Sean Rossiter’s Hockey the NHL Way: The Basics takes a shot at teaching budding enthusiasts of the sport between the ages of eight and 12 the necessary skills to play any of the game’s key positions. Replete with effective colour photos and inspirational quotes from perennial favourite pros, this valuable hockey-school-in-a-book is as slick as a slapshot, and will no doubt spawn numerous fantasies about scoring the ultimate Stanley Cup-winning goal, preferably tipped into the net in the second period of sudden death overtime.

While individual skills are essential for any player, the book continually emphasizes the importance and necessity of teamwork and team spirit. Taking his advice to heart, Rossiter has consulted with some of the sport’s best minds – including a coaching advisory staff consisting of coaches from all levels of hockey – to ensure he strengthens his delivery. Vancouver Canucks head coach Pat Quinn gets the game going with his “pep talk” foreword, which offers common-sensical advice laced with unbeatable enthusiasm for young players of “the world’s fastest and most colourful sport.”

Divided into six chapters – skating, offence, defence, goaltending, equipment, and fitness – the book succinctly covers every aspect of the game, and provides drills and exercises to help each reader put theory into practice. Glossy, triumphant pictures of pros accompanied by quotes and tips are not only inspirational, they also serve as testimony to the age-old adage of practice makes perfect. The most effective elements of the book, however, are step-by-step colour photos of its in-house team – consisting of eight boys and two girls – demonstrating key skills and techniques. This novice/pro interpolation grounds the glory of the game and clearly points out that every all-star player at one time had to learn the basics. For a struggling neophyte, it’s a comforting notion that even Mark Messier and Mario Lemieux had to master the C-cut in order to skate backwards effectively.