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.<\/p>\n
Organized by Brock\u2019s 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\u2019s main campus.<\/p>\n
Addis will speak about his new book, Gallinger, A Life Suspended,<\/em> which tells the story of the gifted young hockey player\u2019s rise to fame, jumping from Junior B level hockey in his hometown of Port Colborne to the National Hockey League\u2019s (NHL) Boston Bruins at the age of 17.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are excited to host this unique book event that connects sport history to a very current and serious controversy: sport gambling,\u201d said Brock Sport Management Professor Julie Stevens, Co-Director of the Sport Oral History Archive alongside Associate Professor of History Elizabeth Vlossak. \u201cIt\u2019s a local story that touches upon a global issue facing those who play and lead sport.\u201d<\/p>\n As past president of the Society for International Hockey Research and a contributor to the Hockey Hall of Fame\u2019s Legends<\/em> magazine and Total Hockey: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Hockey League<\/em>, Addis will share his expertise in hockey history offering insight into the world of sport.<\/p>\n Guests will also have the opportunity to speak with Addis, who lived in Port Colborne for several years and knew Gallinger personally.<\/p>\n