The John Kordic story: The fight of his life

John Kordic grew up in Edmonton, a shy, studious altar boy who loved hockey and adored his father. But hockey soon transformed him. Encouraged by his coaches, cheered on by by rabid fans, exhilarated by the thrill of combat, by the age of eighteen he had gained a reputation as one of junior hockey's biggest, meanest, and most charismatic enforcers.

This is the story of Kordic's wild rise to NHL stardom as a goon for the Montreal Canadiens, and of his sudden, precipitous decline--fueled by steroids, cocaine, fast living, and alcohol--which led to his death at the age of twenty-seven in a frenzied encounter with the police.

Here is a candid look at the dark side of the sport, at the abuses, betrayals, and cover-ups both on and off the ice that turned a young boy's dreams into a young man's tragedy