Breaking the Ice

Former pro hockey player Justin Davis explores the dark corridors of hockey culture to demonstrate that hockey isn’t broken — but it is as complex as real life. Through interviews with enforcers, players, coaches, agents, and journalists, Breaking the Ice takes stock of what hockey is and imagines what it might be.


Jon “Nasty” Mirasty and Zenon Konopka, two of the toughest men to ever play professionally, offer their contrasting opinions on the physical toll the game took on their bodies. Investigative journalist Rick Westhead and NHL super-agent Allan Walsh reflect on their long journeys inside and outside hockey, their vital roles as agents of change, and the opportunity to make the game better. Chris Nowinski, CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, discusses ongoing research into brain injuries, CTE, and the safety of playing contact sports. Steffany Hanlen, the first woman to become an NHL power skating and strength coach, provides insight into youth hockey and gives essential advice to any minor hockey parent. Finally, Andrew Long recounts the horrific event that changed his life forever and forced him out of the limelight and into the shadows.


After exposing the dark underbelly of junior hockey in his memoir, Conflicted Scars, Justin Davis is now determined to find a path forward by telling the stories of others. Breaking the Ice is an indispensable guide to parents of hockey hopefuls and players climbing the ranks of professional hockey.