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Hockey for a Lifetime
by
William “Bill” Christian
Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Christian has lived a remarkable life. From the frozen river of Warroad, Minnesota to winning the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, Bill’s story is one of passion, determination, community, and love for the game that shaped his world: hockey. In this stunning memoir, Bill recounts his humble beginnings and his introduction to hockey as a child in rural Minnesota. Before professional leagues, training camps, and financial compensation for career players, Bill and his brothers honed their relationship to the game, playing wherever they could. Passion and grit brought Bill and his brother Roger to the 1960 Olympics where they won the first gold medal in hockey for their country. Building his career during the volatile years of the Cold War, Bill recounts stories from behind the Iron Curtain, bridging cultural gaps through hockey, and offering a glimpse into a world now seen only in film. From his hometown ice rink to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bill has traveled the world, built a successful hockey stick business from the ground up, and cultivated a love for the game, helping bring the United States to the world stage as a hockey powerhouse. This memoir also includes Bill's first-hand accounts of watching his son, David Christian, win gold at the 1980 Olympics and his grandson, Brock Nelson, win gold at the 2026 Olympics, becoming three generations of Team USA Olympics hockey gold together.
A few special thanks are in order and I am so grateful for the people that made this book a reality. Thank you to Les Kletke for igniting the flame that started this whole process. To my daughters Debbie and Jeri…thank you Debbie for keeping all the memorabilia and sorting through albums to find the right touches for each story. Jeri thank you for believing we could do this book and transcribing all the stories, writing, and re-writing for hours. Finally to my Grandson Blayke, thank you for your expertise in computers and saving your mom countless hours of cropping and working with all the photos to make it perfect. It has been an incredible experience to live it all again.
Bill Christian was born in Warroad Minnesota and has spent his life living and breathing hockey. Bill led the United States to a gold medal win at the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, built a successful hockey stick business named Christian Brothers, and has been inducted in both the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Hockey Hall of Fame. No matter where life has taken him, however, Bill has always been called home to Minnesota, where he now resides. He is a proud grandfather and great-grandfather and has had the privilege of seeing both his son and grandson play professionally.
Contributors
- Author
- William “Bill” Christian
- Transcribed by
- Jeri Christofferson
- Editor
- Kristi York
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