An authentic and original look inside the world of an ex NHL player and the vulnerability and honesty is brace and refreshing. A good read for any hockey lover.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Loving hockey the way I do, I felt for the author and hockey players. All athletes take significant risks when they play violent sports, and hockey players are no different.

Hockey is one of my favourite sports. I feel in love with it in elementary school and have followed it every since. I even worked for hockey when I was in university.

Enter Justin Davis. A hockey player who was played in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and won the Memorial Cup, got drafted to the NHL, played for Western university, and won the University Cup, and played professional hockey in Germany for two years. When he retired he became a teacher and still is involved in hockey as an OHL team’s player mentor and chapel leader. He’s been through it all.

In his debut novel he gets real about how the hockey world actually works. He exposes the dark secrets of every level of hockey. He shares his journey of playing hockey as a young boy all the way to adult hood. It’s raw and very relatable for many people as we all know someone who’s dream it was or is to make it to the show.

I thank Justin for being so honest and letting us know what has happened and how it has affected him. Your honesty made this book so touching and the reason why you can’t put it down. He points out the racism, sexual abuse, bullying, and lack of player protection he either witnessed or experienced. I think this book should be read by everyone, but with a large emphasis on hockey parents, to show you this goal isn’t all rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes your love for something blinds you from seeing the reality until you can step away from it and reflect and this book is the best way to learn about it.


I give this book a 4/5 and again would suggest it to all Canadians.

I wanted to rate this a 5 star - however at times it became a bit too repetitive for me. I am a hockey fan and grew up in a household where hockey was central. I applaud Justin Davis for calling out the toxicity that is found behind the scenes in hockey cultural. It is sad to know that it begins pretty much at the beginning of play and carries through to pro hockey. I believe this brave telling of his story will help parents navigate the road when they put their children in hockey. It makes me wonder if there are parallels to other sports.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this story. My review is an honest review.

As an avid hockey fan this was an interesting book to listen to. Justin talks about the toxic culture within a hockey organization, while not that surprising, was still shocking to hear. Some of the hazing he talks about is wild. I think it’s a great starting point to help facilitate the convo on how to better not only hockey but other sports organizations too.

Title: Conflicted Scars
Author: Justin Davis
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 3.5
Pub Date: October 18, 2022

Thanks to ECW Press for sending me a physical ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

T H R E E • W O R D S

Courageous • Introspective • Straightforward

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Justin Davis considered himself lucky to experience 'hockey culture'. But it wasn't until he stepped away from the game that he recognized the racism, sexual abuse and bullying that is so deeply ingrained within the game. Conflicted Scars unpacks Justin's journey through the ranks to professional hockey, and unearths why an average teenager with NHL dreams now lives anxiously and battles emotional detachment.

💭 T H O U G H T S

As an avid hockey fan, my interest was definitely piqued when I saw this title (despite not knowing who Justin Davis is) on an upcoming release newsletter earlier this year. Toxic hockey culture has been in the news quite a bit over the last six months here in Canada, and for me this book was an extension of all of that.

Upon finishing, I had mixed feelings. I was engaged from the first page, but as I progressed my attention waned and at times I was bored. It definitely calls into question toxic hockey culture, yet I expected more on that front. Where the story dragged is when the author got to recounting tales that didn't feel relevant, and to which I failed to connect. Maybe with a little more editing the writing would have been more impactful.

The traumatic and abusive parts were uncomfortable to get through, but absolutely necessary. He shares his thoughts and feelings, taking responsibility for his own actions. I expect this was a healing journey for Justin, as there was plenty for him to unpack. Oftentimes the horrific things are dismissed, simply being swept under the rug, and that must change. It is my hope that this is the start of player's speaking out.

Justin Davis offers a straightforward account, shining a light on the darker side of the game. I hope he succeeds in his goal of making hockey more accessible to everyone, and in helping people realize it isn't all glitz and glamour. That there is an underlying toxic culture that needs to be dismantled, and for this I commend his effort.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• hockey fans
• parents of hockey hopefuls

⚠️ CW: bullying, racism, racial slurs, sexual abuse, sexual assault, toxic relationship, misogyny, alcohol, drug use, injury/injury detail, confinement, physical abuse, mental illness, depression

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"This is the story that kids and parents need to hear, bot the tale of the privileged career of an NHL superstar born with rare talent. My journey is a story of resilience, injury, depression, friendship, strength, family, and the future. It's a story of a 'thousandaire' who chased his hockey dream."

"Power allows people to have absolute control over those who don't have it while also robbing the powerless of their voice."

I have mixed thoughts on this book. I enjoyed some bits but felt bored and frustrated by other bits. I listened to this book so I was able to listen to it at a faster speed which I think helped with my enjoyment. I’m not sure I would have liked this in print.

There were some parents that came off entitled to me. He talked about how hard he worked and how much he sacrificed which I don’t disagree with but I think most people who try to make it as a pro in a sport sacrifice a lot. There are a lot of jobs not in sports where you have to sacrifice a lot. The way he talked about it made it seem like his sacrifice was so unique. He also talked about how much adversity he faced which I agree he faced adversity, but I was rubbed the wrong way when he said that by the time he was a teen had faced more adversity then most people face in a lifetime. Plenty of people face a lot of adversity and I just didn’t like the way he wrote that.

I like that Justin wants to make the game of hockey accessible to all and I think its important to have discussion on the bad sides of the game.

I found the title to be a little deceptive. I think the subtitle - “An Average Player’s Journey to the NHL” is a little deceptive. He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round in 1996 but he was just invited to a few training camps and never played an NHL game. I think a better title would have been “An Average Player’s Journey to Pro Hockey'' or something similar.

Thank you to NetGalley and ECW Press for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such an eye opener. Really informative and educational. I think anyone involved in ice hockey, especially parents of junior players, should read this. I'm in the UK, where ice hockey isn't as popular a sport as it is in North America, but it is a sport I am involved with. I think we're more diverse here, particularly at junior level. I was genuinely shocked and disturbed by the lack of diversity and blatant discrimination exposed by this book. I'm ashamed to say I really had not noticed the lack of coloured players in North American ice hockey. So I am grateful I was able to read this book because it made me think. Ice hockey is certainly an expensive sport but in our club we try hard to be able to offer equipment for less fortunate families. So, again it was quite surprising to realise that the expense prohibits many youngsters in the US and Canada. I am so glad I was able to read this. I'm grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest unbiased review.

I found this book fascinating. Justin Davis clearly has a love for the game of hockey even with the bad experiences he has had over the years. What I took away from this book is that despite his experiences, he wants to make it accessible to all and is trying to do just that. His memories of his playing days, particularly the earlier ones, are, at times, difficult to read, but well worth getting through. I applaud him for his desire to change the toxic culture.

Audio was well done, no issues.