Harper Lands Publisher, Eyes 2012 Release for Hockey Book

So there IS a book, and not just carefully calculated political imaging!

Prime Minister Stephen Harper's long (long, long, long)-awaited book on the early days of professional hockey could come out as soon as next year. The Prime Minister's Office has confirmed to Postmedia News that Harper already has a publisher in place, and that he plans to finish the book next year, meaning the book could be out in time for Christmas next year. It's supposed to be about the "professionalization" of hockey in the early 1900s and the emergence of the National Hockey League. Earlier this year, Harper penned a forward to a book by Paul Henderson, the guy who scored the series-clinching goal in the 1972 Canada vs. Russia Summit Series. We're practically on tenterhooks awaiting the release of the book, as it could put to rest speculation that the prime minister has merely said he's writing a book on hockey to curry electoral favour from puck watchers from coast to coast.