Hey, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host Jonathan Weeks and his exciting new book, “Best of the Bruins,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!! Also, come back daily to interact with Jonathan and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Best of the Bruins
by Jonathan Weeks
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GENRE: Sports-History-Hockey
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BLURB:
Among the “original six” NHL clubs to survive the Great Depression, the Boston Bruins have a vibrant history. Entering the 2020-’21 campaign, the team ranked fourth all-time with six Stanley Cup championships. Some of the most gifted players in NHL history have skated for the Bruins over the years. Best of the Bruins: Boston’s All-Time Great Players and Coaches tells the individual stories of the players and coaches who have helped make the Bruins perennial contenders for close to a century. Profiles of current players are included in this sweeping survey.
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EXCERPT TWO:
Bobby Orr Excerpt:
Orr did not invent the archetype of the offensive defenseman, but he elevated it to a new level. A masterful skater with unparalleled acceleration, he knew where the puck was at all times and could almost always be found carrying it, pursuing it or redirecting it. Teammate Phil Esposito recalled a game in which the B’s were on a penalty kill against the Oakland Seals. Orr took the puck behind the Bruins net and lost a glove in a scuffle with an opponent. Retaining possession of the puck, he skated over the blue line then back into the Bruins zone, where he picked up his glove and killed off a full minute of the penalty. Concluding one of the most astounding sequences Esposito had ever seen, Orr glided into the offensive zone and scored a short-handed goal.
Though Orr’s detractors claimed that he was soft on defense, others begged to differ. B’s goalie Eddie Johnston, who played with Orr for several seasons, remarked: “They say Bobby doesn’t play defense. Heck, he makes a forty-minute hockey game for us. He’s got the puck twenty minutes by himself. What better defense is there?” On a similar note, coach Harry Sinden crowed: “You can have all the Bobby Clarkes of the world. I’ll take one game from Orr. He’ll make thirty moves no one has seen before.”
Orr established himself as a cultural icon in the same manner as Joe DiMaggio. More than just a player—he became a hero to the New England masses and a legend to hockey fans outside his primary fan base. His greatest seasons were packed into a relatively short span, but his star burned brightly long after he retired as a player. To the present day, he receives resounding ovations at every public event he takes part in. Interestingly, Orr never basked in the spotlight during his playing days. After Bruins victories, he would often hide in the trainer’s room and avoid reporters so that his teammates could receive credit.
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GUEST POST:
Nine Interesting Facts About the Old Boston Garden:
1.) Located above North Station on Causeway Street, the old Boston Garden was designed by boxing promoter Tex Rickard, who also built the third incarnation of Madison Square Garden. Rickard wanted to create an intimate setting, where fans could “see the sweat on the boxer’s brows.”
2.) Opened in 1928, the Garden hosted seventeen Stanley Cup Finals tournaments. Additionally, the Celtics clinched nine championships there. The Garden also served as home to the Boston Braves (AHL) and New England Whalers (WHA) hockey clubs.
3.) In the 1930s, a five-hundred room hotel was attached to the Garden via an elevated skyway. Originally known as the Hotel Manger, its name was changed to the Hotel Madison. It was demolished in 1983.
4.) A number of notable non-sporting events were held at the Garden. In 1960, John F. Kennedy staged a political rally there. Popular musical acts to appear included The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Who, and Elvis Presley. Led Zeppelin and Kiss were both prohibited from performing at the Garden.
5.) The ice surface at the Garden was located beneath the parquet floor used by the Celtics. On days when both teams were scheduled to play, a sizeable crew was required to assemble and dismantle the floor, which consisted of 264 five-foot panels. The panels were held in place by 988 bolts. The floor was uneven and had dead spots. According to legend, Celtics players would lure opponents to the dead spots and steal the ball when it took a bad bounce.
6.) The Garden’s ice surface was actually below regulation size. It was nine feet shorter and two feet narrower. There were no official specifications for ice dimensions when the facility was built.
7.) There was no air-conditioning in the Garden. This resulted in fog forming on the ice during some late season playoff games. Stanley Cup Finals games in 1988 and 1990 were affected by power outages. Game 4 of the ’88 affair was declared a tie when service could not be effectively restored in a timely manner.
8.) Since the building was erected in the 1920s, various flaws in the design existed. Some of the seats at the Garden were obstructed by structural pillars. The Bruins sold tickets to these seats anyway, offering them at discounted rates.
9.) The last NHL game at the Garden was a preseason matchup between the Bruins and Canadiens in September of 1995. In a postgame ceremony attended by a number of all-time greats, the banners and retired numbers were removed from the rafters. The building was eventually demolished in 1998.
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AUTHOR BIO:
A lifelong sports fan, Weeks has published several non-fiction books on the topic of baseball. Additionally, he has two novels to his credit--one of them a posthumous collaboration with his father. His latest project: Best of the Bruins: Boston's All Time Great Players and Coaches, is due out in 2021.
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CONNECT WITH JONATHAN:
Blog:
http://jonathanweeks.blogspot.com
BookBub Book Page:
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5862273.Jonathan_Weeks
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55841462-best-of-the-bruins
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Best-Bruins-Bostons-All-Time-Players-ebook/dp/B08T7PGZNS
Amazon UK Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Bruins-Bostons-All-Time-Players-ebook/dp/B08T7PGZNS
Amazon UK Paperback:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Bruins-Bostons-All-Time-Players/dp/1476683972
Amazon AU Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Best-Bruins-Bostons-All-Time-Players-ebook/dp/B08T7PGZNS
Amazon AU Paperback:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Best-Bruins-Bostons-All-Time-Players/dp/1476683972
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-of-the-bruins-jonathan-weeks/1137565804?ean=9781476642253
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/best-of-the-bruins-jonathan-weeks/1137565804?ean=9781476683973
The Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Best-of-the-Bruins-Jonathan-Weeks/9781476683973
BAM! Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/p/Best-Bruins/Jonathan-Weeks/9781476683973
Google Play eBook:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jonathan_Weeks_Best_of_the_Bruins?id=BYIUEAAAQBAJ
Kobo eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/best-of-the-bruins
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
Jonathan will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway**This post contains
affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small
commission to help support this blog.
This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome
giveaways on here**
Jonathan ~ Good morning! Welcome back! It is so great to have you here again! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for having me back. Always a pleasure.
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteVisitors can feel free to fire away with questions or comments. I'll be checking in again this afternoon. I enjoy connecting with potential readers.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteHappy Friday, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a book that many people would enjoy reading.
ReplyDeleteNancy
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