An electrifying collection of rarely seen hockey photos highlighting the greatest heroes of the Original 6 era.

The hockey stars of the fifties and sixties -- Rocket Richard, Gordie Howe, Dave Keon, Bobby Hull, Jean BÈliveau, Terry Sawchuk, Tim Horton, and others -- were some of the most passionate players in NHL history. These skilful and often colourful athletes played exhilarating hockey and were national heroes in a time when only six hockey teams and 120 players battled for the Stanley Cup.

Hockey's Original 6 celebrates the most dynamic players and exciting moments of the era in more than 100 photographs from the legendary Harold Barkley Archives, including a number of never -- or rarely -- seen images. From 1942 until the early seventies, Barkley was the Toronto Star's leading sports photographer, pioneering the use of electronic flash to capture stop-action hockey. This book is the most complete collection of pre-expansion-era colour action hockey photos available in print.

Relive the thrill of the era with images capturing the first NHL teams -- The Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, and New York Rangersóin their prime.

Two informative essays by Mike Leonetti -- prolific hockey writer and historian -- set Barkley and the photos in context, and short image captions illuminate the players and their feats. Jean BÈliveau -- hockey legend and elder statesman -- provides a personal and insightful foreword. Combining iconic images and hockey lore, Hockey's Original 6 is the perfect gift for sports fans, history buffs, and art collectors.

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