Book review: Roger's World by Wayne Scanlan, McLelland & Stewart Ltd.

Many tales have been told about the late Roger Neilson, Hockey Hall of Fame coach and legend.

The most famous anecdotes about the man known as "Captain Video" have been circulated for more than half a century, ever since Neilson's first stint behind the bench of a hockey team - where he coached a peewee squad known as "Dave's White Rose Team" back in 1951 -52.

Roger's World by Ottawa Citizen columnist Wayne Scanlan captures them all in an expansive biography, beginning with Neilson's childhood in Toronto, to his tenure as head coach of the OHL's Peterborough Petes, to his phenomenal career as an NHL coach in which he saw duty as bench boss for eight different teams over 16 seasons.

However, a pleasantly surprising complement to the book is the abundance of off-the-ice narrative which illustrates a point that Scanlan conveys as early as Page Two: "You think you know a public figure like Roger, instructor and mentor to legions of players and coaches. It turns out, people who really thought they knew him continue to make discoveries about this unusual character, this man of character".

For example, the opening chapter relates stories told by veteran defenceman Dallas Eakins who speaks of Neilson's long-time aspirations of being a leader -but not in the sport that you'd think: "His dream job was to be a major-league manager" said Eakins telling of Neilson's baseball exploits.

There is also the sad tale of Todd Ervin, a young boy from Port Moody, B.C. whom Neilson befriended and treated like a son he never had. (Neilson never married, nor had any children). When Ervin succumbed to asthma in 1985, Neilson grieved very deeply. "I've never loved anyone like your son" Neilson told Ervin's parents.

It's widely known that Neilson, a devout Christian, lived a life of compassion and generosity. His humanitarian nature is surmised greatly in this biography.

Of course his legendary hockey experiences are chronicled in detail. His feud with Leaf owner Harold Ballard in the 1978-79 season in which Neilson was fired, then re-hired later on the condition that he appear behind the Toronto bench with a paper bag over his head. The infamous "Terrible Towel" incident in Game #2 of the 1982 Campbell Conference Final in which Neilson's mock surrender in protest of what he felt to be biased officiating against his Vancouver Canucks was immediately duplicated and manifested by scores of fans all the way through to the Stanley Cup Final. His two-game stint behind the bench of the Ottawa Senators in 2002, choreographed by Jacques Martin and the rest of the organization to enable Neilson to become only the eighth person in NHL history to coach 1,000 games. The milestone game came against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team with which Neilson began his coaching career a quarter-century earlier.

Then there is the lighter side of Roger; the epic tales of his absent-mindedness, sub-par driving skills, and ability to fall asleep at a moment's notice.

Roger's World takes the reader through a Hall of Fame career that has been matched by very few in the game. It contains interviews with "Roger's Boys", some of whom became Neilson's partners in the operation of his hockey camp in Lindsay, Ontario. Neilson's journeys to Israel for the purposes of bringing hockey instruction to that country are described in detail. His courageous battle with two forms of cancer, which he would eventually lose in 2003, evokes bittersweet emotions of both sadness at the loss of a beloved individual, and celebration of the glorious life he lived.

For a fan of hockey, and for anyone who appreciates the story of the life of a kind and genuine human-being, this book is a must-read.