Born in small town Lanigan, Saskatchewan, Canada, Brian Propp went on to play 15 NHL seasons and played hockey all over the world, but perhaps his greatest achievement is his comeback from a stroke several years ago. Propp covered all of that in his upcoming autobiography Angel on My Wing: A Story of Faith, Determination, and Courage, as well as our Talking Travel interview.

Debuting with the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1979–80 season, Propp joined one of the most dominant teams of the 1970s and ’80s. On a team loaded with future Hall of Famers like Bobby Clarke and Bernie Parent, Propp soon proved he belonged. After setting several Flyers records, Propp was ultimately inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame. In addition to North American cities while in the NHL, Propp traveled internationally with Team Canada and while playing professionally in France and Switzerland.

His greatest victory, though, was his road to recovery after his stroke. It was a tough battle, but Propp faced it with his usual positivity. Eventually, he resumed his normal life, including family fun, fishing and recreational hockey.

On the travel side, he has racked up plenty of miles. He happily discussed his experiences on the road everywhere.

Propp’s story is made for a book, and Angel on My Wing promises to be a good one. Growing up a hockey fan and loving those Flyers teams, I am excited about this book. Interviewing Propp made me even more excited.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer