4th Star Book Review: Five Hours, Give or Take
Gretzky’s Tears
by Stephen Brunt
Roughly five hours. That’s how long it took me to read this *behind the scenes* account of one of the biggest trades in sports history. I say *behind the scenes* like that because two of the key players in the trade — Wayne Gretzky and Peter Pocklington — did not want to contribute to the piece. Pocklington was working on his own book at the time, and Gretz…well, his reputation has taken enough of a beating so why would he want to participate in warming up these leftovers. But without his side of it, the full story remains incomplete. Doesn’t it? That’s not to say the book isn’t of interest, as the positive account of Bruce McNall and the contempt for former Globe and Mail staffer turned public relations flak Jeffery Goodman (who was hired by Peter Puck to sway sympathies his way as the trade leaked out) is evident. It’s not enough, though. Brunt explores some interesting angles about how the deal was first hatched and how it evolved into breaking promises to Mark Messier, but as a reader you kind of get the sense that we’ve been through all this before.
