The players. The builders. The moments and stories that define the game. This book is a visual catalog of hockey's history, from the early days of a modest ice game played on ponds to today's fast-paced, global, multi-billion-dollar sport.

Hockey Hall of Fame Timeline of the Game is replete with facts, stories, headlines and stats that will satiate the appetites of even the most passionate fans. Hundreds of images, from iconic photographs to obscure illustrations and rare shots, bring the history to life, all assembled in a colourful, attention-grabbing package. This indispensable reference guides you through these eight hockey-defining eras:

• Pre-1875 - The early makings of a winter game on the East Coast of Canada
• 1875-1892 - The first organized hockey games and teams
• 1893-1917 - The introduction of Lord Stanley's Cup to the rise of the NHL as the dominant professional league
• 1917-1942 - The NHL under Frank Calder and the expansion into the U.S., anchored by players like Howie Morenz and leaders like Conn Smythe and Art Ross
• 1942-1967 - The uncertainties of wartime to the post-war era that would produce some of hockey's biggest stars, bitterest rivalries and most important moments, including the television revolution
• 1967-1993 - An era of change and challenges with the establishment of the NHLPA, the introduction of the entry draft, television rights, incoming European talent and dominant superstars that were pushing the limits of the game -- such as Guy Lafleur, Phil Esposito, Valeri Kharlamov, Scotty Bowman, Vladislav Tretiak, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux
• 1993-2005 - The great southern NHL expansion, from 21 teams to 30, the first NHL lockout and the NHL goes to the 1998 Nagano Olympics
• 2005-Present - The 2004-05 NHL lockout, the Crosby-Ovechkin era and the rise of the women's game.