“You’re going to spend some time on the power play, on penalty kill, and start right off as the second line centre,” he told me.

I didn’t question why he was putting me on the second line. I’d show him the first line was the place I belonged.

“The important thing is that you’ve been drafted,” he said. “You’ve going to play Junior A, and you’re going to be on my team. You’re my player.”

This gripping new novel by bestselling children’s/YA author Eric Walters explores the complex and disturbing relationship between a talented young hockey star and his predatory coach as it descends into sexual abuse. In one of his most moving and provocative stories to date, Walters combines a vivid portrayal of rink culture with a powerful and unflinching cautionary tale.