TORONTO - Bobby Orr waited 35 years after his final NHL game to write a book. The result is a reflection on the nostalgia of playing hockey on frozen ponds growing up in Parry Sound, Ont., the physical and emotional pain of knee injuries that cut his career short and the off-ice struggles that the legendary Boston Bruins defenceman hasnt talked much about. "Orr: My Story" was also created as something of a how-to book by a grandparent about how parents, coaches and children should approach the sport. "I touch a lot of things, people who have made a difference, people who have sacrificed so I could reach my goals," Orr said in an interview with The Canadian Press. "I talk about a lot of different things and finally I convinced myself that maybe I could put something together that the reader will get something from." Over roughly 300 pages, Orr, with the help of author and former player Vern Stenlund, describes his beginnings as a talented young rushing defenceman through his Hall of Fame NHL career. Lessons, like his fathers hands-off approach to hockey, are dropped in along the way. "People would come up to my father and say, Your sons going to play in the NHL," Orr said. "And hed come to me and say, Look, go out and play, have fun and well see what happens. Thats how it should be." Regrets arent a major part of the narrative, aside from the knee injuries that limited the eight-time Norris Trophy winner to just nine full NHL seasons and parts of three more. In the past, Orr hadnt been all that open about discussing his knee issues, and this book offers a look into the psychology of injury and the mindset of an athlete robbed of the physical ability to do what his mind thinks he can. "In the end thats why I stopped," he said. "I had a way I played, and I just couldnt play like that anymore. I couldnt skate. Skating was my game, and I just couldnt play the game that I used to play, and that was very difficult. To finally sit there and say, Hey, its over, youve taken my skates from me, I cant play anymore was a very difficult thing to do. But I just couldnt do it." Orr mentions early on that it wasnt his intention to dig up dirt from the past. For much of the time, the focus remains on his journey to the NHL and the two Stanley Cups he won with the Bruins. The one person who isnt spared harsh criticism is former agent and former NHL Players Association executive director Alan Eagleson, who stole money from Orr and others along the way. Orrs finances were destroyed by a man who went on to be convicted of fraud and embezzlement. Orr had to be convinced by the books publisher to write about Eagleson, but he conceded it was the right decision and then didnt hold back. "He stole from the guys that he was representing and back in those days, early on, this was supposedly going towards pensions for the players," he said. "Heres a man, hes been a convicted felon, stripped of his Order of Canada, out of the Hall of Fame, disbarred. What he did was disgraceful to the people that trusted him like I did. I trusted Alan. He was like a brother and I trusted him with everything. Not only me but so many players, he hurt so many players. Its incredible." Orr left plenty of room for praise, especially of his wife, Peggy, several minor-hockey coaches, and the player he still admires more than any other, Gordie Howe. Perhaps more than anyone else, Orr singles out Don Cherry, as an entire chapter is devoted to "Grapes," one of his coaches with the Bruins and a longtime friend. "Don came to Parry Sound for an Easter Seals skate-a-thon, so before leaving town we went over to see Grandma Orr," Orr said. "Gram Orr was, she was over 90 then and she was a little lady. We walked in, she didnt see very well and I walked over and said, You know Don Cherry. Shes looking up at him and she says: I like you. Youre the only one that tells the truth, and shes poking him in the chest. Shes over 90. Like him or dislike him, they watch and they listen." Orr contends that Cherry belongs in the Hockey Hall of Fame as a builder, more for his years on "Coachs Corner" as a respected voice than for his one game as a player and six seasons as an NHL head coach. Thats far from the only opinion Orr shares. Now an agent and the head of The Orr Hockey Group, the 65-year-old believes fighting and hitting should remain in the game but that the red line should be put back in and the trapezoid behind the net taken out to reduce injuries. "I think today our game is a little more dangerous because of the size of the players, the speed of the players, the strength of the players, and we have no barriers," Orr said. "I like the open game, but I think weve got to really be careful now. The players always have to be aware of where they are. Many of them are coming through the middle with their heads down. "We are a contact game, but the thing weve got to rid of, weve got to get rid of those high, blind-side hits, the hitting from behind." Even with the concerns about getting hit, Orr said hed enjoy playing today because as a creative skater and puck handler hed have more room to work with than during his career. But he doesnt know if his risky style would be tolerated, especially growing up in an age where kids learn systems and are coached to make the smart play from a young age. "I played a style that most defencemen didnt play," he said. "Coaches didnt like that style: defencemen going down the ice. They did not ask me to change from the time I was 14 through junior and into the pros. They just thought thats the way I was most effective, and I would hope if I was coming into the game today that the coaches and the team would think the same thing." Times have changed, something Orr freely acknowledges. The innocence of he and his friends leaving in the morning to play hockey and being told by their parents to be home by dark just isnt possible in a lot of places anymore. But that doesnt mean Orr is afraid to share his philosophies, like the notion that children — even if theyre that "Next One" — shouldnt play hockey year-round and should be encouraged to play other sports. More than an attempt to get the NHL to change its rules, Orr wants his autobiography to be a teaching tool for parents, coaches and young players. "We dont have any control on what goes on at the NHL level in minor sports. But were supposed to have control over our kids programs," Orr said. "There should be rules (for) what happens inside their organizations, and we all have to work together to make sure its a great experience for every kid. In my case, my fondest memories are of my days of minor hockey, and for some kids thats not happening and thats wrong." Eric Lindross parents asked Orrs folks for advice when Lindros was the so-called "Next One." Their answer was to do nothing, a sentiment their son tries to pass along decades later. "I guarantee any of the parents, if your son or daughter has the ability to play at a higher level, as long as theyre having fun, as long as they love the game, as long as they have passion for the game, theyll get a chance," Orr said. "Keep in mind, .0025 per cent of all kids playing hockey ever play one game (in the NHL), so the chances of your son being the one, its slim. "Its a marathon, not a sprint. Leave the kids, let them play, let them have fun, well see what happens." Latest Adidas Basketball Shoes . Here is a look at all the moves through the first week of NHL Free Agency. The most significant deals will get the full Numbers Game column treatment, like these:Briere-for-Parenteau trade. Adidas Nmd Ireland . - Wesley Matthews got a chance to practice his bow-and-arrow 3-point celebration on Sunday night. http://www.cheapnmdsneakersireland.com/. They are back to a game above .500 on the year and back to .500 on the road. It was their 10th extra time game of the year, and only the second one that did not got to a shootout. Adidas Basketball Shoes Ireland . The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Darren Sproles from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday. Cheapest Adidas Basketball Shoes . -- Syracuse was dangerously close to letting another less talented opponent pull off the upset when C.MINNEAPOLIS -- Kevin Love landed hard on his hip after a foul late in the game. His head snapped back from the impact and hit the floor. The All-Star power forward was all right afterward, a relief for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The win over the languishing Los Angeles Lakers was nice, too. Love had 31 points and 17 rebounds to lead the Timberwolves to 109-99 victory on Tuesday that spoiled Steve Nashs return and stuck the Lakers with their seventh straight defeat. "I just want to continue to keep playing and give this team all that I can," Love said. "Yeah, Ive taken a physical beating, but youve got to expect being one of the top guys that theyre going to come at you." Kevin Martin helped the Timberwolves get off to a fast start, scoring 14 of his season-high-tying 32 points in the opening 10 minutes as the NBAs highest-scoring first-quarter team surged to a 25-point lead midway through the second period. They stumbled some after halftime, letting the Lakers pull within seven points early in the fourth quarter. "Its just one of those things where the game isnt going to be as easy as you think," coach Rick Adelman said. "You just have to persevere." With Nikola Pekovic likely out through the All-Star break, the Wolves started a difficult week, a theme of Adelmans pregame message. They play at Oklahoma City on Wednesday and New Orleans on Friday before hosting Portland on Saturday, a crucial stretch for a team running out of time to climb back into the playoff picture. But Love picked up the Wolves and carried them to an important win, playing the part of the burly Pekovic by throwing his body at the basket as often as he could. He made it to the line for 18 free throws, making 13. "We realize how good he is. He has incredible toughness," Martin said, adding: "He gets dirty down there. Thats why we pay him the big bucks and thats why hes an All-Star starter, to do things like that." Nash had been sidelined since Nov. 10 because of nerve problems in his back. The soon-to-be-40-year-old two-time league MVP had seven points and nine assists in 25 minutes, about 10 more than he was supposed to play. "I feel a bit selfish in that we lost but it felt great just to play in the NBA again," Nash said, smiling.dddddddddddd "Obviously the game didnt go as we hoped, but for me personally thats pretty cool to be back out there." Coach Mike DAntoni was pleased. "I thought he competed, and weve got to have everybody compete that way," DAntoni said. Steve Blake also returned, coming back from a torn ligament in his right elbow that had shelved him since Dec. 10. He ruptured his eardrum during the game but kept playing on another night of bad luck and bad defence for the fallen franchise. Blake was scoreless in 31 minutes and took only two shots. Fittingly, as soon as two guys came back, two more went out. Jodie Meeks (sprained right ankle, first quarter) and backup Jordan Hill (headache and neck strain, first quarter) were hurt for the Lakers, who have been without star Kobe Bryant for most of the season. Pau Gasol also sat out with a strained right groin and could be out until after the All-Star break. DAntoni said Meeks wont play the rest of the road trip at Cleveland on Wednesday or at Philadelphia on Friday. Hill was walking stiffly in the locker room after the game but was held out as a precaution, the coach said. "I just feel for those guys. I just was in their position," Blake said. "Unfortunately its a part of the game, and the rest of us have to pick it up." The Lakers reserves had a whopping 70 points, with Nick Young (24 points), Manny Harris (17 points) and former Timberwolves first-round draft pick Wes Johnson (15 points and nine rebounds) leading the way. But the Lakers still lost for the 19th time in their last 22 games and fell into a tie for last place in the Western Conference with Utah and Sacramento. This was also their first loss at Target Center in almost seven years, ending an 11-game run. NOTES: This was the league-high seventh time this season that Love had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds. He has 25 for his career, one more than Kevin Garnett on the franchises career list. ... The Lakers have allowed 100-plus points in 15 straight games, their longest such streak since 17 in a row during the 1986-87 season. ' ' '