Happily married and with three young children at home, James Duthie didn’t get into the book-writing business for the chicks. But among the many surprises the popular and personable host of NHL on TSN has discovered while promoting his book The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys: And Other Off-the-Wall Stories About Sports”¦And Life is his ability to attract women to book signings and promotional appearances.

“I don’t want this to sound conceited, but there are women everywhere coming out for this book,” Duthie tells the Straight with a laugh during a telephone interview on a recent visit to Vancouver. “But then my publisher told me women buy 80 percent of all books in this country, and the number is about the same for sports books being bought at this time of year [ahead of the holidays]. I knew there had to be an explanation, so it all makes perfect sense.”

In his writing, as in his television work, Duthie’s greatest gift is on display for all to see: the guy doesn’t take himself too seriously. On the tube, he is able to deftly stickhandle his way through intermissions, injecting humour and setting up his panel of hockey heavyweights to be the stars of the show. In the book, Duthie brings his unique perspective to a variety of topics, most—but not all—in some way tied to the National Hockey League. Revealing a little more about himself than the hockey viewers see on TV, Duthie also branches out and writes about other sports, his children, and, as if that’s not enough, his dog, Tanner. The 265-page compilation features 75 columns Duthie has penned over the years—some previously published and others written just for this project.

“Half of the columns have been posted on TSN.ca; some were columns I wrote for the Ottawa Citizen and about 20 hadn’t been published anywhere, including seven or eight new ones that I wrote just for the book,” he explains. “But with the ones that were on TSN.ca, most were from 2000 to 2002, when the website wasn’t the colossus that it is now. I bet there are lots of these columns that were on the website and weren’t ever read by anyone.”

If the columns were missed the first time around, they’re worth a read as part of this collection. Duthie, resplendent in a lavender golf outfit on the book’s cover (the book’s title is a reference to a golf story), is able to put his own fresh spin on a variety of topics—several involving Vancouver Canucks past (Todd Bertuzzi), present (Roberto Luongo), and future (Cody Hodgson). And the common thread is that Duthie never misses an opportunity to go for humour and almost always hits the mark.

“I have always said I wanted to give people something different than they get in the sports section of their daily newspaper,” Duthie says. “I don’t for a moment expect anyone to say they love all 75 columns. But when somebody says one of them was awesome or that they got a laugh, that means a lot. I’ve got the best job in the world, but so much of what we do in television is fleeting—it’s sent out to the universe and it’s gone. I get three-minute segments between periods, and even with that, my role is as host and moderator. With writing, I get a chance to express some personality and give my opinions. Not to get too deep, but writing is a little piece of art you have created. There is a permanence to it, and that struck me when people on the street stopped me to tell me they’d read something I’d written months or years before.”

A year ago, on top of his day-to-day NHL on TSN duties, Duthie was busy preparing for his role as daytime host of CTV’s Olympic coverage. So the timing of taking on not one but two book projects (he’s also written a book about legendary junior hockey coach Brian Kilrea) wasn’t ideal. But in typical James Duthie style, he jumped in with both feet and took on the tasks with a smile.

“I hadn’t really ever thought of writing a book, but when a publisher approached me, I wanted to see what the process was like,” he explains. “Then I ended up writing two books during an Olympic year. It’s definitely been the craziest year of my life.”

The recent 48-hour visit to Vancouver was a rare opportunity for Duthie to promote his books outside of Toronto. Sometimes working three hockey games a week from TSN’s studios, Duthie has a schedule that just doesn’t allow him to stray far from home.

But on those occasions when he has been able to do book signings and appearances, Duthie says, he’s been overwhelmed by the positive response to The Day I (Almost) Killed Two Gretzkys.

“Everyone seems to like different things. It’s gratifying when you hear people say they loved it or that they laughed their head off or even that they cried. My colleague at TSN Dan O’Toole said he cried three times. I’ve been surprised at the reaction, but pleasantly surprised. I’m hoping it will appeal to people who like a wide range of things, and hopefully it will reach an audience beyond die-hard sports fans.”

If the early returns are any indication, Duthie appears to have a hit on his hands. And even if all those ladies aren’t flocking to the store just to see him, he’s okay with that—as long as they’re there to buy his book.

Jeff Paterson is a talk-show host on Vancouver’s all-sports radio, Team 1040. Follow him on Twitter.