Undrafted

Hockey, Family, and What It Takes to Be a Pro

Nick Kypreos, Perry Lefko

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN:
  9781982146825
• eBook ISBN:
  9781982146887
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

True stories and hard-won lessons about a life of hockey, from a Stanley Cup champion and top analyst. As a child growing up in Toronto, Nick Kypreos lived for hockey and dreamed of following in his idols' footsteps to play in the NHL. Hockey was an important part of the Kypreos household. It was largely through the game that his immigrant Greek parents acclimatized to their new lives in Canada, and from a young age "Kyper" proved he was more than good enough to move through the ranks. But he was never a top prospect—he didn't even attend the NHL draft when he became eligible. And yet, through dedication and constant improvement, he made it to the show.Kypreos built a career on his tireless work ethic and made a name for himself for always having a positive influence on team morale. A medium-weight fighter, he squared off with the league's toughest players, including Chris Simon, Joey Kocur, Tony Twist, and Scott Stevens—anything to give his team an edge. Ultimately, he was brought to the New York Rangers to help them win the Stanley Cup in 1994—their first in fifty-four years—with the legendary Mark Messier. And then he got to live his other dream: playing for his hometown team, the Toronto Maple Leafs.When a concussion forced him to retire early, it changed his life. But the lessons he'd learned on the ice over eight seasons helped him build a new career as a top hockey analyst and personality for Sportsnet. For twenty seasons he provided unique insight on the evolving game, and a player's perspective on the biggest discussions of the day.Revealing, fun, and brutally honest, Undrafted shows the challenges of being a pro player. It's a story of the resilience it takes to prove yourself every night, and how the right attitude can lead to the greatest success, not only in the arena, but in life.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Foreword
• Prologue
• Chapter 1: Growing Up Greek
• Chapter 2: Junior Hockey
• Chapter 3: The Call
• Chapter 4: Washington
• Chapter 5: Traded to Hartford
• Chapter 6: Life in the Big Apple
• Chapter 7: After the Cup
• Chapter 8: Home to Toronto
• Chapter 9: Not the Way I Wanted to Go
• Chapter 10: A New Beginning
• Chapter 11: A Rookie, Again
• Chapter 12: A Second Chance
• Chapter 13: Expanding My Role
• Chapter 14: More Big Changes
• Chapter 15: New Challenges
• Chapter 16: The Biggest Deal
• Chapter 17: The New Hockey Night
• Chapter 18: Changing Media
• Epilogue
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Index
• Copyright