Gratoony the Loony: The Wild, Unpredictable Life of Gilles Gratton

It was interesting. It was too short!

I grew up watching NHL hockey in the 70's and the Rangers were my favorite team. I could only follow the WHA through the Hockey News which my dad bought me a subscription to. I remember Gratton for the Rangers. Bottomline, he was terrible! A total sieve! The book which I rate a C- reflects on him! The guy is a total loser, whack job, nut case, flake! His mask made him famous? Big deal! He tells how he smoked dope before practices and games, how he would do cocaine in a van before a game, how he would eat 5 big big macs and 10 cokes then go to the game. LOSER! He hated hockey! He was selected for the 1974 WHA team to play the Russians...His response: F You, I don't want to play. I hate hockey. He played 1 game for the New Haven Nighthawks AHL farm team for the Rangers....awful! The guy would watch women in the stands and not pay attention to the game and give up 4 goals in 2 minutes. I skipped all his India trans meditation chapters....GILLES..guess what? I don't care. He works now for Classic Auctions in Toronto pack up hockey memorabilia, cards, and setting up for card shows. Great punishment for this guy. Phil Esposito was right in his book "Thunder and Lightning" that Gilles was a Whacko!!!

good book thanks

Short. Very short. But a fun read.

I shared an elevator with Hockey Hall-of-Fame player Phil Esposito before a Tampa Bay Lightning game last season. Turning to the man, I said “Hey, Phil, I just read a new book by a former teammate of yours.” Politely, he inquired, “Yeah, who?” I said, “Gilles Gratton.” He suddenly got animated, “Oh my G-d, he wrote a book?? That guy was the biggest flake … do you know what he did one time? …” Had the elevator ride been longer, I would have been treated to a number of tales of their short time together instead of the one that I did receive. Suffice to say, while he was not a fan of the player as a teammate, Phil IS a fan of a good story – and the name ‘Gilles Gratton’ stirs up a LOT of stories.Gilles Gratton was legendary – for being perhaps the most bizarre individual ever to play goal in the National Hockey League, and that is a position well-stocked with colorful characters over the years. In “Gratoony the Loony: The Wild Unpredictable Life of Gilles Gratton”, the former goaltender and his co-author, Greg Oliver, look back over a career better known for his antics than his statistics. Gratton speaks out about his legend – for example, on the time he declined to start a game because of a nagging injury that was acting up – one that was suffered in a previous life.Mind you, there IS discussion on life IN the locker room and on the ice. And there is a look at life outside of hockey. Gratton addresses the short, troubled life of his brother, Norm. He discusses his post-hockey life – wandering the world, studying at ashrams. And ironically, finding a job back in hockey!Some reviewers have commented that there was too much emphasis on his non-hockey career than is necessary in a hockey book. In my opinion, those people came in with expectations that Gratton had no intention of satisfying. In my opinion, the life OUTSIDE of the rink is a big part of what makes this book unique. It would be of significantly lesser quality and interest if the authors did not spend time on the activities after the goaltending career was overRATING: 4 ½ stars, rounded up to 5 stars where ½ stars are not permitted.P.S. Phil, Gilles makes it clear he was no fonder of you than you were of him.DISCLOSURE: I received this book in a random draw from the publisher without condition. Honest reviews would be appreciated once I finished the book, I’m sure, but were not required or requested.

It's a nice easy breezy read and it does live up quite a lot to the Gilles Gratton rep. Yet it wasn't his exploits that I was all that fascinated by as basically Gratton is a hippy. To each their own but I'm not into ashrams and past lives. What was fascinating is it's a keen look into the early days of the WHA as Gratton played on two of my fave teams of that era--the Ottawa Nationals and the Toronto Toros. The stories are just fantastic and the way the league/association operated was, frankly, insane. Can you imagine getting POed as the playoffs start and moving your playoff games to a completely different city. It happened to the Nats.The stuff on his junior days in Oshawa are also tremendous because it was the era of the great Gardner-Shutt-Harris Toronto Marlies and the Gilbert Perreault Montreal Jr. Canadiens. Topping all the hockey stories off is Gratton's time with the New York Rangers and rooming with Rod Gilbert with the GM John Ferguson stories being the best.I won't give the ending away, but I'm happy Gratton found his post-playing career calling and he still ended up in a sport he really never liked--hockey.

In the sports world if you don't colour in the lines you aren't part of the sport mind set. He marched to his own drummer.A man with tremendous talent but not necessarily the desire.

Good read! Good Transaction,thanks, it's now in one of my hockey bookcases for a future reference, thanks!

Item tel que décrit

arrived as expected and in new condition

Good read very interesting