Odd Man Rush: A Harvard Kid?s Hockey Odyssey from Central Park to Somewhere in Sweden?with Stops along the Way

In his hilarious, gritty, and touching debut, Bill Keenan-a hockey star once on the fast-track to the NHL-tells of how he overcame multiple obstacles to find fulfillment and redemption in the strange world of European minor-league professional hockey.

Keenan€s hockey obsession begins as a five-year-old on Lasker Rink in New York€s Central Park-“love at first stride,€ as he calls it. He then becomes the youngest, and skinniest, player on the New York Bobcats, a Junior B hockey team. Later, after his hockey career at Harvard doesn€t end as planned-with a fat NHL contract-Keenan decides to play in the minor leagues in Europe, where the glamour of professional sports is decidedly lacking.

Part fish-out-of-water travelogue, part coming-of-age memoir, Odd Man Rush will capture the interest of not just hockey fans, but also fans of good writing. Throughout, Keenan€s deep affection for the game shines through, even as he describes fans who steal players€ clothes from the locker room or toss empty beer cans onto the rink after games. Abusive fans, cold showers, long bus rides-nothing diminishes his love for the sport. “Because that€s the way it works with me and hockey. Even when it€s horrible, it€s wonderful.€

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