This is a small book. A small book about hockey. This is a small book about hockey and a Finnish guy whose very first memories in life include the smell of a hockey glove.
And he calls it a fond memory.
Risto Pakarinen is a Finnish freelance journalist based in Stockholm, Sweden and a regular contributor to both The Hockey News and NHL.com in North America. I met Risto via the hockey bloggers group on Facebook.com and he was kind enough to send me a copy of his book Off The Post.
Off The Post is comprised of short stories and blog posts — mostly from nhl.com — from November 2005 to October 2007. At only 122 pages, it’s a quick and entertaining read that gives us in North America a glimpse into what it’s like to be a hockey fan in Europe trying to keep up with players in the NHL.
Risto doesn’t root for a particular NHL team — though he sees many Leafs games on TV in Sweden because that’s what they show — rather, he follows players which are obviously mostly Finnish (such as Teemu Selanne), as well as Wayne Gretzky. His stories revolve around the players, international hockey, and his personal hockey experiences. He also describes how he quit on hockey and how, like The Godfather, he got sucked back in.
Check out an exerpt of the book here, listen to Risto’s interview with Paul Kukla here, then order the book here. Risto’s humor and storytelling will surely entertain you. When you’re done with the book, Risto has a request:
… I hope that once you’re done with [the book] — you can read the entire book in about an hour — that you’ll give it to someone you think will enjoy it.
I’m not saying that so you’ll … order another copy… but because it would make me feel good.
Like a glove in my face.
I honored Risto’s request and passed the book along at last night’s Caps/Canes game. I enjoyed the book and if you’re a fan of hockey, you’ll enjoy it too.
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