I had never done a proper book review before, so I was very grateful to Hockey in Society for giving me the opportunity to write about Dr. Courtney Szto's new book, Changing on the Fly. Please head over to the Hockey in Society website to check out my review in full. If you are interested in hockey as a constructed cultural space within Canada and how that both encourages and limits immigrant participation, this is a book you need to read. I've included a snippet from my review here. Thank you for reading!
This is a fascinating and informative project that openly and honestly interrogates the culture of hockey from a place of love. Szto is very open both in the book and on her social media about her love for hockey and her desire to see the sport change for the better. Although this book is academic in nature and won’t be to everyone’s liking, it is an informative and important read for anyone who considers diversity and inclusion to be important for the growth of hockey and the community around the sport. As the culture of hockey continues to develop and grow, Dr. Szto’s work will be foundational for understanding the diversity and cultural complexity that has always existed, even when unacknowledged, in Canadian hockey culture.