The road to hockeytown: Jimmy Devellano's forty years in the NHL

SPORTS/HOCKEY. “Although Jimmy never played professional hockey himself, he was born with an intense love for the game and has devoted his life to hockey. He lives and breathes the game. Hockey is better off because of Jimmy Devellano”. From the Foreword by Mike and Marian Ilitch, Owners, Detroit Red Wings. “Though he has never scored a goal, blocked a shot or thrown a body check, Jim Devellano contributed to seven Stanley Cup championships over three separate decades. An accomplishment of that magnitude is testament to his foresight, his insight and his hockey sense”. Gary Bettman, NHL Commissioner. “He is my mentor. He gave me my first opportunity to get into the business. When he came to Detroit, one of the things he talked about was he was never going to trade a draft pick. He’s a tremendous architect”. Ken Holland, General Manager, Stanley Cup champion Detroit Red Wings. “He had what I would consider an outstanding career. He started from the very, very bottom and has worked his way up to, I would say, the top echelon in the league. I made him look so good, Mike Ilitch called me and stole him to Detroit”. Bill Torrey, Former General Manager, New York Islanders. “He is a truly respected hockey man who deserves all accoladesthat have been presented to him. However, where he has helped me the most is in understanding the sports environment in the city of Detroit. Jimmy spent countless hours advising me on this sports landscape upon my arrival in Michigan”. Dave Dombrowski, President & General Manager, Detroit Tigers (MLB). “For more than the past 40 years Jim Devellano has had his hands on the hockey pulse.His remarkable accomplishments make him a Hockey Icon. Congratulations”. Scotty Bowman, Consultant, Detroit Red Wings. Jim Devellano is Senior Vice President and Alternate Governor of the Detroit Red Wings. The first person hired by Mike and Marian Ilitch after they purchased the struggling Red Wings in 1982, Devellano built the team into a four-time Stanley Cup winning franchise as General Manager and then Senior Vice President in charge of hockey operations. After over 25 seasons with the Red Wingsand more than 40 years in the National Hockey League, Jimmy D. is one of the most accomplished and respected executives in the NHL. He is the proud owner of 14 championship rings: seven Stanley Cup rings (three with the New York Islanders and four with Detroit), three Calder Cup rings (AHL), two Adams Cup rings (CHL), one Riley Cup ring (ECHL), and one American League championship ring with the Detroit Tigers of major league baseball for whom he also serves as Senior Vice-President. Devellano continues to be a driving force behind the Red Wings’ success as well as a strong influence in the evolution and improvement of the league itself, campaigning for opening up the NHL draft to the public in NHL arenas, and for instituting the four-on-four overtime format. Before joining the Red Wings, Devellano helped build the three-time Stanley Cup championNew York Islanders team as a scout and Assistant General Manager. He also served as a scout with the St. Louis Blues and as General Manager of the Islanders’ Indianapolis farm club (CHL), where he was named Minor League Executive of the Year by The Hockey News. Devellano has set up two private foundations supporting mainly children’s charities in the United States and Canada. He residesin Detroit, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, and Sarasota, Florida. Roger Lajoie is one of the busiest guys in sports media, operating TriumphSports Communications (www.rogerlajoie.com). He is best known to Toronto sports fans as a sports talk show host on The FAN 590. As a North American sports correspondent for the Reuters News Agency, Roger has covered events such as the Stanley Cup final, the World Series, the NBA finals, the NCAA Final Four, and MLB’s All-Star Game. Roger is seen during junior hockey season on Rogers TV’s coverage of the Oshawa Generals and Mississauga St. Michael’s Majors and hasdone junior broadcast work on Rogers Sportsnet. He covers the OHL for the Toronto Sun and teaches at the College of Sports Media in downtown Toronto. Rogerlives with his wife Rita and family in Courtice, Ontario. INDICE: Foreword (Mike and Marian Ilitch, Owners, Detroit Red Wings). Preface (Roger Lajoie). Acknowledgements (Jimmy Devellano and Roger Lajoie). Chapter 1. Nurturing a Passion. Chapter 2. Landing-and Losing-Hockey Work. Chapter 3. The Birth of the Islanders. Chapter 4. Our Time Finally Comes. Chapter 5. Learning in the Minors (The CHL Years). Chapter 6. Becoming a Thorn in the Sideof Maple Leaf Gardens. Chapter 7. Dabbling in Baseball. Chapter 8. Flying to the Red Wings. Chapter 9. Dealing with Adversity in Detroit. Chapter 10. Rising From Worst to First. Chapter 11. Finding the Perfect Coach and Manager. Chapter 12. A Coaching Legend Hits Motown. Chapter 13. Triumph Turns to Tragedy. Chapter 14. Our Hall of Fame Team. Chapter 15. From Where I Stand. Afterword. Appendix A. Comparative Red Wings Payrolls. Appendix B. Devellano's All-Star Draft Selection Team. Appendix C. Devellano's Rings. Index.

• ISBN: 978-0-470-15552-3
• Editorial: John Wiley & Sons
• Encuadernacion: Rústica
• Páginas: 301
• Fecha Publicación: 01/09/2008
• Nº Volúmenes: 1
• Idioma: Inglés