Cujo: The Untold Story of My Life On and Off the Ice

" Curtis Joseph, known affectionately to hockey fans around the world as Cujo, was an unlikely NHL superstar. The boy from Keswick, Ontario, didn't put on a pair of skates until most kids his age were already far along in organized hockey, and he was passed over by every team in the NHL draft. Despite an unorthodox start, he would go on to play eighteen seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and Calgary Flames; be ranked among the all-time greats in several key categories, and win an Olympic gold medal while representing Canada. Joseph is a legend in Toronto, where his fandom rivals that of other beloved Leaf greats, and he's widely thought of as one of the best goalies of all time. For the first time, in this revealing memoir, Joseph talks about his highly unusual upbringing and what led him to put on his first pair of skates. Written by Kirstie McLellan Day, the world's top writer of hockey books, this book surprises and entertains, and shares on- and off-the-ice tales no fan has heard before: the untold story behind the legend. From the Back Cover: The never-before-told story of the man behind the mask Curtis Joseph, known affectionately to hockey fans around the world as Cujo, was an unlikely NHL superstar. The boy from Sharon, Ontario, didn't lace up a pair of skates until most kids his age were already far along in organized hockey, and he was passed over by every team in the NHL draft. Despite an improbable start, he would go on to play nineteen seasons with the St. Louis Blues, Edmonton Oilers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Detroit Red Wings, Phoenix Coyotes, and Calgary Flames. He is ranked among the all-time greats: third in playoff shutouts, fifth in regular-season wins, and a winner of Olympic gold, a World Championship, and a World Cup. And off the ice, he has always been giving, stepping up for kids, and earning the King Clancy Memorial Trophy for his philanthropy work with sick children. But behind his big smile and kind heart, Curtis hid a painful past. He grew up essentially alone as a young boy in a home for mentally ill men, some of them dangerous. He had no idea who his real parents were. He didn't even know his last name. Curtis made his own meals, borrowed clothing, found his own way to school, and tried hockey only by chance, in borrowed, beat-up equipment. Despite his shocking and difficult upbringing, Curtis developed an inspiring philosophy of life, looking at the world as a glass half full. In this funny and revealing memoir, fans will finally get to know the man behind the mask. Written with bestselling author Kirstie McLellan Day, this book surprises and entertains as Curtis shares his untold stories of life on and off the ice."