Walking In Wuhan

I was desperate for reading material last week, so I started snooping around and came across a book called, "The Code" by Ross Bernstein. I've always been intrigued by the various roles players fill on hockey teams. This book dealt with the history of the enforcer, the large scrappy guy whose job it is to mix it up on the ice and change his team's momentum. Through various interviews, Bernstein gives a detailed history of hockey. From the 1950s when pretty much everything was legal -- to the 1980s and 1990s when fighting became a way to police dirty play on the ice.



Fighting in the NHL is often a delicate dance, which the author sometimes compares to two lovers courting one another. One might try to goad another player into a fight, but might be initially rebuffed. A more common practice is when a team's skill players start getting a little physical. If the skill player doesn't stand up for himself, then the enforcer must come out and fight the guy's battle for him.

The book also tackles the argument about whether fighting should be outlawed -- he predictably says it shouldn't -- and tackles the recent criminal cases of Marty McSorley and Todd Bertuzzi who were vilified for cheap hits. I didn't actually make it through the whole book, because the author's liberal use of block quotes got distracting. I found myself nodding off at times on the commute to work with the book open, so I knew it was probably time to hang it up. If you're interested in hockey, this might be a good read -- if not, well, there are plenty of other titles out there.