I’m not sure exactly when it was, but I caught the hockey bug hard in the mid-90s. It was then that I fell in love with the Toronto Maple Leafs, the National Hockey League and the sport itself. While I never truly got to play the game myself, I’ve hardly missed a Leafs game over the last few decades, spent too many hours to count playing the video games (from NHLPA 93 to NHL 25), and cheered on my favourite players, including Captain Mats Sundin.
For many of the best years of my fandom, Mats Sundin was the Leafs’ star, leader and voice in the media. As someone who’s quiet, I respected that he wasn’t a seemingly loud leader, and truly enjoyed watching him play. I’d get in arguments with my cousins about how I thought he was the best player the team had ever had, whereas they thought previous captain, Doug Gilmour, was.
I have fond memories of attending games with my parents and friends during that era, and made sure to get a Sundin jersey when I was given a coupon by a season ticket holder I bought tickets off of. Mats also remains my favourite player to this day, despite Auston Matthews’ incredible beginning to his career. Thus, I was happy to hear that he was going to release an autobiography in partnership with author and Leafs fan, Amy Stuart, titled Home and Away.
I was provided an early review copy of this book, and just finished it minutes before beginning this review. I may be biased, but it’s without a doubt the best of its kind that I’ve read, and something that is incredibly easy to recommend. I’m not saying this solely for hockey fans, either; this is a book that is about more than just the sport played on ice, with skates, sticks, pucks and padding. It’s about more than that, and features thoughtful lessons about parenting, being a good person and being a quality teammate. It’ll also appeal to those who are considering, or have already, moved to a completely new part of the world, and everything that comes with it. There’s lots for us hockey fans, though.
Home and Away by Mats Sundin and co-author, Amy Stuart, begins with the night that the longtime Leafs captain and organizational scoring records holder returned as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. After a sad departure from the team, and unfortunate words from some of my fellow fans, he returned to the NHL midway through the next season and managed to score the winning goal against us when the Canucks visited Toronto. Despite my allegiance to the blue and white, I was happy for him and enjoyed the ovations.
This is an interesting place to start such an autobiography, and it brings to mind the title, Home and Away. That’s because, as he says in the book, Mats considers Toronto to be home, at least in conjunction with Sweden, and at one point felt like a guest returning to his home country. The title covers the fact that his career began at home, and flourished away, in a country that became a new home, but I also found that it fit the Vancouver season. It was the first time he’d returned to what was his home city for well over a decade as an ‘away’ team player. I liked that symbolism.
Over the next nearly forty chapters, Mats recounts his childhood, living in a former vacation area wherein his parents put blood, sweat and tears into transforming a hill and building a house, and the beginning of his hockey career. It goes on from there to provide insight, stories and objective facts about what happened during some of his career’s biggest moments, be they playing for Djurgarden, living out his dream of representing Sweden internationally and at the Olympics, and beginning life as an NHL player in Quebec City, as a member of the now defunct Nordiques, before being traded to Toronto for Leafs legend, Wendel Clark. A good portion of this autobiography is, of course, about the years in Toronto, and the off-seasons that followed disappointing playoff bounces that absolutely crushed me as a fan.
I found it very interesting reading about Mats’ relationships with his coaches, backstories about some of my favourite Leafs teams, time spent with teammates and the day-to-day things that fans aren’t privy to. There was a good amount of surprising information, as well. On top of that, I enjoyed hearing about his time in Toronto through his own words, including major events that I still remember watching or reading about.
My family is still unable to get cable, so I had to go my grandparents’ or their neighbour’s to watch almost all games, and ended up listening to some on the radio.
Mats has lived a really interesting life, even without the NHL included. His upbringing, and family vacations, were pretty fascinating to read about. So, too, were his training regiments and his trips to international tournaments.
The writing is quite good. It’s better than average, and was well edited. It’s almost always easy to follow, and doesn’t drag. You won’t be bombarded with stats, or niche terminology, and don’t need to know a lot about hockey to enjoy it.
If you’re a Leafs fan, Home and Away by Mats Sundin and Amy Stuart is a must read. This is also true for anyone with interest in hockey, as well as those who like to read about the lives of others; especially those who’ve lived unique lives and dealt with at least one major move. I was looking forward to this book, and it delivered. I just wish there was more of it.
This review is based on a copy of the book we were provided with.