From the Publisher
From behind the Iron Curtain onto hockey''s biggest
stage
The incredible true story of the trailblazing men who risked
everything to pass through the Iron Curtain and become NHL
superstars, Breakaway is a thrilling look at the untold
stories that changed hockey forever. From midnight meetings in
secluded forests, to evading capture by military and police forces,
this is the story of the brave players whose passion of the game
trumped all.
Featuring exclusive interviews with the legends of the ice who
put everything on the line just for the chance to play on the
world''s greatest stage, many of them speaking about their
experiences for the very first time, the book looks at how Peter
Stastny, Igor Larionov, Petr Klima, Petr Nedved, Sergei Fedorov,
Slava Fetisov, Alexander Mogilny, and other hockey superstars
captured the imaginations of fans around the world.
- The remarkable true story of some of the true pioneers of
hockey, told for the very first time, often in the players'' own
words
- A fascinating look behind the Iron Curtain and the trials these
brave men endured for a taste of freedom, through their love of the
game
- Looks at how some of the NHL''s greatest players made it onto
North American ice
As much a tale of espionage and social history as a gripping
hockey chronicle, Breakaway sheds light on the untold
stories of some of the sports'' most inspiring heroes.
From the Jacket
"
Breakaway reads like an international political spy
thriller. A must-read for fans who want to know about the history
of the game, who some of the great European players were, and the
development of the global game as we know it today."
-Mike Smith, former General Manager,
Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, and USA Hockey
Until the fall of the Iron Curtain and the collapse of the
Soviet Union, athletes in Eastern Europe were prized as national
heroes and afforded relative luxuries compared to other citizens.
Better food, nicer apartments, the ability to travel, possibly even
a car. But they still lived under the heel of a system that
punished even the slightest transgressions or resistance to
authority. Many accepted the conditions at home, but some sought a
good life-not just a relatively better one. Risking imprisonment,
retaliation against their families, or worse, a slow trickle of
extremely talented hockey players defected to the West, seeking a
life in North America with the NHL that they couldn''t achieve
elsewhere. Tal Pinchevsky traces their lives and the paths and
dangers they faced, based on interviews he conducted with the
players, their families, and the many people who helped them to
break away.
About the Author
Tal Pinchevsky was born and raised in Montreal.
Since moving to New York in 2001, Tal has written primarily about
sports and popular culture for a variety of print and online
publications, including the New York Times, ESPN the
Magazine, Rolling Stone, the New York Post,
Spin, the Source, Men''s Fitness,
Time Out New York, The Hockey News, and Madison
Square Garden''s web site, MSG.com. He is currently a staff writer
and producer for NHL.com.
