Importance of Hockey

Asher’s status as one of the captains of the boy’s ice hockey team serves as a proxy for the alpha, macho teenage boy he is believed to be. In Lily’s flashbacks, she is surprised to find herself with a crush on this kind of boy as he seems to be the least accepting of people like her. As the novel progresses, the external strength and aggression needed to play hockey are occasionally confirmed by Asher’s anger and quick reactions while often being contradicted by his mother’s memories of the gentle boy he was.