BOOK NOTE: "The Legend of Terry Sawchuk" (05/11/97)

BOOK NOTE

"The Legend of Terry Sawchuk"

TORONTO - When Terry Sawchuk took to the ice for the New York Rangers on April 14, 1970, in a playoff game against the Boston Bruins, no one could have suspected that this brief appearance would be the last game for one of hockey's greatest goaltenders. Yet in a bizarre and tragic twist of fate, Sawchuk would be dead a month later, dying from injuries sustained in a drunken scuffle. In the book "Shutout: The Legend of Terry Sawchuk," author Brian Kendall creates a vivid portrait of one of the greatest, and most tragic, players of all time.

Growing up in a working class neighborhood in Winnipeg, Mr. Sawchuk dreamed of playing in the National Hockey League. Emulating his older brother. Mike, Sawchuk would put on his brother's pads, sliding across the floor to make imaginary saves. Yet when Terry was 10, his world was shattered when Mike died of a heart ailment. This was the first in a long line of tragedies that would haunt the legendary goalie throughout his life. Over the years, Sawchuk would suffer through a staggering assortment of injuries and ailments, including ruptured discs, punctured lungs, infectious mononucleosis, and cuts to his face and body requiring more than 600 stitches.

Despite the tremendous difficulties he faced, Sawchuk became one of hockey's greatest goaltenders. In the 1950s, he backstopped the Detroit Red Wings to three Stanley Cup championships. And in 1967, his brilliance in the final pre-expansion playoffs propelled the Toronto Maple Leafs to their Stanley Cup victory. At the time of his death, Sawchuk had played 971 games in 21 seasons, earning an incredible 103 shutouts. He won the Vezina Trophy on three occasions, and was the first player to win the rookie-of-the-year award in three leagues - the U.S. Hockey League, the American Hockey League, and the National Hockey League. In addition Sawchuk introduced "the crouch," a style of play that would be adopted by generations of goaltenders to come.

The hockey world has paid tribute to Sawchuk's remarkable achievements. In 1971, he was posthumously elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame and awarded the Lester Patrick Memorial Trophy for outstanding service to hockey in the United States. And on March 6, 1994, Sawchuk's beloved Detroit Red Wings retired his number. Today, hockey cards and other memorabilia relating to Sawchuk's career have become some of the most sought after on the market, and have made the legendary goaltender one of hockey's greatest cult figures.

Brian Kendall, the author, is a Toronto writer whose previous books include "Ace: Phil Marchildon," "100 Great Moments in Hockey" and "Great Moments in Canadian Baseball."

The 252-page book is a Viking hardcover published by Penguin Books Canada Ltd. Price: $32 (Canadian). For information call Penguin Books, (416) 925-2249.

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