Dave Hill’s newest book, The Awesome Game, lives up to its name…It’s an awesome read. Hill is an American author, rocker and stand-up comedian from Cleveland, Ohio. He is also part-Canadian, as he explained in his previous book, Parking The Moose. The book is set to come out in late October 2023.
The Burning Question
Hill is a hockey fanatic who quite literally traveled the world in the name of the sport. Plagued by the reality that his favorite game is not more popular in his homeland, Dave insists on getting to the bottom of why hockey isn’t the No. 1 sport in the United States. From Nairobi, Kenya, to Kemptville, Ontario, Dave leaves no stone unturned in search of answers. From his time in Kenya:
So, if the crowd doesn’t love me, hate will do just fine. And while I can’t say that they definitely hated me, I can confirm that the only big laugh I got on stage that night was after I joked that my set was only going to last ‘another forty-five minutes or so.’
With a storytelling ability second to none, readers will find themselves engrossed in the action and curious how each adventure will unfold. Flipping through the pages is easy as Dave embarks on each journey.
Hill’s Adventure
From all-time greats like Slava Fetisov to lesser-known NHLers such as Len Frig and plenty of players in between, Dave takes readers on a hockey adventure that is equal parts fascinating, funny and honest. Whether you’ve loved hockey for decades or you just discovered the sport existed today, you’re bound to learn quite a bit about the greatest game on ice.
While traveling the world, Dave delivers story after story that exemplifies his love for the game. He ends up both playing and watching the game in multiple different continents. As each chapter begins, he dives into the interesting events that led to each journey. How he pulled off each trip is as entertaining as the details of the expeditions.
My Review
Dave pulls readers in and creates a relationship from the first page. Through witty remarks and sarcasm, you can feel through the page that it’s impossible not to feel like you’ve known him forever. It may even feel as though you’ve been next to Dave through each step of his own hockey journey, all the way back to his days at St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio. Where, as he would tell you, his career really got off the ground — or didn’t. In Dave’s words:
Anyway, deep down inside, I probably knew I had no real future as a hockey player, but to consciously admit that sort of thing would have meant a loss of innocence, an acknowledgement that maybe all my childhood dreams might not come true after all…
Readers can’t help but root for Dave to find the truth he’s looking for and more. His trademark is his brutal honesty — both with himself and others. Mincing words is certainly not his Achilles heel. With a unique style that cuts straight to the point, Dave is a master at delivering well-timed commentary. There is no doubt readers will appreciate his self-deprecating humor; it is not surprising the man is a comedian who has performed all over the world. He puts himself in situations that highlight his daring nature, not caring if he ends up making people laugh, embarrassing himself, or a little bit of both.
By the end of The Awesome Game, the only question that remains unanswered is whether Dave loves hockey or comedy more. If you asked Dave, I think he’d say hockey. But he clearly has a knack for making people laugh, both in person and through pages. As a result, I lean towards the comedy side myself. I highly recommend anyone interested in learning more about hockey, its history, or Dave himself pick up a copy of The Awesome Game and jump right in.
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