Nancy L.M. Russell

When 13- year-old Gary MacDonald plays hockey on his backyard rink, anything seems possible -- even one day playing in the NHL. But outside of his own backyard, things aren't so easy. Small for his age, Gary is finding his first year of bantam hockey tough: his teammates' bullying is getting on his nerves, and his coach is threatening to drop him from the team because of his size. On top of everything else, Gary has just learned that his recently separated parents are dating other people.
The only positive things in Gary's life are the arrival of the New Mexico Snow Dogs' farm team in his hometown of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and his new friendship with Dmitri, an up-and-coming superstar from Russia. But even these bright spots are threatended when Dmitri's brother gets involved with the Russian mafia and the Snow Dogs consider leaving for a bigger city.
It's a year of change for Gary, and sometimes he wonders if his hockey dreams will ever really come true.… (mere)