Pain Killer: A Memoir of Big League Addiction by Brantt Myhres (English) Paperba

Description: Pain Killer by Brantt Myhres, Michael Landsberg #1 BESTSELLER"This book is at times startling, yet very real and down to earth . . . I saw Brantt in all phases of his life and his career. I consider him a friend and an ally. Pain Killer sends a strong message." --Darryl Sutter, former NHL player, coach, and GMFrom the only player to be banned for life from the NHL, a harrowing tale of addiction, and an astonishing path to recovery.Brantt Myhres wasnt around for the birth of his daughter. Myhres had played for seven different NHL teams, and had made millions. But hed been suspended four times, all for drug use, and he had partied his way out of the league. By the time his daughter was born, he was penniless, sleeping on a friends couch. Hed just been released from police custody. He had a choice between sticking around for the birth, or showing up for league-mandated rehab. He went to rehab. For the fifth time.This is his story, in his own words, of how he fought his way out of minor hockey into the big league, but never left behind the ghosts of a bleak and troubled childhood. He tells the story of discovering booze as a way of handling the anxiety of fighting, and of the thrill of cocaine. In the raw language of the locker room, he tells of how substance abuse poisoned the love he had in his life and sabotaged a great career. Full of stories of week-long benders, stripper-filled hot tubs, motorcycle crashes, and barroom brawls, Pain Killer is at its most powerful when Myhres acknowledges how he let himself down, and betrayed those who trusted him. Again and again, he fools the executives and doctors who gave him a second chance, then a third, then a fourth, and with each betrayal, he spirals further downward.But finally, on the eve of his daughters birth, when all the money was gone, every bridge burnt, and every opportunity squandered, he was given a last chance. And this time, it worked.It worked so well, that not only has he been around for his daughter for the past eleven years, in 2015 he was signed by the LA Kings as a "sober coach"- a guy whod been there, a guy who could recognize and help solve problems before they ruined lives and made headlines (as the Kings had seen happen three times that season). Not only did Myhres save himself, he saved others.Unpolished, unpretentious, and unflinching, Myhres tells it like it is, acknowledging every mistake, and painting a portrait of an angry, violent, dangerous man caught in the vice of something he couldnt control, and didnt understand. If Brantt Myhres can pull himself together, anyone can. And he does, convincingly, and inspiringly. FORMAT Paperback LANGUAGE English CONDITION Brand New Author Biography BRANTT MYHRES played for the Tampa Bay Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers, San Jose Sharks, Nashville Predators, Washington Capitals, and Boston Bruins. He was suspended four times by the NHL for failing drug tests and was eventually banned from the league for life. After becoming clean and sober and studying substance abuse behavioral health at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Myhres was hired by the Los Angeles Kings in September 2015 as the teams player assistance director. Review #1 BESTSELLER"This book is at times startling, yet very real and down to earth. As troubled as Brantt was, he was still a great teammate and a player I enjoyed being with. I worked with him in San Jose, Calgary and LA, so I saw him in all phases of his life and his career. I consider him a friend and an ally. Pain Killer sends a strong message." —Darryl Sutter, former NHL player, coach, and GM"A devastatingly honest account of one mans struggle with seemingly insurmountable demons. Through a combination of raw talent and hard work, Brantt Myhres finally realizes every Canadian boys dream of playing in the NHL only to throw it all away at the mercy of drugs and booze. An enforcer throughout his career, its his battle with addiction that proves him to be the ultimate tough guy. Pain Killer is a knockout."—Will Arnett, actor"I met Brantt when he was working with the LA Kings Organization and he was open about his story from day one. In LA, he was a mentor for the players that found themselves going down a dark path, similar to what he had gone through. It speaks volumes about someones character when they can hit rock bottom, pick themselves up, and then help others up: thats Brantt. This book makes his story accessible to everyone, not just players. Im grateful for his courage to share and hopeful that it will help many others inside and outside of the hockey world."—Paul "Biz Nasty" Bissonnette, broadcaster and former NHL player"Brantt Myhres treats writing the same way he approached hockey. He is all-in, pulling no punches." —The Athletic "Pain Killer is far from an easy read, and its as much gut-wrenching as it is oddly inspiring. While fighting is far less common in the NHL these days than Myhres era, its quite the reminder of the very real turmoil many professional athletes may be dealing with behind the scenes." —Anishinabek News "Banned for life from the NHL, the enforcer comes clean—in every sense. . . . Brantt Myhres has been sober for thirteen years now. Hes truthful, hes humble, and hes trying his hardest to be a good father. He has concussion-related brain issues, but theyre not clouding his hard-earned belief that hope and love are the only things that really matter in life." —David Giddens, CBC "Pain Killer is not your typical hockey autobiography; there are no championships or heroic on-ice moments. It is a rare glimpse into the dark side of professional hockey that concludes with a somewhat happy ending—certainly happier than one might expect." — Winnipeg Free Press Review Quote #1 BESTSELLER "This book is at times startling, yet very real and down to earth. As troubled as Brantt was, he was still a great teammate and a player I enjoyed being with. I worked with him in San Jose, Calgary and LA, so I saw him in all phases of his life and his career. I consider him a friend and an ally. Pain Killer sends a strong message." --Darryl Sutter, former NHL player, coach, and GM "A devastatingly honest account of one mans struggle with seemingly insurmountable demons. Through a combination of raw talent and hard work, Brantt Myhres finally realizes every Canadian boys dream of playing in the NHL only to throw it all away at the mercy of drugs and booze. An enforcer throughout his career, its his battle with addiction that proves him to be the ultimate tough guy. Pain Killer is a knockout." --Will Arnett, actor "I met Brantt when he was working with the LA Kings Organization and he was open about his story from day one. In LA, he was a mentor for the players that found themselves going down a dark path, similar to what he had gone through. It speaks volumes about someones character when they can hit rock bottom, pick themselves up, and then help others up: thats Brantt. This book makes his story accessible to everyone, not just players. Im grateful for his courage to share and hopeful that it will help many others inside and outside of the hockey world." --Paul "Biz Nasty" Bissonnette, broadcaster and former NHL player Excerpt from Book Prologue I used to work out in Los Angeles with Bob Probert. I thought that was pretty cool. More than cool. For one thing, Bob was my idol. He was a lot of peoples idol, but my respect for the man probably ran a little deeper than most, since he and I did the same job for a living. We were both tough guys, and tough guys respect each other. Still, Bob was the coolest tough guy ever to put on skates, so I figure I probably respected him a little more than he respected me. But that was fine. The San Jose Sharks were paying for my trainer at Golds Gym in Venice Beach. They were also paying me millions of dollars to play hockey, so theyd hired the trainer to take care of their investment. I thought that was pretty cool too. On my first day at the gym, the trainer told me to go warm up on the bike and meet my training partner for the summer: Bob Probert, legendary Chicago Blackhawks enforcer. So I was pretty close to having it all. The job Id wanted since I was a little kid. Hitting the weights with a legend, at the gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger got huge. Golds has an outdoor workout area. On one side of the chain-link fence are a bunch of huge guys pumping iron under the California sun, and on the other is the ocean, the boardwalk, and a parade of beauties a young guy from Swan Hills, Alberta, could have hardly imagined. Not many people get to live out their dreams down to that kind of detail, but there I was. I had it pretty good. One day Probie said, Hey Myze, you like Harleys? Yeah, I love bikes, why? Well, me, Jeremy, and Chris are going to hit the canyons tomorrow for a ride. Want to join? That would be his Blackhawks teammates Jeremy Roenick, who went to the All-Star Game pretty much every year, and Chris Simon, one of the toughest guys in the league. So, pretty cool guys to hang out with. Sure Probie, I said. But I dont have a motorbike licence. Dont worry about the licence, buddy, Ill rent the bike for you. Ill put the deposit on my Visa and well be good to go. So there I was on the back of Probies bike, riding down the highway to the dealership. It must have been quite the sight. Two six-foot-four, 225-pound guys doubling on a Harley. When it was time to go our separate ways, he said, Okay, were going to meet at Malibu Chicken around nine a.m. See you then. I was renting this house that was about ten minutes from the beach, a nice little spot. I took the bike home and sat down to watch some TV. But that evening I was getting a little restless. I started thinking, Brantt, are you really going to just sit here and watch TV? How fucking boring is that? Youre only twenty-five years old. Youve got some cash in the bank. If you head down to the beach on this Harley, you never know--you might meet a nice girl to take for a ride and enjoy the sunset. You might even go for a beer. In fact, anyone would be crazy not to. Unless theyd already been through two stints in rehab. Which I had. Id been kicked out of the league twice. Id been drafted, because someone thought I would make his team better. And Id been kicked out, twice, because the league thought I was making it worse. Now I was back. I was with my third team. I was doing better than ever. Making more money than ever. Enjoying the breeze off the ocean in Venice Beach. All I had to do to hold on to all this was stay sober. But I told myself that one beer isnt really a relapse. That Id just head down to the bar by the beach. That Id have just one. I jump on the Harley and off I go. As Im driving Im not concentrating on how beautiful the palm trees are or how the ocean is looking as the sun goes down. Im wrestling. Im saying the words Dont do it, Brantt. Turn the bike around. Youre going to fucking blow this again . Couples are walking down the narrow streets in flip-flops and loose-fitting clothes. Everyone is tanned and relaxed. No one has any idea what Im going through. They probably think Im just like them. Just enjoying the evening, like a normal person. Im not. The funny thing is, Im not enjoying this at all. The bars are all lit up and everyone inside looks happy. I feel left out, like everything is happening without me. Its one bar after another. Its as though all anyone does here is drink. I park the bike, put my helmet on the handlebars, and walk into this Mexican place for my one beer. I sit down at the bar. Its sickeningly familiar. The taps of draft, the specials on the chalkboard. The bottles lined up shoulder to shoulder across from me, where I see myself in the mirror. Catching myself in the act. The beer doesnt even taste that good. Not really. When you havent had a drink in a while, the buzz hits right away. Youre not convinced you even like it. A minute before, I was sharp. Now Im not so sure. Not for that first sip anyway. That first, guilty sip. By the time I finish that beer, though, its not hard to remember what I loved so much about booze. And lets be honest. Ive never stopped at one. Soon its two. Then three. Now the guilt is draining away. The rush is a relief, bordering on giddy joy. The world transformed in a few short minutes into a better place. Why would I stop now? Now when the bar is a sea of smiling faces? When the lights are swirling around me, and the music is irresistible? I had money. I felt the warm glow of security knowing I could drink as much as I wanted. I went outside for a smoke and noticed my helmet had disappeared. I just laughed. By two thirty Ive finished a bottle of tequila. I said to this Mexican guy sitting next to me, Hey pal, know of anywhere I can get some blow? Of course he does. Not far away. Perfect, I tell him. Lets roll. When we get outside Im surprised the street is empty. The tanned, good-looking couples have all gone home. The storefronts and restaurants have gone dark. Im having a hard time standing. How are we getting there? the guy asks. I point at the Harley. Were going on that thing? Hell yes. Wheres our helmets? Dont worry, bro, Ive been riding bikes since I was five. We dont need helmets. Jump on. There we were, driving down Washington Avenue, only now the night is cool and the hum of traffic is gone. All I can hear is the thunder of the Harley echoing down the empty street. We were cruising along when I looked back at the guy and said, Yo bro, where are we going? Are we close? I was shouting over the roar of the wind. The wind can be deafening when youre not wearing a helmet. He said, Oh shit, its right here, turn right! I turn the handlebars and the next thing I see are these two little snakeskin cowboy boots fly by. The bike is in full flip mode, and Im bouncing on the road. When I open my eyes I notice that Im in a real bad neighbourhood. My bike is about fifty feet from me and it looks mangled. I look at my arms and legs. Im mangled too. I get up and run over, lift it up, jump on, and hit the start button. Im relieved when it starts. I looked around for the Mexican but all I see are his cowboy boots sticking out of the ditch. I have no clue what condition hes in but Im not sticking around to find out. I put the Harley in gear and take off down the highway. Its now three thirty in the morning. Im not having fun anymore. All of a sudden I hear the cop sirens going, telling me to pull over. Ive been pulled over before. Im not intimidated by cops. But this time Im really fucked. Its funny how a siren can clear your head. Jail for sure. One hundred percent, my career is finished. I pull over and shut the bike off, sitting there with no helmet on and blood all over my clothes. The cop walks up to me and says, Licence and registration please. Im so hammered I cant even get my hand into my pocket to grab my ID. Whoa, whoa, youve been drinking a lot tonight, mister. Yes, officer, I have been drinking tonight. I know I should not be driving in this state. Then I had to grovel. Officer, you got to understand. The reason I was drinking was I just signed a five-year contract in the NHL. I was celebrating. I actually started to cry. If you bust me my contract and my career are over. Please give me a chance. He said, Well, I dont usually do this, but how far away do you live? Five minutes from here. Okay. Lock that bike up and walk your ass home. If I see you within two feet of that bike Im arresting you and youre going downtown. Needless to say, I thanked him from the bottom of my heart and promised Id never drink and ride again. I may have even meant it. I lock the bike and start walking down the road. Then I turn the corner and pull myself under this truck, wait for the cop to drive by, and then get up and walk back to the bike. Then I unlock it, fire it up, and away I go again down the road. I made it home somehow, but when I pulled into my driveway I forgot to hit the brake and ran the bik Details ISBN0735239436 Author Michael Landsberg Short Title Pain Killer Pages 320 Language English Year 2022 ISBN-10 0735239436 ISBN-13 9780735239432 Format Paperback Publication Date 2022-04-26 Subtitle A Memoir of Big League Addiction DEWEY 796.962092 Illustrations 16PP COLOUR INSERT AU Release Date 2022-04-26 NZ Release Date 2022-04-26 US Release Date 2022-04-26 UK Release Date 2022-04-26 Audience General Place of Publication Mississauga Publisher Prentice Hall Press Imprint Prentice Hall Press Country of Publication United States We've got this At The Nile, if you're looking for it, we've got it. With fast shipping, low prices, friendly service and well over a million items - you're bound to find what you want, at a price you'll love! TheNile_Item_ID:135111063;

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