Hockey Fever

  A: Jennifer and Garry were originally engaged to be married. They broke up because of Garry’s drinking and his inability to get his life straightened around. Once he showed that he had become a responsible and earnest individual, Jennifer’s feelings for him changed. That left Don out in the cold so to speak. Also, Don is a little younger than Jennifer and probably not ready for a permanent relationship anyway.

  * * *

  Q: What was your thinking concerning a match between a Major junior team and an intermediate team from a small town? Realistically, the intermediate team wouldn’t have much of a chance, would they?

  A: Under normal circumstances, you’re right. An intermediate team wouldn’t have much of a chance. The only offsetting circumstance is that Fairmore has both Don and Garry who are of Major junior status. And of course, this is a work of fiction and anything is possible in the world of imagination. Besides, Fairmore was more motivated than Saskatoon. Perhaps that was what tipped the scale in their favor.

  * * *

  Q: When Don’s cabin burns down, Don doesn’t seem overly concerned about the loss, only worried that his friend Allan and his wife were safe. How does this fit into the scheme of things?

  A: This certainly reveals how Don is maturing. Yes, he could have been all upset about losing his cabin and blamed Allan for being irresponsible. But he realizes that this could have happened to anyone. Besides, in the end, with the help of the team, a new cabin is going to be built. Considering how old the other one was, it’s amazing that it lasted as long as it did.

  * * *

  Q: When Don’s mother finds out that something is amiss and that her son is acting unlike himself, she travels several hundred miles to talk to him. She could have phoned him and saved herself a trip. Why did she go all the way down on the train to talk to her son?

  A: There’s nothing like a face to face discussion especially for a mother who is concerned about her son’s welfare. Don wasn’t in the greatest state of mind when he left Saskatoon and when his mother heard from his boss that he seem depressed, she knew she needed to talk to him in person.

  * * *

  Q: When Brush shows up and insists that Don rejoin the team, Don seems taken aback. Surely he must have known that he couldn’t play anywhere else except for Saskatoon.

  A: We’re dealing with a nineteen-year-old here. Perhaps Don wasn’t aware of his status with the Saskatoon Blades or maybe he didn’t care, hoping that Brush had written him off. Whatever his reason for joining another team, it doesn’t seem to have occurred to Don that what he was doing violated a contract.

  * * *

  Q: Do you think the Ferrin’s attack on Don was realistic? Doesn’t it seem a little melodramatic? Does this kind of thing happen in hockey?

  A: I’m sure it does happen. Conflicts on the ice sometimes spill over into off-ice incidents. And the Ferrins weren’t exactly your fine upstanding citizens.

  * * *

  Q: What do you want your readers to take away from your novel?

  A: That we all have problems to solve no matter who we are. And the way we go about it tells a lot about us. Don had a lot of growing up to do and through his experiences with coaches, players and other people he comes into contact with, he is able to learn to trust, accept.