Historian and author Fred Addis will share his new book, Gallinger, A Life Suspended, at an upcoming event hosted by Brock’s Centre for Sport Capacity and the Sport Oral History Archive. The book tells the story of Port Colborne hockey star Don Gallinger and his involvement in the National Hockey League’s worst betting scandal.An upcoming book launch and talk featuring sport historian and author Fred Addis will explore the life and hardships of Don Gallinger, a teenage hockey star from Port Colborne who rocketed to fame in the 1940s before his career was ended by scandal.
Organized by Brock’s Centre for Sport Capacity and the Sport Oral History Archive, the public event takes place Wednesday, Nov. 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. in Pond Inlet at Brock’s main campus.
Addis will speak about his new book, Gallinger, A Life Suspended, which tells the story of the gifted young hockey player’s rise to fame, jumping from Junior B level hockey in his hometown of Port Colborne to the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Boston Bruins at the age of 17.
During his professional hockey career, Gallinger scored two overtime goals in the Stanley Cup playoffs and led the Bruins in scoring records after returning home from the Second World War.
But his career in the NHL ended abruptly in 1948 when he became embroiled in a Detroit betting ring. He was suspended from the NHL for life for betting on league games. As result, Gallinger struggled to make a home for himself and his family, ultimately leaving his life and health in shambles.
“We are excited to host this unique book event that connects sport history to a very current and serious controversy: sport gambling,” said Brock Sport Management Professor Julie Stevens, Co-Director of the Sport Oral History Archive alongside Associate Professor of History Elizabeth Vlossak. “It’s a local story that touches upon a global issue facing those who play and lead sport.”
As past president of the Society for International Hockey Research and a contributor to the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Legends magazine and Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League, Addis will share his expertise in hockey history offering insight into the world of sport.
Guests will also have the opportunity to speak with Addis, who lived in Port Colborne for several years and knew Gallinger personally.
More information about the event is available on the Centre for Sport Capacity website.
