VGK Book Club Check In With Daren & Stormy
We’re officially three chapters into “The Game” by Ken Dryden! VGK broadcasters Stormy Buonantony and Daren Millard share their takes on the book so far. 📖
Rinkside Reporter Stormy Buonantony
As a first-timer reading this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect.
Just three chapters in and it’s already glaringly obvious how unique and special a talent Ken Dryden is in so many more ways than one.
On the surface, you don’t often think of athletes as eloquent and intellectual due to their physical gifts, but Dryden is the perfect example of why that’s a misnomer. A Hall of Fame goalie, lawyer and author, and as if that’s not enough, later in life he’d enjoy a future of politics, business, color commentary and likely anything else he set his mind to.
In “The Game,” the detail with which Dryden recalls conversations—words spoken and unspoken—childhood memories, dress room antics and the state of the sport of hockey in relation to his surroundings truly puts you in his shoes.
Having not been around during the 70s to watch Dryden and the historic Canadiens team of that time, it’s been fun for me personally to look up certain players and their backstories and get a better feel for what the game was like in that time.
Host Daren Millard
We are getting into the meat of The Game by Ken Dryden. It’s easy to see why this book is so widely revered and has stood the test of time. In the reading the opening four chapters I have continually been drawn to comparisons to present day teams and personalities.
One thing you notice immediately is that Ken Dryden’s IQ separates The Game from almost every comparable in the Sports-Book field. He may be an athlete, but Ken sees and translates his world on a much different spectrum.
So Far the journey has spent time in the dressing room, taken a trip to the house in which Ken was raised, , and dealt with his tern and well regarded head coach Scotty Bowman.
Ken Dryden has never said a word without considering it’s impact. Yet, as a deep thinker, he is anything but a fence sitter. Opinions are not in short supply..
I am as excited about re-reading this book that I first completed two decades ago as I am about discussing the pages with an audience that is taking this walk for the first time.
It’s not too late to get reading! Pick up your copy of “The Game” and join the VGK Book Club Facebook Group to connect with other members.
Happy reading! 📚
