No Guarantees

About the Book

Often humourous, always entertaining, No Guarantees is a classic Canadian story of how a prairie boy achieves his dream of playing professional hockey. The son of an auto mechanic and nurse, Don Dietrich was born in Deloraine, Manitoba in 1961. He joined the Brandon Wheat Kings as a rushing defenceman and was drafted by the Chicago Blackhawks in 1980, eventually playing with Tony Esposito, Doug Wilson and Denis Savard. You'll laugh at his antics in the big city and feel his pain as he fights John Wensink.

In the AHL Don met Nadine Greenlaw, a model and Penthouse Pet. They married and raised three sons. In 1984 Don was set to play for Canada in the Sarajevo Olympics when the IOC banned NHLers from competition, angering Alan Eagleson who came to Don's aid. Don completed his 10-year pro career in Europe, winning Defenceman of the Year and overcoming a serious knee injury and concussion.

Life without hockey was tough. He struggled with alcoholism, Parkinson's disease, and an aggressive cancer. Doctors gave him limited time. But using the same positive approach that got him so far in professional sport, Don researched his new "enemies" and faced them. His story is one of determination to live life to its fullest despite illness, injuries, and the politics of pro sport. No Guarantees tells how a prairie boy develops a winning attitude and overcomes all obstacles to find peace of mind and happiness. It will inspire young and old alike.

About the Author

Brad Bird was born in London, Ont., on Jan. 27, 1959. Raised in Toronto and Prince Edward County, he lived most of his adult life in Manitoba near Boissevain. His Metis grandfather, Frederick Valentine Bird, was a doctor in Boissevain for 62 years. The son of an air force pilot father and stay-at-home mother, Brad played road hockey and pond hockey for hours. Bobby Orr, Phil Esposito, Dave Keon and Darryl Sittler were among his boyhood heroes. Over a 25-year career in journalism Brad has reported for and/or edited various publications including the Winnipeg Free Press, Opasquia Times, Western Producer and Deloraine Times & Star, winning six awards. He has reported from war zones in Western Sahara, Kosovo and southeast Turkey. His first book, Nickel Trip, recounts the experiences of his father, Clayton Bird, a bomber pilot with Snowy Owl Squadron in the Second World War. His second, Me and My Canoe, describes his 6,000-kilometre paddle across North America with Mark Bergen. No Guarantees, about the hockey career and life of Don Dietrich, is his third literary effort. In 2005 Brad made headlines by walking and running 1600 kilometres across Manitoba in winter, often camping out, to raise more than $10,000 for heart and stroke research. In 2006 he ran as a candidate in Brandon-Souris for the Green Party.

Brad and his wife, lawyer Karen E. Stewart, divide their time between Parksville on Vancouver Island and Brad's home at Lake Metigoshe on Turtle Mountain, Manitoba. They have five cats.