A young man, born to self-desgtructive parents, finds solace on the makeshift bakyard rink and in the love of his uncle. As the book starts, his provessional career has bloomed. He is traded to his hometown Montreal from Dallas, where hs is slated to sign a multi-million dollar contract. Only problem? He's not sure he wants to keep playing. He sees the city buried under a snowstorm that never ends, hungry unhoused people begging for money, his uncle who raised him stuck in an unhappy marriage and bored with life. He meets a young woman who works for a food bankm which serves only to exacerbate the guilt he feels at earning so much while all around him people have so little. The team is pushing him to sign his contract; his agent/business manager disappears with all his money and his teammates and coaches resent his interest in the world outisde the rink and question his dedication to their winning.