Actor, director and Montreal Canadiens fan Jay Baruchel has some harsh words for the NHL, lambasting what he calls the league’s “Americanization” of the game. Baruchel’s new memoir about hockey fandom is called “Born Into It.”
It's no secret that Jay Baruchel is a die-hard fan of the Montreal Canadiens. He talks about the team at every opportunity, wears their gear proudly in interviews on the street, appeared in a series of videos promoting the team, and was once named honorary captain by owner Geoff Molson and Habs tough guy Chris Nilan. As he has said publicly, "I was raised both Catholic and Jewish, but really more than anything just a Habs fan."
In Born Into It, Baruchel's lifelong memories as a Canadiens' fan explode on the page in a collection of hilarious, heartfelt and nostalgic stories that draw on his childhood experiences as a homer living in Montreal and the enemy living in the Maple Leaf stronghold of Oshawa, Ontario. Knuckles drawn, and with the rouge, bleu et blanc emblazoned on just about every piece of clothing he owns, Baruchel shares all in the same spirit in which he has laid his soul bare in his hugely popular Goon movies.
Born Into It is a memoir unlike any other, and a book not to be missed.
Born Into It is available on Amazon.ca.