Hockey for a Lifetime – Paperback

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, Bills 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.