Thank you so much for being here! I am a full-time freelance writer and paid subscriptions to this newsletter allow me to continue to do work like this, as well as support the community that we are building here, which includes events like the book club and our (very active) paid subscriber Discord server. You can upgrade here:
The November selection for the Out of Your League Book Club is one I announced when I sent out the lineup for the rest of the year, but here it is officially official! The link to register for this event is at the bottom of this newsletter, below the paywall.
Just in time for hockey season, we will be reading Game Misconduct: Hockey’s Toxic Culture and How to Fix It by Jashvina Shah and Evan F. Moore.
Jashvina Shah
This book couldn’t be more timely than it is right now. We are hot off members of the Canada Five playing in the NHL (and a reporter for The Athletic having his press credential revoked for asking the Vegas Golden Knights about it), and also that the Washington Capitals coach being fired after a domestic violence investigation. Meanwhile, the PWHL is expanding as rapidly as it can, all while not addressing any of its culture issues.
Enter Game Misconduct. From the book’s description:
Those who have been lured by the sound of skate blades slicing into fresh ice, by the incomparable speed, split-second decisions, and everything-or-nothing attitude of the game know that hockey can seem like its own world. It's all-consuming and exhilarating, boasting its own language and complex morality code.
Yet in another light, that tight community can turn insular; the values of teamwork and humility can manifest as collective silence in the face of abuse and discrimination, issues which have been brought to the forefront of the sport as many share their stories for the first time.
In Game Misconduct, reporters Evan Moore and Jashvina Shah reveal hockey's toxic undercurrent which has permeated the sport throughout the junior, college, and professional levels. They address the topic with a level of passion that comes from being rabid hockey fans themselves, and from experiencing its exclusivity first-hand.
With a sensitive yet incisive approach, this necessary book lays bare the issues of racism, homophobia, xenophobia, bullying, sexism, and violence on and off the ice. Readers will learn about notable players and activists fighting for transformation as well as those beyond the spotlight who are nonetheless deeply affected by hockey's culture of inaction.
Both a reckoning and a roadmap, Game Misconduct is an essential read for modern hockey fans, showing the truth of the sport's past and present while offering the tools to fight for a better future.
Our Zoom event will be on Saturday, November 22nd at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT. Jashvina will be joining us for that conversation, which is only open to paid subscribers. The conversation will be recorded and sent out to everyone who registered for the event, so you can watch it even if you can’t join us live.
A few days before our Zoom meeting, I’ll send out another email with the link to the event, along with a companion syllabus of additional reading and listening material related to the book.
Access to the Zoom event requires registration. You can register for ‘GAME MISCONDUCT’ BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION at the link below:
Subscribe to Default to read the rest.
Become a paying subscriber of Default to get access to this post and other subscriber-only content.
Upgrade