from Lee Jenkins of Sports Illustrated,

To: Division I Hockey Prospect

From: Unauthorized Arizona State Recruiting Coordinator

I hope you are enjoying another lovely winter in Saskatchewan. I see the temperature has risen to –20º Celsius and the latest blizzard only dropped a foot of snow. Congratulations. It sounds like you may get to see the sun by Easter.

I understand you are receiving loads of letters like this from all the major college hockey programs in the U.S. You have probably visited their enchanting campuses in Grand Forks, N.D.; Mankato, Minn.; and Lowell, Mass. I’ve been meaning to take the family to Lowell for vacation.

Recruiters from the established powers will try to sell you on their rich traditions. All we have to offer, they claim, are these tiresome 75º February days and tedious spring-break-style pool parties. But before you sign up for four years in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, let me kick off my flip-flops and tell you a little about Arizona State hockey. I’ll keep this short. I know you’re going ice fishing today—catch that walleye!—and I have a tee time beckoning at TPC Scottsdale.

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