When Nathan Metcalf's dad is transferred from a U.S. Airforce base in Cheyenne, Wyoming, to faraway Gimli, Manitoba, Nathan's skills as a hockey player bring some big surprises to his life. To top it off, a big public school in a foreign country is a lot different than the small private school Nathan is used to, and he quickly discovers that adversaries at school can be even more dangerous than opponents on the ice.

The last thing Nathan ever expects to encounter is trouble with the police, and it seems that the only way to prove his innocence is to give away a friend's secret and expose the friend to danger. If Nathan keeps his word, it could mean being expelled from school and being suspended from playing in the championship game. In the end, he discovers that the wisdom he was taught at home and at school actually works; and that there's a lot more to wisdom than simply being intelligent.