As Saul continues to reflect on his relationship with Father Leboutillier, he says that hockey was responsible for his emotional and mental survival. Earlier, Saul’s ability to play hockey was seen as a privilege, however, things can be seen differently now. At what cost was Saul able to play hockey at St. Jerome’s?
Hockey was Saul's saviour and his ticket out of St. Jerome's. I'm hesitant to say hockey was also his undoing because it was white society that prevented Saul from realizing his dream, not hockey. Cause and effect in life's bigger picture is tricky to trace. Hockey allowed Saul to use his spiritual gifts, Canadian main-stream society tried to, knowingly or not, destroy him. In the last chapter of the book, it looks like hockey might help save Saul again. Skating with Virgil and the kids brought a sense of hope and joy to Saul.
