Striding Rough Ice: Coaching College Hockey and Growing Up in the Game
Striding Rough Ice: Coaching College Hockey and Growing Up in the Game
Gary Wright
October 11, 2022
“Detailed and entertaining. A true hockey book by a true hockey guy.”
—Joe Bertagna, former ECAC Hockey and Hockey East Commissioner, author of Late in the Third
#1 Amazon New Release!
Release Date: October 11, 2022
Paperback ISBN: 978-1-57869-100-5
Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-57869-109-8
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022905791
eBook: 978-1-57869-110-4
CLICK HERE to Purchase the eBook.
Booksellers and Libraries: Order Here or through Ingram.
Synopsis
A behind-the-scenes look in the locker room, on the bench, and on the bus with award-winning NCAA Division 1 hockey coach Gary Wright, who began his compelling career playing for his father at a prep school during the end of the outdoor era, and leaves American International College tied with Michigan’s coach Red Berenson for the longest tenure at one D1 school.
Striding Rough Ice is filled with both humorous and serious anecdotes, and delves into coaching challenges, on-ice tactics, and face-offs with champion teams across the US. Wright shows how hockey and life are intertwined, and introduces us to the fascinating people and players who touched his rewarding hockey career, and life, along the way.
PRAISE
“Gary Wright has produced a warm and authentic tribute to his life in hockey, one that is both unique yet also familiar to those of us who have been blessed to follow a similar path. It is detailed and it is entertaining. A true hockey book by a true hockey guy.”
—Joe Bertagna, former ECAC Hockey and Hockey East Commissioner and author of Late in the Third
______________________
“In Striding Rough Ice, Gary Wright shares the wisdom he garnered while growing up in a family of educators, playing and coaching a sport he is passionate about. With detail and humor, he describes the joy of team, the nuances of hockey, and the value of perseverance. Written in an enjoyable and engaging way, the book is both a coaching and a history lesson. But, most of all, it's a real hockey read.”
—Bill Beaney, coached a record-setting eight NCAA D3 hockey national championships at Middlebury College
______________________
“During my years at AIC, Coach Wright showed me how much he cares about people first, and you can see that in his portrayal of the people and players that he writes about. Coach made a career of inspiring others with the utmost integrity and moral compass. His anecdotes and amazing recall of events bring the reader right into the rink.”
—Eric Lang, former assistant at Army West Point, and current NCAA D1 Atlantic Hockey championship coach at American International College
Reviews & In the News
MSO Newsports Podcast, July 12, 2023: College Hockey Coach Gary Wright – 32 Year Head Coach at AIC – Overcoming Obstacles & Sharing His Love for the Game
Brown University, June 9, 2023: Brown Interviews Gary Wright
College Hockey News, December 20, 2022: CHN Insiders Podcast - Week 11 - Gary Wright
Burlington Free Press, December 7, 2022: Warm up this winter with these books by, for and about Vermonters
Rutland Herald, November 10, 2022: Cornwall's Wright chronicles a hockey life
Seven Days, November 9, 2022: With a New Book, NCAA Hockey Coach Gary Wright Wraps a Life on Ice
Brattleboro Reformer, September 21, 2022: Hockey book to be released Oct. 11
Podcast: College Hockey Coach Gary Wright – 32 Year Head Coach at AIC – Overcoming Obstacles & Sharing His Love for the Game
Meet the Author
Gary Wright recently retired from a thirty-two-year head coaching career at American International College (AIC) in Springfield, Massachusetts. He has been inducted into the Proctor Academy Athletics Hall of Fame and the AIC Athletics Hall of Fame. He lives in Vermont, and his interests include golfing, music, and hiking with his dog, Hobey. Learn more about his at his author page here.