Publication to coincide with the 99th anniversary of NHL
TORONTO and NEW YORK, March 3, 2016 /CNW/ - Viking Canada is very proud to announce that it will be publishing hockey legend Wayne Gretzky's reflections on life in the game. Penguin Canada Associate Publisher Nick Garrison arranged the deal, which includes simultaneous American publication by G.P. Putnam & Sons' Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher and Editor in Chief, Neil Nyren, with WME/ IMG. The book will be published in Fall 2016.
Written in collaboration with Kirstie McLellan Day, one of world's best-selling hockey authors, and told as a series of reflections to mark the 99th anniversary of the NHL, this book will weave together key moments from the history of the game that will give Gretzky's millions of fans a glimpse of what the ice looks like through his eyes.
No one has been as close to the game as Wayne Gretzky. From his time as a minor-hockey media sensation, to his induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame, there is nothing Gretzky has not done. He's changed the game and re-written the record book. What he has done is the stuff of legend. There can be no doubt what he means to the game.
What we haven't seen is what the game means to him.
For the first time, Wayne Gretzky will tell us about the game's great moments from his point of view. We will meet the people who inspired him and motivated him. We'll read the stories of the players who ignited his imagination, just as Gretzky himself inspired the dreams of so many young players and fans.
"Hockey has a rich history full of great characters and stories," says Gretzky. "I thought that the 99th anniversary of the NHL would be a great time to give my take on some of the great moments of this amazing game…things I have only shared with my friends, family and teammates."
"Any publisher would be absolutely thrilled to work with Wayne Gretzky," says Garrison. "What we're even more proud of is the way he wants to talk about the game—not a list of accomplishments, which readers will already know, but a larger view of the game through his eyes. And not just his eyes, but his heart, because this is really about what the game means to one of the greatest ever to play it."
Kristin Cochrane, President & Publisher, Penguin Random House Canada commented, "There are few living legends, but it's hard to imagine a Canadian who wouldn't list Wayne Gretzky's name chief among the few. I am joined in my excitement to publish this book by the entire company who cannot wait to hear more from Wayne Gretzky in person and on the page. We are incredibly proud to be bringing this book into the world and to share it with Gretzky's legions of fans across the country."
Neil Nyren, Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Putnam said, "Whenever fans gather to argue over that eternal question, who was the greatest hockey player ever, Wayne Gretzky's name is always right there at the top. It is both a delight and an honor to be publishing him."
McLellan Day is considered one of the world's preeminent sports writers, having co-written Theo Fleury's Playing With Fire, which was on national bestseller lists for more than 52 weeks. "I'm really excited about working with Wayne Gretzky" she says. "It's such a privilege to be on Wayne Gretzky's team," she says. "I can't believe I get to be his winger."
About Viking Canada
Viking Canada was launched in 1985 and is home to an impressive list of notable and award-winning authors including Bobby Orr, Joseph Boyden, Guy Gavriel Kay, Will Ferguson, Stuart McLean, John Ralston Saul, Jack Whyte, John le Carré and Marina Nemat.
About G.P. Putnam & Sons
Putnam is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group (USA). Putnam is home to many bestselling authors such as Dave Barry, Alex Berenson, A. Scott Berg, C.J. Box, Tom Clancy, Robin Cook, Catherine Coulter, Robert Crais, Clive Cussler, Frederick Forsyth, Sue Grafton, William Gibson, W.E.B. Griffin, Jack Higgins, Gordie Howe, Spencer Johnson, Jan Karon, Philip Kerr, Liane Moriarty, Bobby Orr, Robert B. Parker, Dolly Parton, Ridley Pearson, John Sandford, Kurt Vonnegut, Betty White, Randy Wayne White and Stuart Woods. Penguin Group (USA) LLC is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam's Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group (www.penguin.com) is a Penguin Random House company.
About Penguin Random House
Penguin Random House (www.penguinrandomhouse.com) is the world's first truly global trade book publisher. It was formed in July 2013, and comprises the adult and children's fiction and non-fiction print and digital trade book publishing businesses of Penguin and Random House around the world.
SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited
Image with caption: "Penguin Random House Canada Limited (CNW Group/Penguin Random House Canada Limited) (CNW Group/Penguin Random House Canada Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20160303_C1361_PHOTO_EN_634746.jpg
Stephen Myers, Publicity Manager, Penguin Random House Canada, 416.928.2420, [email protected]; Alexis Welby, Director of Publicity, G.P. Putnam's Sons, 212.366.2940, [email protected]
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