2021 N.N. Light Award Winner for Literary Fiction Despite a difficult childhood, Ben Sloan stands near the top of the World International Hockey League cementing himself as one of its best and brightest goaltenders. Only one step away from reaching the highest hockey league in the world: The National Hockey Federation.On the ice, he is collected, fast, and explosive. But when the roar of the crowd quiets and the bright lights of the game fade, Sloan is far from okay. Anxiety and harmful thoughts are the norm. Silenced only by handfuls of pills and the pass of a blade across his skin. A single shot, an act of hopelessness and spun rumors by the media cast a dark shadow across his life dragging Ben suddenly from the top of the league to adjusting to a life away from the pros. Years pass, when a familiar face comes calling with the promise of a better life across the country and a chance to escape the mundane life Ben has faded into. All seems quiet until a run-in with one of the NHF’s best breathes new life into the Sloan name. All eyes are suddenly on Ben again and a rare second chance makes itself known. A chance for Ben to learn that the biggest saves he can make have little to do with hockey.