They Don’t Play Hockey In Heaven

They Don’t Play Hockey in Heaven isn’t just a comeback story. It’s the story of fulfilling a lifelong dream, and taking the long road to do it. Written by Ken Baker, a former top prospect for the U.S. Olympic team, the book is an inspiration to all people who have always wanted to do something, but never had to courage to actually do it.

While playing for Colgate University, Baker was one of the top goaltending prospects in the country.  His chances at playing professional hockey looked promising, as NHL scouts were known to watch him a fair amount, but that all changed in a hurry. Baker found out that he had a brain tumor, and after surgery and several years of rehab, it was looking like his dream would never come true. Years later, he would have what he calls The Dream where he was playing professional hockey, the crowd was chanting his name, and he was getting paid to play the game he loves.

“A riveting and often hilarious account”

-The Hockey News

At the time of The Dream, Baker was a successful journalist in California, covering celebrities and Hollywood gossip. He had a great future in journalism, but there was one problem: he wasn`t satisfied with that. Playing professional hockey was a dream he had shared with his father growing up, and was a dream he didn`t want to give up on. So he began playing in an adult league in Oakland, California. It was there that he realized he could do better than that. Baker called around the minor-league circuit, looking for a tryout in the area. After getting a shot in the WCHL, Ken Baker became the third-string goalie for the Bakersfield Condors (fitting isn`t it?). At 31 years old, Baker became the oldest rookie in pro-hockey.

“Baker captures wonderfully the bizarre but thrilling world of minor-league hockey…touching, funny, and irresistible.”

- Robert J. Wusch, producer of Slap Shot

Throughout the book, Baker repeatedly mentions the constant pain that many of his teammates are in. Whether it was sore muscles, chronic injuries, or even just the stress that they put their bodies in everyday, his teammates had no interest in quitting to free themselves from the physical pain. Unlike Baker, the majority of his teammates had no career to fall back on: hockey was their only option. Sure, most of them could go home and cut lawns for the city to support their families. But they can make double the salary playing pro hockey, even if it means living on the other side of the country from their children.

Baker is currently E!'s Chief News Correspondent.

Growing up in Buffalo, New York meant that Baker was raised in a hockey hotbed. He would mention times where he would beg his father for money, just so he could go watch a Sabres game from the nosebleed seats. That passion for hockey would carry over to his  writing career, as he would travel all across America interviewing the biggest stars and celebrities. Today he appears regularly as an entertainment expert on Fox News Channel, Today, CNN, MSNBC and HLN.

This book is for any hockey fan who is interested in just what exactly goes on behind closed doors, and what the players go through in order to produce on the ice. Before you pick it up, be aware that They Don’t Play Hockey In Heaven does contain coarse language, and may not be suitable for all ages. But for those who love the game of hockey, it’s definitely a book you should put on your wish list.

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