Eddie Olczyk

Eddie Olczyk had built a life and career most people could only dream of. Growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, he fell in love with the game of hockey during an era when most kids preferred balls to pucks. Against all odds, he played on the 1984 U.S. Olympic hockey team as a 17-year-old, and four months later he was drafted in the first round by his hometown Chicago Blackhawks. During an illustrious 16-year career, he played for and alongside some of the greatest franchises and players in history, winning a Stanley Cup with the unforgettable 1994 New York Rangers. Years later, he coached former teammate Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby on the Pittsburgh Penguins before transitioning into the broadcast booth, where he has become one of the most recognizable voices of the sport. He then combined his skills as an analyst with his second passion— horse racing—and became an integral part of NBC’s coverage of thoroughbreds.

Away from the spotlight, Olczyk and his wife of three decades raised four adoring children. He was respected and admired by fans, friends, and peers. Life was sweet. Then, at 7:07 pm on August 4, 2017, his entire world turned upside down.

In Eddie Olczyk: Beating the Odds in Hockey and in Life, one of the biggest names in American hockey has written an inspiring and entertaining memoir of his life both on and off the ice. From shooting hundreds of tennis balls at a goal in his childhood living room to the ups and downs of his improbable hockey career to rollicking stories from the booth and the backstretch, Olczyk guides readers on his journey toward his ultimate test: a battle against Stage 3 colon cancer. For years, Olczyk’s goal was to be the best husband, father, broadcaster, and handicapper he could be. Today he has a new one: to bring as much awareness and support to those fighting cancer as he possibly can. In this emotional but often hilarious autobiography, you’ll learn why the people who know Eddie Olczyk best might describe him as “tremendously tremendous.”

"Olczyk, with Toronto Sun journalist Lefko, presents a gripping account of his remarkable life, from his selection for the 1984 U.S. Olympic Hockey team through his remarkable battle with colon cancer. Olczyk, now a sportscaster for NHL and NBC, takes readers through his life and career with insights from coaches, teammates, and family members (after being traded to the Winnipeg Jets in 1999, his mother said in frustration, “You’re just a piece of meat”). Without being self-aggrandizing or boastful, Olcyzk draws readers through the ins and outs of professional sports, from the anxiety of trades to the complexities of victory: in recounting his journey of the 1994 Stanley Cup champion New York Rangers, he notes that he was able to celebrate “a dream that every player has from the time they begin to play the game” while combatting a personal decline that “tested my resolve.” While Olczyk discusses the joys of his post-playing career nimbly, it’s his unflinching account of his battle with cancer that truly stands out (in the afterword, his children tell their stories about living with their father through these hard times). Though an obvious must-read for hockey fans, this inspired account of a man battling cancer will appeal to a wider audience, as well." —Publishers Weekly