The Grim Reaper, Stu Grimson
The Grim Reaper, Stu Grimson
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The Grim Reaper
The Life and Career of a Reluctant Warrior

Author: Stu Grimson

Narrator: Stu Grimson

Unabridged: 9 hr 21 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Viking

Published: 03/10/2020


Synopsis

A powerful memoir from an NHL heavyweight champion who moved from the dressing room to the courtroom.

NHL tough guys all tell the same story.

They all grew up dreaming of skating in the big league as stars. Then one day, a coach tells them the only way to make it is to drop the gloves. And every guy says the same thing: I'll do whatever it takes to play in the NHL.

Not Stu Grimson, though. When he was offered a contract to patrol the ice for the Calgary Flames, he said no thanks, and went to university instead. And that's the way Grimson has approached his career and his life: on his own terms. He stared down the toughest players on the planet for seventeen years, while working on his first university degree. He retired on his own terms, and went on to practice law, including a stint as in-house counsel for the NHLPA.

This has put him in a unique position when it comes to commenting on the game. He's seen it from the trenches, and he's seen it from the courtroom. This puts him in the eye of the storm surrounding fighting and concussions. And he handles that the way he does everything: on his own terms. When Don Cherry called him out on televison, it was the seemingly indominable Cherry who backed down. Hockey fans will be fascinated by his data-driven defence of fighting.

But in the end, this is not a book about fighting and locker-room stories. It's the story of a young man who ultimately took on the toughest role in pro sports and came out the other side. Where many others have not.

About The Author

STU GRIMSON played in the National Hockey League from 1989 to 2002. During this time, he played for the Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, and Nashville Predators. Grimson was known as an enforcer, with over 2,000 penalty minutes in his career. His stature, his reputation as a fighter, and a play on his surname combined to earn him the nickname "The Grim Reaper." Grimson was born in Vancouver, British Columbia, but grew up in Kamloops, British Columbia.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brandon on September 09, 2019

The Grim Reaper is the story of former NHL tough guy Stu Grimson. During the course of his NHL career, Stu played with eight different teams – Calgary Flames, Chicago Blackhawks, The Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Detroit Red Wings, Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings and Nashville Pred......more

Goodreads review by Andrew on July 27, 2023

Stu was one of my favourite enforcers from back in the day so it wasn’t a hard decision to pick up this book. I was pleasantly surprised at how well spoken he is in the book. There are lots of cool nuggets from behind the scenes as well as interesting stories about his life away from the game. Good......more

Goodreads review by Kyle on June 06, 2020

I gotta stop getting these sports autobiographies.......more

Goodreads review by Cody on January 29, 2022

If ever there was an autobiography/memoir that I read and went “meh” to then it’s this one. It’s not bad but it’s not particularly great either. And that’s the response of a lifelong hockey fan and someone who enjoys these types of sports tell-alls. Maybe it’s the lack of salacious and debauched tal......more

Goodreads review by David on December 16, 2020

My rating of The Grim Reaper: The Life and Career of a Reluctant Warrior is a little biased. I got to meet Stu Grimson a half a dozen times growing up while at Hockey Ministries International Camps. Every year he returned to camp he connected and interacted with campers and staff in the most genuine......more


Quotes

“Whether you followed Grimson's career or simply knew the weight his reputation carried, The Grim Reaper should give you a better appreciation and understanding of Stu Grimson, a reluctant warrior, who found his place on and off the ice.” 
NHL.com

“Excellent . . . [Grimson] does a fine job sketching out his remarkable life's arc.” 
The Toronto Star

“[The Grim Reaper] is much more than a sports book.”
Vancouver Sun

“[The Grim Reaper provides] a very good perspective into the life and mind of those players whose main job is not to score goals or keep the puck out of the net, but instead have to use their fists to provide value to their teams. . . hockey fans should pick up this book.”
The Guy Who Reviews Sports Books