In February 2002, the greatest hockey teams this country could muster
headed to Salt Lake City to compete in the Winter Olympics. Our men and
women hoped to go all the way to the finals, but it had been fifty long
years since the Canadians had won Olympic gold. In the past, they had
come close - it was just that luck always seemed to be against them.
This time, however, their chances to end the long drought were good. The
women looked set for a medal - although the all-powerful American team
stood between them and the ultimate prize. The Canadian men faced strong
opponents, too, but prospects were good for the all-star team assembled
by the great Wayne Gretzky. And this time, both teams had a secret
weapon. So secret, in fact, they didn't even know it existed. At first.
Like all good secrets this one was too good not to pass along. Under the
surface at centre ice, Trent Evans had hidden a Canadian loonie. The
expert ice maker had been invited down from Edmonton to help install the
ice for the Games, and this was his little good-luck charm for our
Olympic hockey teams. Perhaps, he figured, the guys could use some "home
ice" advantage.
A Loonie for Luck is the true story of that loonie and the magic it
wove at Salt Lake City. It follows Wayne Gretzky, Trent Evans, and the
men's and women's teams through their time at the Games. And it pays
tribute to the role of superstition and chance in hockey - a part of the
sport not always acknowledged, but one that brings real magic to the
game.
With the close co-operation of Wayne Gretzky and Trent Evans, Roy
MacGregor tells the inside story of how the coin came to be in Trent
Evans' pocket and then buried under centre ice. He tells how, throughout
the Games, the loonie was in danger of being uncovered as the secret
began to spread, and how, as the tournament progressed, with the players
in need of every break they could get, the good luck miraculously held.
This true story, brilliantly illustrated by Bill Slavin, is full of
suspense, humour, and charm. It will delight every Canadian who felt a
surge of pride for our athletes at Salt Lake City.
