Hat Trick

by Tom Earle

Ricky Phillips is only a teen when he is selected to play for the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League. Everyone around him, including his coaches and his father, is going to make sure that he gets the ultimate a chance to play in the National Hockey League. When he is selected to play for the San Jose Sharks, everyone is thrilled. But an on-ice fight turns deadly and has lasting repercussions; Ricky is forced to question everything he knows. How much is hockey worth to him?An inside look at life in professional hockey, this story of a young hockey star’s career derailed by a misplaced punch is a compelling, ripped-from-the-headlines read.

Genres: Sports, Fiction, Young Adult, Hockey, Canada

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

This has come from his About Tom section in his website: http://www.tomearle.ca/.

Background

I was born in Orillia, Ontario and I have spent most of my life in and around the Orillia area. I grew up playing hockey in the winter and waterskiing in the summer. When I was a kid my goal in life was to play on the Leafs top line with Lanny McDonald and Darryl Sittler. My hockey career did allow me to travel the world and I was able to visit places that I probably would not have been able to see otherwise but unfortunately you won’t find my name listed in the Leafs’ player directory.

I graduated from Orillia District Collegiate in 1985 and then moved to New Hampshire to attend Dartmouth College. After Dartmouth, I spent a year in England where I played hockey for the Whitley Bay Warriors of the British Ice Hockey League. I returned to Canada where I completed a history degree at Carleton University in Ottawa and my teaching degree at York University in Toronto. Twenty years ago I was hired by the Simcoe County District School Board and I have been teaching grade seven and eight ever since. I continue to hold out hope that the Leafs will realize that I am the right winger of their dreams but until they call I’ll keep teaching school and writing novels.
Hockey

I played my minor hockey in the Orillia Minor Hockey Association. When I was seventeen I made the local Junior ‘A’ team called the Orillia Travelways. We made it all the way to the national final where we lost the Centennial Cup (now called the RBC Cup) to Weyburn, Saskatchewan.
The next year I played Junior ‘B’ for the Barrie Colts. I never thought that a kid from Orillia could play for Barrie. The Barrie/Orillia rivalry makes a Leafs/Habs game look friendly and polite, but I had a great time and met a lot of terrific people.

I then moved to New Hampshire where I played right wing for Dartmouth College. I never did get to play with Darryl Sittler, but at Dartmouth I wore his number 27.

1986/87 was to be my last year of competitive hockey. Playing for the Whitley Bay Warriors of the British Ice Hockey League was a fantastic experience. It was the only year that I got to play with my older brother Jim. The British people love their hockey. Not quite as much as soccer, rugby or darts, but we did get to play on national television and that was pretty cool.

Summer

I have had a lifetime fascination with boats. One of the first books I ever read was Walter Lord’s classic about the Titanic called A Night To Remember. I’d love to write a novel about the Titanic but I think that topic has been pretty well covered by other writers.

When I was thirteen I got my first job slugging gas cans and water skis at Fern Resort. That summer I won the Ontario Water Ski Championships in ski jumping. I ended up spending the next fifteen summers teaching waterskiing at Fern. My love of the water and summertime comes through in The Hat Trick where I get to live out my boating fantasies by having Ricky Phillips own a couple of really sweet boats.

Other Stuff

I’ve been married to my best friend Janet for 22 years. We have three fantastic kids and a really friendly, yet slightly demented black lab named Maggie. I enjoy playing guitar but I can’t sing to save my life and I enjoy golf but I can’t stop slicing the ball to save my life. Basically my life is pretty simple. In the winter I teach and write and I still play hockey every Wednesday night with guys that I met playing Junior hockey all those years ago. In the summer I write and water ski, and golf. Life is good. Life would be better if the Leafs would make the playoffs. Life would be perfect if they’d win the Stanley Cup.

Reviews

[Christine J · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm always on the look out for books that will appeal to reluctant readers, especially guys, and this is a great book for that group of readers. Even avid readers and non-hockey fans will enjoy it. I love that it's Canadian, and that the world of hockey is so clearly presented, from PeeWee level, to beer league, to the NHL. I found myself rooting for Ricky Phillips, and I enjoyed the story line. I'll be adding this one to my classroom library.

[Paisley Aiken · Rating 5 out of 5]

My older son read this book a number of years ago and loved it so much we arranged to have it given as away as prizes at his hockey tournament. Now my younger son, who is eleven, is reading it for the 2nd time and says it is his favourite book ever. It is a tear jerking read that will captivate anyone who loves hockey or just a good read. We only wish Tom Earle would publish more soon!

[Jasper Hickox · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up! This was enjoyable and it was fun to read a hockey book. It took some turns that I didn't expect :)

[Nathan Maloney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Today I am going to describe to you how good the book “Hat-Trick”really is. My opinion of the book is a 5/5, because the way the book is written is so amazing. The genre of the book is Hockey/sports.
Here is a quick summary… A kid named Ricky Phillips absolutely tore up his minor hockey career, which handed him a 5th overall draft pick in the OHL for the Barry Colts. He then shredded the OHL and ended up getting drafted 2nd overall into the NHL by the San Jose Sharks. In the NHL he won tons of awards and at the time was the best hockey player in the world. One night the Sharks were in Toronto, and Ricky scored two goals already and an assist, but one shift changed his life forever… Ricky’s teammate had been hit hard from behind and was lying face down not moving. Ricky saw this and came over and railed the Toronto Maple Leafs defender square in the nose, and his head hit back into the glass. What Ricky didn’t know was that the defender had five prior concussions and was on his sixth as of right now. The defender was knocked out and was not moving. Later that night the defender had passed away. Ricky was suspended for a season, and when he came back he had a mental breakdown on the ice, because of a little kid holding up a sign that had said “MURDERER” in dark red marker. Ricky retired from hockey after this. After three years he would never say the word hockey and moved away and changed his name to Bobby Phillips. His friends convinced him to play hockey for one night and Ricky agreed to. He loved it. That summer he had trained harder than ever, and at the sharks training camp he was better than all the other NHLers. He came back to the NHL and picked off where he started.
To be honest there wasn’t one part of the book that I didn’t like. It was one of those books you just can’t take your eyes off of.
As a kid Ricky was always at the top of everyone else and he knew it, so I liked that because he stayed very humble and was not cocky at all. I loved how he just gave hockey one more shot and he trained so hard for it and it worked out, and it was so inspiring and prodigious. The fact that one event can change someone's life that badly and to be able to describe that in words is another reason why I love this book so much. I recommend anyone to read this book, and I compare it to “Double Shift” very similar books.

[Engelica]

This is the best book that has ever been written in or translated to the English language

[Matt Lodato · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A cold shiver ran down Ricky's back. He turned and ran for the Sharks dressing room." In "The Hat Trick" by Tom Earle, a 20 year old boy named Ricky Phillips, that was once 16 and playing for a Junior A hockey team, is now in the NHL at a very young age. Because he is so young it is hard for him to decide what he should actually do with his life. After missing a majority of the 12th grade because of hockey, Ricky is faced with the challenge of leaving his family and taking the opportunity of being a high up draft pick. When he becomes the number one draft pick to the San Jose Sharks, he has to deal with a lot of pressure. This is the type of pressure that Ricky does not think he can deal with. He later faces many obstacles where other peoples guidance is needed for the so called "best player in the entire league" to continue to play hockey. In one of his NHL games Ricky found himself in a scrum with a man on the other team named Charlie Davidson. With a single punch to the chin Charlie was out cold. Ricky never really felt worse in his life. It wasn't until late that night, or early the next morning that Ricky found out his friend had died. This chaotic event would scar Ricky's Hall of Fame hockey career permanently.
The Author of this unforgettable novel, Tom Earle, was a hockey player in his childhood. Many teams mentioned in the book are named after teams that he had previously played for. "The Hat Trick" is currently the only book that he has written and published. Tom Earle's passion and knowledge of the game adds to the quality of writing that is in this book. When reading this book it was clear that connecting to the characters was not a challenge. In this novel the characters including Ricky face problems that the reader could understand and connect to. Tom Earle comes up with such creative problems that make the reader have to keep reading to find out how the character will overcome it.
A clear theme that stands out after finishing this book is, even when you are faced with huge obstacles you have to have the will to push through to continue something you love. In the book, Ricky went from being the best player in the league to just an ordinary average player because of the problems he had to face. After accidentally killing a friend of his in a game, he is tormented by fans, and media. After a while he decides to start doing what he loves again, play hockey. It is clear he is not the same dominant player he used to be. Everybody knew it was because of the hate he has been given in the past few months. Ricky needed to find a way to become what he used to be if he wants to continue what he loves to do.
This book is highly recommended for anybody that is interested in hockey or any other sports. Also, people that like to read about characters that are faced with hard problems to overcome will enjoy the novel, "The Hat Trick" by Tom Earle.

[Mrtracjk · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Hat Trick” by Tom Earle. “The Hat Trick” is a story of the life of a young hockey player and the good and the not so good things that come from playing Canada’s game. It all starts in a town just outside of Barrie Ontario, in one of the towns many ice rinks, with a 13-year-old boy named Ricky Phillips. Ricky is a good hockey player and does not go un-noticed in the OHL entry draft, getting picked by the Barrie Colts. After a storied career in the OHL he gets a chance to go to the next level, the NHL entry draft. Once there life seems great until a freak accident happens and everything goes wrong, Ricky’s world is turned up side down, and he is forced to re-think his whole life. As much as he wants to stay in the NHL some things just are not possible. Can Ricky ever get back to being the star he used to be? Only time, hard work, and lots of love will tell.
I thought the book was very enjoyable read, so enjoyable I read it twice, even though I quite liked it I found some parts that could have been improved. I enjoyed reading this book because, I feel I can really relate to what is going on in this story. This book was clearly written by someone who has been in hockey his whole because of the way he tells the reader about the life of a hockey player and what they have to deal with. One of the best parts of reading this book is when you are reading it, the way the story is written to make you feel certain feelings. You are happy when things go right, you are sad when things go badly. In a way I feel like I knew Ricky Phillips. Although I have enjoyed this book I found parts that could have been improved to make it an even better book. The first improvement that could have been made is the author’s use of imagery. Many different words that were much more describing could have been used to paint a more detailed mental image of what is going on. When you read a book a second time, the book goes by a lot quicker and you realize which parts are thoroughly explained and which parts are not. The second improvement I would have maid is describing the important parts in more detail. By not using more describing words important parts of the book were left very vague. Not much time was spent reading the main parts of the book. The lack of details makes it harder to get a well painted image of what’s going on. So even though I really liked this book, there are ways to make it even better.
“The Hat Trick” is definitely a book worth reading at least once. I have read it twice and have enjoyed it just as much the second time. By reading it over and over I have noticed a few ways to make the book even better. With out these improvements in the book it is still one of my favourite reads, if these improvements had been made into the book, “The Hat Trick” would for surely be the best sports fiction book ever written.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sean Kennedy
Block 3
11/21/11
Book Review-- The Hat Trick

The author of The Hat Trick is Tom Earle who is a Canadian citizen who played hockey as a kid. He became a teacher after moving to England and has that profession for over 15 years. The Hat Trick is the only book that Mr. Earle has written and it was published in 2010. He did not win any awards for this book. The Hat Trick is a book about a guy named Ricky Phillips and his hockey career throughout his life. You see his experiences, highs, lows, and changes during his hockey playing days. Ricky flies through his minor league career filling up the score sheets almost every game and making life long friends along the way. One friend Ricky meets is named Eric who plays on Ricky’s line and becomes an important person in the book. In a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the play starts to get chippy and the players are on edge and when Eric is hit in an unfair way and shatters his jaw, Ricky steps in. He punches the aggressor, Charlie, in the face and then his head hits the boards, giving him a concussion. Charlie has already endured five concussions and had one during the game that he didn’t tell anyone about so after being punched and knocked around, it is too much. Charlie collapses on the ice and is sent to the hospital to be looked at. This is the main conflict because it ends up tearing a gaping, black hole in Ricky’s life. Charlie was stupid because he didn’t tell anyone of his concussed condition and he ended up paying for it in the worst way possible, with his life. In the book when he is pronounced dead, the media and sports news and the whole city of Toronto go crazy. Everyone knows about the incident and who did it, the only thing is, everyone is debating on what Ricky’s punishment should be, in any at all. The rest of the book is about how Ricky battles through rehabilitation, makes a new life for himself, and deals with all his problems. This book is very well written and was touching. There is a certain connection with the book that is hard to find because the characters are out-spoken and you learn to really like some of them. The conflicts and resolutions in the book are creative and the way problems are solved go into a deeper level rather than just explaining what happens. A theme that was expressed in the book was “Telling the truth and facing your problems is better than avoiding them and beating around the bush.” This theme is upheld in the book by presenting new problems and having Ricky solve them and learn from them. Overall, The Hat Trick is a fantastic book for anyone that likes hockey, sports in general, or books that have characters overcome a big conflict in their life.

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Young Ricky Phillips has natural talent that most people can only dream of. An amazingly gifted athlete, Ricky’s drive and determination virtually guarantee his success in professional hockey. Drafted by the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League and then by the San Jose Sharks in the NHL, Ricky is the real deal, known as a goal-scoring wizard who can hold his own in a fight and a natural leader both on and off the ice.

Then a terrible accident happens — a fight, many fists flying and Ricky lands a punch. Only this time the victim doesn’t get up; he later dies in hospital. A freak accident, but Ricky is shattered. His friends and family root for him to bounce back, but something has changed. Ricky doesn’t want to play hockey anymore. But who is he if he isn’t a hockey player? And can this truly be the end of his glorious career?

This is a hockey lover’s book through and through. Author Tom Earle’s passion for and knowledge of the game is immediately evident as he brings readers directly into the world of professional hockey. He masterfully evokes the atmosphere of a small-town hockey rink; the camaraderie and organized chaos in the dressing room; the intensity and thrill of the game as only the boys on the ice can experience it. Those who love the game will be spellbound by his ability to capture everything about it. Yet even readers who are not as well-versed in hockey lore will find themselves ensnared by Ricky’s story. Earle has scored a winner with this highly engaging sports story.

Reviewed by Lisa Doucet in Canadian Children's Book News (Winter 2011, Vol. 34, No. 1)

[Clarke · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATED THIS BOOK. I was so excited to read it because I am a big hockey fan! I love all things hockey and when I saw this book I picked it immediately (being the hockey freak I am) ;) But when I actually read the book it was immensely disappointing. The characters were bland and not as likeable as I enjoy in a book. I’ll admit as a hockey fanatic I enjoyed the accuracy with which the hockey slang was slung. However the plot had multiple holes that made it hard to read. I as a die hard hockey man expected more especially considering the reviews and I was severely dissatisfied.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I received it as a Christmas present and just got around to reading it. I am not that knowledgable about hockey and haven't kept up with it recently but I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I highly recommend this book to hockey lovers and even to readers who are just looking for a break from everyday stress.

[Ruth Elliott · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book more than a year ago. It is still living in my memory as a wonderful book. It has a lot to say about parents (especially fathers) who push their boys or teens in hockey. It has a lot to say about violence and concussions in hockey. It also has a lot to say about playing hockey for the sheer enjoyment of it.

[Pizzayeti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books of all time.
The way it's written is amazing.
Tom Earle is the worlds most underrated author and this is the worlds most underrated book.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

loved this book! It kept me reading and I just loved the story! it was such a great read