In February 2002, the greatest hockey teams this country could muster
headed to Salt Lake City to compete in the Winter Olympics. Our men
and women hoped to go all the way to the finals, but it had been
fifty long years since the Canadians had won Olympic gold. In the
past, they had come close – it was just that luck always seemed to be
against them.This time, however, their chances to end the long
drought were good. The women looked set for a medal – although the
all-powerful American team stood between them and the ultimate prize.
The Canadian men faced strong opponents, too, but prospects were good
for the all-star team assembled by the great Wayne Gretzky. And this
time, both teams had a secret weapon. So secret, in fact, they didn’t
even know it existed. At first.Like all good secrets this one was too
good not to pass along. Under the surface at centre ice, Trent Evans
had hidden a Canadian loonie. The expert ice maker had been invited
down from Edmonton to help install the ice for the Games, and this
was his little good-luck charm for our Olympic hockey teams. Perhaps,
he figured, the guys could use some “home ice” advantage.A Loonie for
Luck is the true story of that loonie and the magic it wove at Salt
Lake City. It follows Wayne Gretzky, Trent Evans, and the men’s and
women’s teams through their time at the Games. And it pays tribute to
the role of superstition and chance in hockey – a part of the sport
not always acknowledged, but one that brings real magic to the
game.With the close co-operation of Wayne Gretzky and Trent Evans,
Roy MacGregor tells the inside story of how the coin came to be in
Trent Evans’ pocket and then buried under centre ice. He tells how,
throughout the Games, the loonie was in danger of being uncovered as
the secret began to spread, and how, as the tournament progressed,
with the players in need of every break they could get, the good luck
miraculously held.This true story, brilliantly illustrated by Bill
Slavin, is full of suspense, humour, and charm. It will delight every
Canadian who felt a surge of pride for our athletes at Salt Lake
City.From the Hardcover edition.
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