Review: Gratoony The Loony (2017)

By Gilles Gratton in addition to Greg Oliver

H5N1 swell many "characters" accept passed through the portals of professional person hockey. Gilles Gratton non entirely is i of them, he tin lay a claim to beingness the biggest graphic symbol of them all.

Gratton spent some fourth dimension inwards the World Hockey Association in addition to the National Hockey League inwards the 1970s. Not surprisingly, he was a goalie - a pose that is filled amongst unconventional actors. Gratton wasn't a bad goalie, exactly his skills e'er took a dorsum spot to his antics in addition to comments.

It took a spell for Gratton to larn his thoughts downwards on newspaper - perchance also long, since few mightiness hollo upward him at this indicate - exactly he finally has done so. "Gratoony the Loony" is that autobiography.

Gratton does a footling explaining near his life in addition to his actions inwards this quite brusk book. Tellingly, it doesn't audio similar he had a especially happy childhood,with parents who were often indifferent. Gratton variety of brutal into hockey; it's in all probability hard non to give the sport at to the lowest degree a crusade if you lot are growing upward inwards Canada. Besides, his blood brother Norm was expert plenty to last an NHL player. Gilles turned out to last pretty expert at goaltending - expert plenty to climb the ladder, fifty-fifty if he wasn't especially enthusiastic near playing it.

Gratton's fame came through his actions. He famously skated naked inwards an arena during a practice, which he says similar a shot was came on something of a dare every bit a agency to obtain a dozen sticks for youth hockey. He refused to play inwards i NHL game past times claiming the Luna was lined upward incorrectly inwards the sky, which he similar a shot says was his agency of protesting the firing of autobus Billy Harris. Some other, R-rated stories popular upward hither which in all probability cross the work of funny-or-sick to the sick side. The goalie sounds similar he was drunkard or high for most of his career.

It seemed inevitable that such a musician would accept problems amongst management somewhere, in addition to Gratton was no exception. He spent a yr amongst the Rangers, headed downwards to the minors, in addition to so was released. He's been looking for "enlightenment" since then, in addition to the in conclusion chapters utter near that. Gratton i time saw a stranger in addition to said he was destined to accept 3 kids amongst her. He was wrong - he entirely had two. H5N1 tidings of some of his past times lives comes up, every bit does stories near how his trunk tin become to slumber spell his heed stays awake. He plant for an auction household that specializes inwards hockey memorabilia - a footling ironic for a guy who hated to play hockey.

Coauthor Greg Oliver rounds upward another quotes from teammates, etc. near Gratton, filling out the majority a footling bit. They all seem to similar him, fifty-fifty though I'm certain his mental attitude in all probability left them shaking their heads a bit.

Those former plenty to hollo upward Gratton's fourth dimension inwards hockey mightiness relish reading "Gratoony the Loony" inwards lodge to meet what the fuss was all about. Otherwise, it's hard to recommend it.

Two stars

Learn to a greater extent than near this book.

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