JOURNEYMAN

Following extensive interviews with her subject and his family, Rosner relays in the first person the story of Ojibwe ice hockey player Jamie Leach from childhood through professional success.

Leach, the son of renowned hockey player Reggie Leach, started skating almost as soon as he could walk. As the son of a professional athlete, he was familiar with a lifestyle of traveling for games, being close with teammates, and moving after being traded. At some point, he realized his father was famous, something that affected the family’s privacy. Jamie’s first step toward his own career in professional hockey came at the age of 16 when he joined a junior team in Vancouver. This work pieces together his memories, his passionate pursuit of a spot in the National Hockey League, and the sometimes random changes that took him between leagues, teams, and towns. This brief overview is written in a personal, open, and conversational tone that invests readers in Leach’s story whether they are already fans of his or not. Cultural aspects of his Ojibwe heritage, integral to his experience, are casually woven into his story with clear explanations. Reggie and Jamie Leach are the only Indigenous father and son to have both won the Stanley Cup. Photos throughout each chapter enhance the work. The depth of Leach’s relationships with his supportive family members and the friends he made through hockey come through in the simplicity of the descriptions and anecdotes.

Recommended for hockey fans and nonfans alike.