Marián Hossa: My Journey from Trencín to the Hall of Fame

Marián Hossa: My Journey from Trencín to the Hall of Fame

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  • Type:Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date:2022-11-22 06:19:46
  • Update Date:2025-09-06
  • Status:finish
  • Author:Marian Hossa
  • ISBN:1637274548
  • Environment:PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Summary

A Stanley Cup champion and modern legend of the game, in his own words

Marián Hossa’s life is a lesson in the value of determination and perseverance。 Born into a hockey family that included his father, a former player and coach of the Slovakian national team, Marián and his brother, Marcel, quickly fell in love with the sport。 Before long, they began to display the level of skill that could lead to a professional career。 But the odds of reaching the NHL from Trenčín, a town of 50,000 people nestled among the mountains of Slovakia, remained long。

Determined to follow their dreams, the Hossas persevered and were each eventually drafted in the first round。 After some outstanding years in Ottawa and Atlanta, Marián moved on to Pittsburgh in 2008, where he helped lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Final against Detroit, a series his team lost。

Prioritizing winning over dollars, Hossa signed with the Red Wings the following season, where he again reached the Final only to find heartbreak again, improbably against the team he had just left, the Penguins。 It seemed that perhaps he would never raise Lord Stanley’s Cup above his head。

But Hossa persevered, refusing to give in。 In 2009, he signed with the Chicago Blackhawks, and played a key role in the team’s dynastic run the following decade, winning championships in 2010, 2013, and 2015。 Then, yet another obstacle appeared in his path: an unusual and debilitating skin condition that compelled him to retire years before he’d planned。 

In this inspiring and entertaining autobiography, Hossa brings readers inside the dressing room, onto the celebratory team plane, and alongside one of hockey’s greatest stars as he makes the biggest decisions of his career。

Also featuring photos from Hossa's personal collection, this is an essential read for all hockey fans。

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Reviews

Andrew Langert

This is a very entertaining autobiography (sort of) about someone often described as "the perfect hockey player"。 Marian Hossa's life story is not told chronologically in this book, which is good。 Instead, it goes from topic to topic, highlighting the most important and interesting points in Hossa's life and hockey career。 Hossa's story is told in the first person, aided by veteran hockey writer Scott Powers, and is augmented by interviews with many noteworthy hockey figures, like Jonathan Toews This is a very entertaining autobiography (sort of) about someone often described as "the perfect hockey player"。 Marian Hossa's life story is not told chronologically in this book, which is good。 Instead, it goes from topic to topic, highlighting the most important and interesting points in Hossa's life and hockey career。 Hossa's story is told in the first person, aided by veteran hockey writer Scott Powers, and is augmented by interviews with many noteworthy hockey figures, like Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, Sidney Crosby and Zdeno Chara。As a hockey fan and a (former) Blackhawk season ticketholder, I was concerned going into the reading of this book that I might not learn anything I didn't already know。 Those concerns were unfounded。 Lots of new and fascinating information is contained in this book。 In particular, the series of events that saw Hossa bounce from the Atlanta Thrashers to the Pittsburgh Penguins (for less than one year) to the Detroit Red Wings (for one year) before finally settling in with the Blackhawks is well-chronicled。 Particularly amusing was how Hossa bargained for less money than he was offered in his one-year deal with Detroit。 The public never knew about the skin condition problems that Hossa suffered from for several years until he suddenly announced his retirement。 Hossa goes into great detail explaining the problem and how he tried to solve it and how it was investigated when there was suspicion that the retirement was a case of the Blackhawks manipulating salary cap restrictions。 Hossa was a member of all three Chicago Stanley Cup championship teams (2010, 2013, 2015)。 The 2010 season was the one where the Kyle Beach scandal occurred。 This scandal, exposed 10+ years later, shook up the Blackhawks organization, costing several high-level people their jobs。 I wondered if Hossa would get into this and he did, very briefly, near the end of this book。 Though brief, he made a strong statement。 Most importantly, this book helped the reader learn how Hossa achieved his greatness on and off the ice。 He was a beloved player by Blackhawk fans and , coincidentally, I am attending the game this evening where his #81 jersey is being retired by the team。 。。。more