My Last Fight

Overview

A personal account of phenomenal hockey success along with the private struggles

Looking back on a memorable career, Darren McCarty recounts his time as one of the most visible and beloved members of the Detroit Red Wings as well as his personal struggles with addiction, finances, and women and his daily battles to overcome them. As a member of four Red Wings’ Stanley Cup–winning teams, McCarty played the role of enforcer from 1993 to 2004 and returning again in 2008 and 2009. His “Grind Line” with teammates Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby physically overmatched some of the best offensive lines in the NHL, but he was more than just a brawler: his 127 career goals included several of the highlight variety, including an inside-out move against Philadelphia in the clinching game of the 1997 Stanley Cup Finals. As colorful a character as any NHL player, he has arms adorned with tattoos, and he was the lead singer in the hard rock band Grinder during the offseason. Yet this autobiography details what may have endeared him most to his fans: the honest, open way he has dealt with his struggles in life off the ice. Whether dealing with substance abuse, bankruptcy, divorce, or the death of his father, Darren McCarty has always seemed to persevere.

Author Biography

See Author

Media

My Last Fight was featured in Observer & Eccentric Newspapers in the Detroit area, in conjunction with author Darren McCarty's appearance in Livonia.

Darren McCarty, author of My Last Fight, was interviewed on 1130 The Fan, WDFN-AM, in Detroit.

My Last Fight was featured in a news brief in the Detroit Free Press.

My Last Fight was featured in Observer & Eccentric Newspapers in the Detroit area, in conjunction with author Darren McCarty's appearance in Livonia.

My Last Fight was featured in the Observer & Eccentric group of newspapers.

My Last Fight was mentioned twice in news briefs in the Detroit Free Press, in conjunction with an upcoming author signing.

My Last Fight was mentioned in the Intelligencer.

My Last Fight was mentioned on OurSports Central.

My Last Fight was featured in the Peterborough Examiner.

My Last Fight was featured in the Saginaw News and on MLive.com, in conjunction with Darren McCarty's upcoming appearance in Saginaw.

Book Signings

Past Events

Press Releases

My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star

By Darren McCarty with Kevin Allen

Contact: Bill Ames, Triumph Books, 312.676.4256, b.ames@triumphbooks.com

Even from a young age, Darren McCarty has lived his life at a high intensity. Sports, especially hockey, became the perfect outlet for that intensity. My Last Fight: The True Story of a Hockey Rock Star (Triumph Books, December 2013) tells McCarty's side of the story with the help of 2013 Lester Patrick Trophy recipient and long-time hockey writer Kevin Allen.

Darren McCarty was a fan-favorite with the Detroit Red Wings, but many of his fans remember more than just his role on four Stanley Cup winning teams. In My Last Fight, McCarty takes readers through the realities of trying to overcome the substance abuse and gambling problems.

My Last Fight gives readers all the details they want to know on McCarty's hockey career, family issues and substance abuse. Some highlights to look forward to include:

• The early history of Darren McCarty as a hockey player - including the discovery of his fighting prowess as a young boy playing hockey against older and stronger boys and his growth as a hockey player with the help of Bob Probert, who at the time was battling the addiction problems McCarty would one day face himself
• Realities in the life of a fan-favorite on a Stanley Cup-winning team, such as the party that seemed to follow him wherever he went
• McCarty's famous fight with Claude Lemieux, starting with Lemieux's vicious hit on Kris Draper through the moment McCarty saw the possibility of revenge
• McCarty's financial problems and the complex truth behind them that goes deeper than substance abuse and gambling

My Last Fight is Darren McCarty's remarkable story and he gives readers the truth behind everything fans saw throughout his years on the ice and beyond - without the sugar coating. This book is great for all hockey fans, especially Detroit Red Wings fans who want to know more about McCarty's life and the struggles he has faced.

About the Author:

Darren McCarty played parts of 15 seasons in the NHL-all but two with the Detroit Red Wings. Known as an enforcer, his career totals include 127 goals and 1,477 penalty minutes. He was part of four Stanley Cup-championship teams, and in retirement he remains active with the Red Wings' Alumni Association. He lives in Clearwater Beach, Florida.

Kevin Allen is the author or coauthor of more than a dozen sports books, including Brett, J. R., Star-Spangled Hockey, What It Means to Be a Red Wing, and Without Fear. He lives in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

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