So much more than a sport, hockey has become an integral part of our national culture, as essential to our sense of identity as Prairie wheat and Maritime lobster, the Mounties, and the maple leaf. A Canadian Saturday Night is a tribute to the important role hockey plays in the Canadian experience. Accompanied by color photographs, 65 compelling vignettes commemorate the glorious events, objects, and artifacts that fill our collective memory—tabletop hockey and backyard rinks, the heart-quickening drama of overtime goals, and the quiet majesty of the Zamboni.

With heart and humor, popular hockey author Andrew Podnieks explores how the game has become part of the fabric of daily life. The stories he recounts are as stirring as Paul Henderson’s goal, as sweet as a Tim Hortons Timbit, and worth more to us all than Wayne Gretzky’s rookie card.