"I cannot put into words how much it means to have won a gold medal and to have a son and grandson also win gold medals.
What can I say? What a gift."
About the Book
Hockey for a Lifetime
Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Christian has lived a remarkable life. From the frozen river of Warroad, Minnesota to winning the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, Bill’s story is one of passion, determination, community, and love for the game that shaped his world: hockey.
In this stunning memoir, Bill recounts his humble beginnings and his introduction to hockey as a child in rural Minnesota. Before professional leagues, training camps, and financial compensation for career players, Bill and his brothers honed their relationship to the game, playing wherever they could. Passion and grit brought Bill and his brother Roger to the 1960 Olympics where they won the first gold medal in hockey for their county. Building his career during the volatile years of Cold War, Bill recounts stories from behind the Iron Curtain, bridging cultural gaps through hockey, and offering a glimpse into a world now seen only in film.
From his hometown ice rink to the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bill has traveled the world, built a successful hockey stick business from the ground up, and cultivated a love for the game, helping bring the United States to the world stage as a hockey powerhouse.
This memoir also includes Bill's first-hand accounts of watching his son, Dave Christian, win gold at the 1980 Olympics and his grandson, Brock Nelson, win gold at the 2026 Olympics, becoming three generations of Team USA Olympics hockey gold together.
COMING WINTER 2026/2027
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About the Author
BILL CHRISTIAN
Bill Christian was born in Warroad Minnesota and has spent his life living and breathing hockey. Bill led the United States to a gold medal win at the 1960 Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, built a successful hockey stick business named Christian Brothers, and has been inducted in both the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and the International Hockey Hall of Fame. No matter where life has taken him, however, Bill has always been called home to Minnesota, where he now resides. He is a proud grandfather and great-grandfather and has had the privilege of seeing both his son and grandson play professionally.
