A Loonie for Luck

Praise

“A true fable about hockey and the Olympics, and MacGregor tells the tale as only he can.” —Canadian Press

“Dollars to donuts, you won’t find a better stocking stuffer for the shinny fans in your home. . . . It’s a treat.” —Toronto Sun

“At the urging of Wayne Gretzky, the mastermind behind the Olympic men’s team, MacGregor weaves the story in his typically lyrical style, with delightful illustrations by Bill Slavin. And you thought a loony was worth just 63 cents U.S.” —Montreal Gazette

“The year’s best sports book? Roy MacGregor’s charming true fable for all ages about Canada’s 2002 Olympic hockey gold medal triumphs. . . . It’s the story of how one lucky loonie went from a Tim Hortons cash register in Edmonton to centre ice at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics to the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto.” —Vancouver Courier

“A slim but oddly moving volume about the Canadian ice maker who secretly planted that famous loonie beneath the centre ice face-off spot at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics. . . . Roy MacGregor can take any aspect of hockey and make it an evocative read. He, then, is a natural when it comes to a story like this, which is essentially about Canada’s almost mystical, and mythical, love affair with its favourite pastime. Bill Slavin’s illustrations provide the perfect accompaniment.” —Victoria Times Colonist

“Roy MacGregor has put together a nifty little hardcover called A Loonie for Luck, which affectionately details the exploits of an Edmonton icemaker named Trent Evans. . . . A Loonie for Luck clocks in at just under 100 pages, but MacGregor manages to jam in a lot of history about superstitions and omens, from Red Kelly’s ‘pyramid power’ in Toronto to Ottawa forward Bruce Gardiner’s ceremonial flushing of his hockey stick in the dressing-room toilet before each game.” —Ottawa Citizen

“What makes this slim, well-illustrated volume from the prolific Roy MacGregor so moving isn’t that it’s so Canadian but that it’s also soooo Edmonton. . . . Does it get any better than this? . . . A heartwarming, heartfelt story about how one man, an icemaker from Edmonton, became part of a wonderful hockey yarn.” —Edmonton Journal

“A true Canadian fable told with an air of magic and superstition. This is a story that we will tell our children and is destined to become a hockey legend. This small book . . . is complete with illustrations and is a must for any true hockey fan.” —Metro

“When you’ve got both Roy MacGregor and Wayne Gretzky involved in a project, it’s pretty much a lead pipe cinch to be good. And this little book doesn’t disappoint.…The quality of the writing and the compelling nature of the story, not to mention the fact that a portion of the proceeds will go to the Wayne Gretzky Foundation to help under-privileged kids buy hockey gear, make this a great book to buy the hockey fan, including yourself.” —Oldtimers Hockey News