Between the Lines: Not-So-Tall Tales From Ray "Scampy" Scapinello's Four Decades in the NHL | 
 enlarge | Authors: Ray Scapinello, Rob Simpson
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $26.95
Buy New: $19.02
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Avg. Customer Rating:  7 reviews
Sales Rank: 289038
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.1 x 6.1 x 0.9
ISBN: 0470838345
Dewey Decimal Number: 796
EAN: 9780470838341
ASIN: 0470838345
Publication Date: September 11, 2006
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Product Description
An insider's look at life on the lines To hockey fans, Ray Scapinello's name and face are as recognizable as any star player or coach in the NHL. Scampy, as he is affectionately known has had a long and storied career as a linesman in the NHL. His 5-foot-7 frame and 163 pounds belie his ability and endurance on the ice. When Ray retired in 2004 after 33 years in the NHL, he had officiated in 2,500 regular season matches (never missing a game), 426 playoff games, and an astounding twenty Stanley Cup final series. His untouchable statistics make him a lock to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame as an official, but even they do not do justice to the respect he has earned from officials, players, coaches, and fans alike. On and off the ice, Scampy is considered one of hockey's great personalities, a consummate professional, a chronic practical joker, and a true ambassador of the sport. Between the Lines gives a rare glimpse inside the world of hockey from an unusual perspective — through the eyes of one of the game's greatest and best-loved officials. Scampy shares his tales of life both on and off the ice as an official, an inside look at what those players and coaches are really like, what they really say and do, and what the game looks like between the lines. Full of fun stories, perspective on how the game has changed and evolved, and stories and interviews about Scampy from players, coaches, and other officials, Between the Lines is a captivating memoir of a truly unique life in hockey.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 2 more reviews...
 Great airplane book January 26, 2008
I (asked for and) received this book for Christmas (Thanks, Mom!) and read it on the plane ride to Minnesota. It was a fun, entertaining read. For a post-lockout new fan, as I am, I found the mentions of the mechanics of the game interesting and for a short while I considered trying to be a referee or linesman in the NHL, until I realized I couldn't skate forwards that well, let alone backwards, sideways, or while holding myself up on the boards. The non-mechanics parts of the book were also fun - It has a lot of stories of "Scampy's" personal experiences working in the league for over 20 years. If you're looking for a light*, fun read about hockey, this is certainly the book for you.
*"Light" meaning quick and mostly painless, and we're comparing it to the wide range of literature rather than other hockey books.
 Good but could have been better January 6, 2008
This was a good book. But if you're looking for juicy stories you won't find many (if any) here.
Loved the book! December 14, 2007
I bought an autographed copy of the book directly from Ray at the HSBC arena in Buffalo. I loved Scampy as a ref and I loved his book. Sure, it could've had a bit more content but overall it was a very enjoyable read.
 Entertaining for hockey fans, but could have been so much more... November 16, 2007
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
As a hockey fan with an appreciation for the history of the game, I jumped at the chance to read and review Between the Lines: Not-So-Tall Tales From Ray "Scampy" Scapinello's Four Decades in the NHL by Ray Scapinello and Rob Simpson. From the perspective of a fan, it was fun to read. But from a critical perspective, it could (and should) have been much, much more...
Contents:
The Essential Scampy; Big Games, Colossal Pressure; Fighters and Brawlers; Young "Gus" Grows; Gaining Experience; A Brotherhood of Pranksters; All in the Family; NHL Evolutions; Privet (Hello) Russia; What's Left Behind and Lies Ahead; Index
Ray Scapinello, aka "Scampy", was a linesman in the National Hockey League (NHL), and has a career of respect and longevity that will never again be matched by an official. Due to excellent conditioning and more than a little luck, he never missed a game and was on the ice until his late 50's. During that time, he skated with many of the legends of the game. And at only 5' 7", he was almost always outmatched in the size and bulk department when breaking up fights. But again, his commitment to the game and fearless attitude had him diving into scrums with some of the league's most notorious brawlers. Throughout the book, there are a number of stories related to the games he worked, personalities he met, and other officials he saw come and go during that time. From a pure hockey appreciation standpoint, the book provides an insight to the life of a "zebra", quite often the most thankless job in sports.
So where did things go wrong with the book?
Primarily, a lack of focus. I wouldn't expect fellow officials to be left out of stories, but far too often the stories were more about them than Scampy. It also wasn't unusual for the author to head off on a tangent related to some aspect of the game. Again, interesting from a hockey standpoint, but not seemingly relevant to Scampy's story. The stories don't always follow a chronological order in his life, so you jump from his last game to his childhood to the strike season back to his son, etc. It made the organization of the book seem very disjointed, and detracted from what could have been both an entertaining read *and* a solid book.
I'll pass this along to my son, who is also a linesman and referee at the junior level. I have no doubt he'll enjoy the book and relate to many of the on-ice incidents. But I have a feeling that even he will be less than impressed at the overall layout. Too bad, as Scampy is a part of the game that's often overlooked and should have more attention. There *are* real people under those striped sweaters...
Hockey fans will like it... March 28, 2007
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
As an avid hockey fan, I enjoyed all of the stories in the book. It provides incredible insight into the NHL and its officials. I found myself thouroughly amazed at how much extracurricular stuff goes on during a hockey game between the officials and players.
That said, the book itself was dissapointing. It seems to skip around alot, telling a story and then going off on several related tangents before returning to the original point. This causes the author to repeat himself several times, particularly across several chapters.
Perhaps most dissapointing is the general lack of "Scampy" stories through the first two thirds of the book. It's more of a "life of the NHL officials" type of book than a story about the life and career of a specific person. This is why hockey fans will still enjoy this book, reading background stories about NHL games always provides a unique, new, and enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, this book is published as an [auto]biography and that takes away from the overall enjoyment of the book.
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