Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for this complementary ARC in exchange for my honest review!

The Franchise focuses on a variety of executives across the NHL discussing their methodology for building a successful franchise. Each chapter was different and captured the uniqueness of each person interviewed. You could tell that the author has a good relationship with each person he interviewed as there was more openness and honesty than I expected.

I personally enjoyed the range of people that were interviewed and the details that were provided for each person's career. I would strongly recommend this book to all hockey fans and anyone interested in how teams are built in sport.

I’m usually not one to read a nonfiction book like this but I was interested. I am a hockey fan so I decided I would read it. It was pretty interesting to be more behind the scenes and like learn/go beyond the players and the game itself.

It took me awhile to get through it because I usually dont read these types of books but it was still entertaining and enjoyable. Definitely a book I would recommend for any hockey fans who like reading especially these types of books.

In The Franchise: The Business of Building Winning Teams, Craig Custance offers an illuminating look into the behind-the-scenes world of hockey management. Over three years, he interviewed key figures from general managers to players, unpacking the intricate processes that lead to championship success.

Custance expertly illustrates how decisions made off the ice can significantly impact a franchise's performance. Personal anecdotes from executives like Brad Treliving and Meghan Duggan provide engaging insights, while stories of missteps and high-stakes decisions add depth to the narrative.

For fans accustomed to focusing on players, this book shifts the perspective to the strategic visionaries who craft winning teams. Custance's storytelling is both fluid and accessible, making complex ideas engaging.

Overall, this book is essential reading for any hockey fan. It deepens the understanding of the sport, revealing that victory is as much about the people behind the scenes as it is about the players on the ice.

I would like to thank Simon & Schuster for the advanced copy of this book through their influencer program. I would also like to personally thank Craig for including women's hockey in his book. This meant a lot to me.

Craig Custance's "The Franchise" dives into the comprehensive world of building NHL teams by offering us an inside look into the way the hockey world is built, from drafts to trades to everything in between. Highlights include the Vegas Knight's private ring ceremony, to meeting at the private country club with the Pittsburg Penguins.

"The Franchise" gives us outsiders a peak at how professional sports work with introductions to business strategies General Managers use such as "car time" where the commuting time on the way to another location is the perfect advantage to talk to the players, to learn more about them. Having difficult conversations with new GM's, and the revolution that is women's hockey.

On the flip side, Custance also highlights the negatives in sports regarding how teams and managers are imperfect and there is an element of "toxic hockey culture" regarding sexual assault allegations. A culture of entitlement that protects its players from accepting responsibility. It's refreshing how Custance highlights this fault in the sports world, and acknowledges that this old school way has to change.

There are memorable stories of behind the scene's trades, signings and insider knowledge of how some of the most successful teams in professional hockey were built. This is a must read for any sports fans out there!

I was given an advance copy of this book by Simon and Schuster. I am fairly new to hockey my husband has been a fan forever and I’m learning, I started watching the leafs so I loved that Kyle Dubas had a chapter in the book. I love the hockey draft and what is happening behind the scenes for a winning franchise. I really enjoyed this book and recommend this read for hockey fans.