When It Mattered Most: The Forgotten Story of America’s First Stanley Cup Champions, and the War to End All Wars

This is the inspiring story of the first American team to win the Stanley Cup--a feat largely lost to history.In the winter of 1917, as Europe spiraled rapidly out of control and pulled the U.S. into the greatest conflict the world had ever seen, a talented band of athletes in the Pacific Northwest fought to turn themselves into an elite team. That elite team would battle the looming war, their own insecurities, and fierce opponents on both coasts of Canada to captivate a community and journey toward hockey immortality.When It Mattered Most breathes life into the humanity and times of a remarkable team during a monumental 18-month period of world history, inspiring readers with a never-before-seen look into the evolution of Hall of Fame players, a championship team, and a war largely overshadowed by its second incarnation. Author Kevin Ticen tells their tale with empathy through the lens of his own experiences as a high-level athlete and coach, rounding out portions of the story lost to history through a deep understanding of the people involved and the inner workings of championship teams.

Kevin Ticen spent more than six years writing about Seattle sports as director of marketing and communications for the Seattle Sports Commission. He’s a former catcher on the University of Washington baseball team. Then he played professionally in the Anaheim Angels’ minor league system and then overseas in Austria. His post-playing days have been spent coaching baseball, first for five years on the staff at the University of Washington, and now leading a high school summer program in the Seattle area. Kevin works at Seattle Pacific University on the University Advancement team.