This is Russia: Life in the KHL - Doctors, bazas and millions of air miles

We don't often get a peek behind the current of professional hockey at the highest levels - and even more rarely at life in the KHL, a league which is predominantly Russian. Bernd Brückler spent a couple seasons in the KHL, and he gives us a viewpoint from the player's point of view.It is an interesting and entertaining look into a league known for spending big on its players, but where the same cannot be said of the conditions the players and staff endure. He talks about the sparse and sometimes Spartan conditions that teams live with in the KHL.In September of 2011, a charter flight carrying the Lokomotiv Yaroslav KHL team crashed upon takeoff in Yaroslav; Bruckler was in the KHL at the time, and he talks about the crash's impact on the league and its players.The Kindle version has some errors in its formatting; occasionally, words and names with umlauts cause odd characters to appear in the text. If you can ignore these minor glitches, it is a fine format to use to read this book.

I love reading good hockey books - maybe because they're are so few good ones or maybe it is the unique and fascinating characters that populate this particular genre. In either case this book, co-written by Finnish hockey scribe Risto Pakarinen and Austrian born Goalie Bernd Bruckler, is a fun read based on Brucklers experiences playing in the KHL.Although a pretty straightforward chronicle of events of playing in the KHL Bruckler's descriptions of the oddities of the Russian based league and the funny and interesting characterizations of teammates and peripheral people around the teams he plays on gives this book a great deal of added entertainment value.

A very good book. The author is nice and calm to the weird things he experienced in Russia and sincerely grateful about the good things. The book of a really good pro and a great person.It is very interesting to read what an import sees Russia like even being aRussian.

Interesting memoir of hockey in Russia. I definitely learned a few things. As an avid hockey fan, and former player, not much seems new. Well written but sometimes repetitive, some errors with numbers and dates.

This book takes place only a few years ago, but from hearing some of what happens in Russia, it feels like an older time. Mr. Bruckler weaves a good combination of the details of playing professional hockey along with tidbits about simply existing and getting day-to-day stuff done in a foreign land - especially one as unique as Russia.I found it a very enjoyable read, never slow, and always from the perspective of someone who is enjoying what he is doing.You don't need to be a hockey fan to enjoy this book, although that makes it even more enjoyable.

Reading this book I learnt a great deal about the life of a hockey player in the KHL. We also learn a lot about life in Russia in general which allows import players aspiring to play in the KHL to be better prepared for that experience. It's a very interesting book!

This book has something for everyone, if you love hockey and history too. Bernd Bruckler provides a rare peek, behind the curtain, of the life of a hockey professional in Russia. It is clearly written, engaging and insightful. He brings you with him, not only inside the KHL but also on his journey as a young player in Austria, playing junior hockey in Canada and then college hockey in Wisconsin. If you play hockey, you will be inspired and encouraged to work hard, and never give up.

I found this by accident and took a chance. Bernd Bruckler's book ended far took quickly for my liking and I thoroughly enjoyed his takes of goaltending in Russia and Europe. I loved his tales of dealing with former USSR personalities in a new-age Russia. Bernd runs the gauntlet of avoiding over zealous doctors, old-time hockey traditions, corruption, fame, red-tape, and language barriers to play the game he loves.Don't miss this book!

Bought this for my son who loved iy

Interesting story about the inner workings of KHL. However the kindle version has a bug or something in it that sometimes makes the numbers I.e. years look completely random. For example -95 would appear as 200995.

Very interesting book, easy to read, lot of humour.

Good read

The book is easy-to-read and well written. While it gives a behind-the-scenes look into the life of a professional hockey player in Russia, it also offers the reader a view of Russian culture and a whole different world. Very exciting from top to bottom and I would definitely recommend it to any sports fan, hockey enthusiast or anyone interested in Russia.