Playing With Fire

Standing 5 feet 6 inches tall, Theo Fleury made his name as a winger in a sport dominated by much larger players. He was a standout in junior hockey and became an important part of the Calgary Flames team that won the Stanley Cup in 1989. Even as a drug problem grew and his behaviour on and off the ice became unpredictable and hard to explain, Wayne Gretzky continued to believe in him.

Fleury later joined the men's hockey team that won gold at the 2002 Olympics. His career took him to the Colorado Avalanche, who signed him for the playoffs, and then to the New York Rangers, a move that left him giddy. After a single season on a lucrative contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, he abruptly retired from the game and did not say why.

The memoir moves between his years as a top NHL player and his childhood, which was marked by severe poverty and a turbulent home. It also looks at the personal struggles that threatened a career worthy of the Hall of Fame, including drinking, drug use, gambling and relationships with women.

The book was a finalist for the CBA Libris Award for Best Non-Fiction Book of the Year. It will appeal to hockey fans as well as readers who enjoy candid personal accounts.