Why is fighting more accepted in hockey than in other sports? Who inspired the name of the Stanley Cup? How do players on the bench know when to make line changes? When did goalies begin wearing masks? What teams made up the NHL's Original Six? What is an "odd man rush"?
This book provides a slew of questions and in-depth answers concerning the traditions, rules, records, and history of hockey. From the early days of the sport to the hugely popular game seen today, Martin Gitlin answers questions even the most knowledgeable fan may have pondered. Whether the topic is goalies or coaches, famous "firsts", or memorable moments, if a who, what, when, where, why, or how? question is on your mind, this is the book for you.

Martin Gitlin is a veteran author and sportswriter. Hehas had about 150 books published since 2006, including A Celebration of Animation: The 100 Greatest Cartoon Characters in Television History (Lyons Press, 2018) with Joe Wos. His Great American Cereal Book soared to No.1 in both the Americana and Breakfast Book categories on Amazon.com immediately upon release and remained there for several months, while his Powerful Moments in Sports: The Most Significant Sporting Events in American History earned critical acclaim. Gitlin won more than 45 awards as a sports journalist from 1991 to 2002, including first place for general excellence from the Associated Press for his coverage of the Indians-Braves World Series in 1995. AP also selected him as one of the top four feature writers in Ohio. Gitlin lives in North Olmsted, Ohio.