Craig Custance

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Released Oct. 15, 2024, Simon & Schuster

The Franchise: The Business Of Building Winning Teams

Order: In United States | Canada 

In The Franchise, The Athletic’s Craig Custance dives into the team-building and leadership strategies guiding the people who make the biggest decisions in hockey. For more than three years, Custance traveled across North America to connect with the inner circle of hockey, from the owner’s suite of the Carolina Hurricanes to a private championship ring ceremony with the Vegas Golden Knights to a country club for a breakdown of the Pittsburgh Penguins. He had frank conversations with new Leafs’ GM Brad Treliving and former Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas, and discussed the revolution in women’s hockey with three-time Olympic medal winner and Devils’ executive Meghan Duggan.

There are stories behind memorable trades and the biggest free agent signings and insights into how some of the most successful teams of the last two decades were built. 

The Franchise will change the way you look at hockey and is essential reading for every hockey fan who truly wants to understand how great teams are built.

– Click here for a full list of every book mentioned during interviews for The Franchise. 

About the Author

Craig Custance is Head of Creative Development at The Athletic, a New York Times company. He is also the author of the book “Behind the Bench: Inside the Minds of Hockey’s Greatest Coaches. His work has been featured at ESPN, the New York Times, Atlanta Journal-Constitution among many other publications. He was the longtime host of The Full 60 podcast, a popular deep-dive interview podcast with over 500 five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts.

Books by Craig Custance

What they're saying about The Franchise

Early reviews

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Craig Custance has swung open the office doors and climbed into the minds of hockey’s most powerful executives. From old school curmudgeons to analytics darlings, THE FRANCHISE reveals the work ethic, philosophy, decision-making and – without question – the ego that it takes to eventually build a Stanley Cup winner.
Greg WyshynskiESPN
Wow, what a book. The Franchise is very interesting, well-written and hard to put down! As a lifelong learner and avid reader, it met all of the expectations I had for it; it gave me insight into how some of our sports' top people think, operate and conduct themselves on a day-to-day basis. This book is a must-read
Jay WoodcroftNHL coach
This book is so good. The Franchise takes you on a journey into the minds of some of hockey’s elite builders, revealing how they developed teams, won Cups, and changed the sport. Craig makes you feel like you’re there with him in each conversation, diving into the personality of each decision-maker as they discuss significant moments in their lives and careers.
Dr. Aimee KimballOrganizational development expert for NHL teams
The Franchise is a fantastic deep dive into strategy and process with the NHL's most high-profile, cerebral leaders. Custance gathered his material with a genuine curiosity that resulted in a nuanced, quirky, yet thoroughly informative hockey read. He delivers an amazing look into the working brains of hockey's biggest decision-makers.
Ryan RishaugTSN