Is Ken Dryden’s The Game the best hockey book ever written?

Legendary Montreal Canadiens goaltender Ken Dryden is remembered for many things, including this famous resting pose.

This is the question being asked by people across Canada as CBC Radio presents its annual “battle of the books” competition, Canada Reads. In the competition, five books written by Canadian authors compete to determine which one should be read by everyone in Canada. Each author is backed by a prominent Canadian celebrity who advocates on their behalf during a debate that will be broadcast on CBC Radio.

Ken Dryden’s book, The Game, was written in 1983, and in it, the former Montreal Canadiens goaltender recounts the events of the 1978-79 season, his last in the NHL. Dryden retired after winning the Stanley Cup in 1979, capping a brief but productive career with the Canadiens. In his seven years with the team, Dryden won six Stanley Cups and five Vezina Trophies. He would later go on to have a successful career as the Liberal MP for the York Centre riding in Toronto from 2004 until 2011.

Since its initial publication, many people have gone on the record and said that The Game was the best hockey book ever written. Dryden paints a highly detailed picture of what the life of a professional hockey player entails, including its many highs and lows, its trials and tribulations, and its rewards and pleasures. In addition, Dryden provides the reader with detailed backgrounds of several of his teammates, including Guy Lafleur, Larry Robinson, Guy Lapointe, and even head coach Scotty Bowman, among others.

I first read this book last year, after attending a lecture given by Dryden at my alma mater, Concordia University. At this point, the only other sports book I had read was The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys, by NHL on TSN host James Duthie. The latter was a compilation of the author’s most memorable columns from TSN.ca.

The Game, however, was like no book I’ve ever read. Whenever I watch hockey on TV, or write about it for both this site and Examiner.com, I can only imagine what the players are saying, thinking, and doing both on and off the ice, away from the microphones and TV cameras that the members of the media wield. However, The Game takes readers inside the dressing room, the arenas, and even on road trips with the 1978-79 Canadiens team. We hear their discussions, jokes, and opinions in a free-flowing and unobstructed manner.

Dryden serves as both narrator and witness to these events, giving us his take on every situation. The book also serves as somewhat of a biography of Dryden’s life, as he recounts tales of his youth, such as playing ball hockey in “Dryden’s Backyard” while growing up in Islington, ON, his dual life as a law student at McGill University, and his duties as a family man.

Last night, CBC Radio Montreal hosted a discussion with Dryden at the Indigo bookstore at Place Montreal Trust in downtown Montreal as part of the Canada Reads tour. Here, he talked about the book, took questions from the audience and signed copies of The Game for the many fans in attendance, yours truly included. Dryden is renowned for his eloquent speaking skills, which were put on display once again last night. Needless to say, he did not disappoint.

So, the question remains – is The Game truly the best hockey book ever written? Based on the reasons above, I would be inclined to say yes. If you haven’t yet read this masterpiece, I highly recommend it, regardless of whether or not you are a Habs fan. Here’s hoping that Dryden can add to his already long list of honours as the winner of Canada Reads 2012.

Mark David is a staff writer for The Hockey Beat.

He also writes for  Examiner.com.

Email him or follow him on Twitter @MarkEDavid.