November painted Evergreen Hollow in frost and anticipation. The backyard rink was flooded and ready, the town’s outdoor pond frozen solid, and every young skater in the area had one thing on their mind: the start of school hockey season.

For Everett Kane, now ten and in fifth grade, this year felt different. He had grown four inches over the summer, his voice had started to crack at the most embarrassing moments, and his wrist shot had developed a snap that made the coaches whistle in ...