Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games: Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record

by Mike Brophy, Todd Denault

Overview

In only his 3rd NHL season, Wayne Gretzky set the unbeatable NHL record - scoring 50 goals in just 39 games. A book for the devoted Gretzky fans, and books like 99 by Al Strachan.


Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record sets out to chronicle that unforgettable streak of 39 games in the fall of 1981, when a 20-year-old wunderkind from the town of Brantford, Ontario, captured the imagination of not just the hockey world but the world at large and emerged as both the game's biggest star and it's most recognizable face.
Published on the 35th anniversary of this remarkable feat, the story of this unforgettable season is chronicled by renowned hockey authors Mike Brophy and Todd Denault. Based on new interviews with Wayne Gretzky and with those who surrounded him during his magical run at hockey's greatest record, Unbreakable: 50 Goals in 39 Games, Wayne Gretzky and the Story of Hockey's Greatest Record will detail on a game-by-game basis Gretzky's stellar run towards hockey immortality, through extensive research and the reminiscences of those who were there, including teammates, and players from opposing teams.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780771017551
Publisher:	McClelland & Stewart
Publication date:	10/18/2016
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

MIKE BROPHY is a senior sports writer for CBC sports as well as writer for NHL.com. This former hockey analyst for Rogers Sportsnet, has been writing about hockey for more than 30 years — first with the Peterborough Examiner for 14 years and then as a senior writer with The Hockey News for the next 17 years — and has won six Ontario Newswire writing awards for his coverage of junior hockey. He has also been awarded the Benjamin Franklin Award for best new voice for his book Curtis Joseph: The Acrobat. Mike and his wife, Marilyn, live in Pickering, Ontario, and have three children, Chase, Blair, and Darryl.

TODD DENAULT is a freelance author, researcher, and member of the Society for International Hockey Research. His work has been published in a number of print and online publications and he is the author of: Jacques Plante: The Man Who Changed the Face of Hockey, The Greatest Game: The Montreal Canadiens, the Red Army, and the Night That Saved Hockey, and A Season in Time: Super Mario, Killer, St. Patrick, the Great One and the Unforgettable 1992-93 NHL Season. Todd resides in Cobourg, Ontario. The author lives in Brophy: Pickering / Denault: Cobourg.

Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Game 1 October 7,1981 Vs. Colorado Rockies 20

Game 2 October 9,1981 Vs. Vancouver Canucks 29

Game 3 October 10,1981 Vs. Los Angeles Kings 34

Game 4 October 14,1981 Vs. Winnipeg Jets 42

Game 5 October 16,1981 Vs. Calgary Flames 48

Game 6 October 18,1981 Vs. Chicago Black Hawks 52

Game 7 October 20,1981 Vs. Calgary Flames 57

Game 8 October 21,1981 Vs. Hartford Whalers 62

Game 9 October 23,1981 Vs. Pittsburgh Penguins 67

Game 10 October 24,1981 Vs. Colorado Rockies 72

Game 11 October 27,1981 Vs. Mew York Islanders 78

Game 12 October 28,1981 Vs. New York Rangers 84

Game 13 October 31,1981 Vs. Quebec Nordiques 89

Game 14 November 4,1981 Vs. Toronto Maple Leafs 95

Game 15 November 7,1981 Vs. Colorado Rockies 100

Game 16 November 11,1981 Vs. Hartford Whalers 105

Game 17 November 12,1981 Vs. Boston Bruins 109

Game 18 November 14,1981 Vs. New York Islanders 114

Game 19 November 15,1981 Vs. New York Rangers 120

Game 20 November 17,1981 Vs. St. Louis Blues 125

Game 21 November 19,1981 Vs. Minnesota North Stars 129

Game 22 November 21,1981 Vs. Vancouver Canucks 133

Game 23 November 23,1981 Vs. Detroit Red Wings 138

Game 24 November 25,1981 Vs. Los Angeles Kings 145

Game 25 November 27,1981 Vs. Chicago Black Hawks 151

Game 26 November 29,1981 Vs. Winnipeg Jets 155

Game 27 December 1,1981 Vs. Montreal Canadiens 161

Game 28 December 2,1981 Vs. Quebec Nordiques 167

Game 29 December 4,1981 Vs. Vancouver Canucks 173

Game 30 December 5,1981 Vs. Vancouver Canucks 177

Game 31 December 9,1981 Vs. Los Angeles Kings 182

Game 32 December 13,1981 Vs. New York Islanders 187

Game 33 December 16,1981 Vs. Colorado Rockies 193

Game 34 December 17,1981 Vs. Calgary Flames 197

Game 35 December 19,1981 Vs. Minnesota North Stars 204

Game 36 December 20,1981 Vs. Calgary Flames 211

Game 37 December 23,1981 Vs. Vancouver Canucks 219

Game 38 December 27,1981 Vs. Los Angeles Kings 223

Game 39 December 30,1981 Vs. Philadelphia Flyers 229

His Only Competition is Himself 248

Epilogue 273

Sources 278

Acknowledgements 282

Index 283

About the Authors 288