 Coming Home 39

Chapter 5 Eddie Olczyk, Chicago Blackhawk 47

Chapter 6 Heading North 59

Chapter 7 Life as a Leaf 65

Chapter 8 A Question of Timing 89

Chapter 9 No More 1940 109

Chapter 10 Good-bye, New York; Hello, Winnipeg (Again) 133

Chapter 11 From L.A. to the Burgh 141

Chapter 12 Farewell, Hockey 153

Chapter 13 A New Perspective 159

Chapter 14 Behind the Bench, Briefly 167

Chapter 15 Back to the Booth 189

Chapter 16 The Calls to the Halls 209

Chapter 17 Witnessing History 217

Chapter 18 Going 12 Rounds with Cancer 227

Chapter 19 Getting Back on the Broadcasting Horse 255

Chapter 20 A Blessed Union 265

Chapter 21 One More Shift 269

Chapter 22 A Rangers Reunion 275

Chapter 23 Witnessing History (Again) 279

Chapter 24 Thank God I Got Sick 287

Afterword 293

Acknowledgments 315

Editorial Reviews

08/26/2019

Olczyk, with Toronto Sun journalist Lefko, presents a gripping account of his remarkable life, from his selection for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey team through his remarkable battle with colon cancer. Olczyk, now a sportscaster for NHL and NBC, takes readers through his life and career with insights from coaches, teammates, and family members (after being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1999, his mother said in frustration, “You’re just a piece of meat”). Without being self-aggrandizing or boastful, Olcyzk draws readers through the ins and outs of professional sports, from the anxiety of trades to the complexities of victory: in recounting his journey of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, he notes that he was able to celebrate “a dream that every player has from the time they begin to play the game” while combatting a personal decline that “tested my resolve.” While Olczyk discusses the joys of his post-playing career nimbly, it’s his unflinching account of his battle with cancer that truly stands out (in the afterword, his children tell their stories about living with their father through these hard times). Though an obvious must-read for hockey fans, this inspired account of a man battling cancer will appeal to a wider audience, as well. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Olczyk, with Toronto Sun journalist Lefko, presents a gripping account of his remarkable life, from his selection for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey team through his remarkable battle with colon cancer. Olczyk, now a sportscaster for NHL and NBC, takes readers through his life and career with insights from coaches, teammates, and family members (after being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1999, his mother said in frustration, “You’re just a piece of meat”). Without being self-aggrandizing or boastful, Olcyzk draws readers through the ins and outs of professional sports, from the anxiety of trades to the complexities of victory: in recounting his journey of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, he notes that he was able to celebrate “a dream that every player has from the time they begin to play the game” while combatting a personal decline that “tested my resolve.” While Olczyk discusses the joys of his post-playing career nimbly, it’s his unflinching account of his battle with cancer that truly stands out (in the afterword, his children tell their stories about living with their father through these hard times). Though an obvious must-read for hockey fans, this inspired account of a man battling cancer will appeal to a wider audience, as well." —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher