The Free Press’s Helene St. James will be releasing a book called, “The Big 50: Detroit Red Wings” on October 13th, and she spoke with WDET’s Pat Batcheller about her history of the Wings’ franchise:
Red Wings fans know Gordie Howe was “Mr. Hockey.” Steve Yzerman was “The Captain.” Mike Ilitch was just “Mr. I.”
But who was “Old Boot Nose?”
One might be surprised to learn that was the nickname of Howe’s high-scoring teammate, Sid Abel. One would not be surprised by how he earned it — during a fight on the ice with an opposing player.
That’s one of the stories featured in a new book, “The Big 50 Detroit Red Wings,” published by Triumph Books. It’s due for release on Oct. 13, 2020.
The book is about the men and the moments that define the franchise. The author, Helene St. James, has covered the team for the Detroit Free Press since the late 1990s. She spent about a year collecting stories from her career and researching the team’s past.
Continued with an embedded interview…
