Timberwolf Revenge

Sigmund Brouwer
illustrations by Dean Griffiths

Text copyright © 2006 Sigmund Brouwer

Cover and interior illustrations copyright © 2006 Dean Griffiths

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

Brouwer, Sigmund, 1959-
Timberwolf revenge / Sigmund Brouwer; illustrations by Dean Griffiths.

(Orca echoes)

(Howling timberwolves series)

ISBN 1-55143-544-6

I. Title. II. Series. III. Series: Brouwer, Sigmund, 1959- . Howling Timberwolves series.

PS8553.R68467T547 2006             jC813'.54             C2006-903016-2

Library of Congress Control Number: 2006927108

Summary: Hockey action and humor that will appeal to young readers.

Orca Book Publishers gratefully acknowledges the support for its publishing programs provided by the following agencies: the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and the Canada Council for the Arts, and the Province of British Columbia through the
BC Arts Council and the Book Publishing Tax Credit.

Design and typesetting by Doug McCaffry

Cover and interior illustrations by Dean Griffiths

Orca Book Publishers                    Orca Book Publishers
PO Box 5626 Stn.B                                PO Box 468
Victoria, BC Canada                        Custer, WA USA
V8R 6S4                                   98240-0468

Printed and bound in Canada

Printed on recycled paper, 60% PCW.

09 08 07 06 • 4 3 2 1

To Walter Tarnowsky and his beloved Leafs—D.G.

Johnny Maverick kicked open the door of the dressing room. The door nearly hit Coach Smith.

“Hey,” Coach Smith said. “Watch out.”

“I'm sorry,” Johnny said. He was a center on the Howling Timberwolves hockey team. “But I just lost two loonies.”

Everybody on the team looked up from putting on their equipment. Some were already tying skates. They were getting ready for a big game.

“How could you lose two loonies?” Coach Smith said.

“All you did was go into the bathroom on the other side of that door.”

“I was pulling my coat off,” Johnny answered. He shook his coat. It jingled. “See? I had a whole bunch of change in my pocket. Two loonies fell out.”

“So pick them up,” Coach Smith said.

“They fell into the toilet,” Johnny said.

Everyone on the team laughed. The Timberwolves all lived in a small town called Howling. They were in Calgary for a big hockey tournament.

“Are the two loonies still in the toilet?” Coach Smith asked.

“Yes,” Johnny said. “Right on the bottom.”

Everyone laughed again.

“Reach in and get them,” Coach Smith said.

Johnny asked, “Would you reach into a toilet for only two dollars?”

Coach Smith thought about it. “No,” he finally said.

“Me neither,” Johnny said. “That's why I'm mad.”

Tom Morgan stood up. He was the other center on the Howling Timberwolves hockey team. It was his first season with the Timberwolves.

“I have an idea,” Tom said. “I can help if Coach Smith says it is okay.”

“Go ahead, Tom,” Coach Smith said. “It would be better if Johnny were thinking about hockey instead of his money. This is an important game.”

Tom looked at Johnny. “Could you give me your coat?”

“How will that help?” Johnny asked. But he handed his coat to Tom.

Tom walked across the dressing room in his skates. He pushed open the door to the toilet. Everyone on the team watched. Tom reached into the pocket of Johnny's coat and gathered up all the change he found. Then he dropped the change in the toilet.

“What did you do that for?” Johnny said. “That was all the rest of my money!”

“Yes,” Tom said. “Now you
have
to put your hand in the toilet to get it. And while you are doing that, you can get the two loonies you lost too.”

“Look!” Johnny said to his friend Stu Duncan. “See in the stands? That's Ian James!”

Stu and Johnny were in the players' bench. The referee was ready to drop the puck to start the third period of the game. The score was two to two against a team called the Calgary Rams. If the Timberwolves won the game, they would go on to the semi-finals.

“Ian James!” Stu said. “He's watching our game? Wow!”

Ian James was a defensemen for the Calgary Flames in the NHL.

“I wonder why he is here,” Tom said.

“That must be his son on the other team,” Stu said. “The name on the back of the sweater says James.”

Then the whistle blew. Johnny and Stu went on the ice to start the game. They were going to play against the son of Ian James.

After the face-off, Johnny Maverick had the puck at center ice. He passed it to his left wing. Johnny skated fast to the blue line and yelled for a pass back. The left wing gave it to him.

Johnny faked that he was going to the left of the defenseman. Then he cut quickly to the right. He was around the defenseman! He had a breakaway!

Johnny fired a hard wrist shot. It went between the goalie's legs. A goal! The Timberwolves were ahead three to two.

“Great move!” Stu said as they skated back to the bench. “That was Ian James's son you beat.”

The other line went on the ice for their shift. They made sure the Calgary Rams did not score.

Johnny Maverick went on the ice the next shift. The face-off was in the Timberwolves' end.

Johnny lost the face-off. The puck went back to the same defenseman he had beat the shift before. Johnny rushed toward the defenseman. Ian James's son took a shot that bounced off Johnny's shin pad toward center ice.

Johnny chased the puck. The defenseman fell down.

Johnny had another breakaway!

This time Johnny deked the goalie. He scored again! The Timberwolves were ahead four to two.

Then Johnny and Stu went back to the bench. The other line went on the ice for their shift. Once again they made sure the Calgary Rams did not score.

Johnny Maverick went on the ice again. This time the face-off was in the other team's end.

Johnny won the draw. He kicked the puck back to the Timberwolves defenseman. The defenseman took a shot at net.

Johnny was in front of the goal. He was trying to push the Calgary Rams defenseman out of the way. Johnny looked up in time to see the puck coming. He lifted his stick and deflected the puck into the net.

Another goal! The Timberwolves were ahead five to two.

The coach on the other team called for a time-out.

“That's three goals in three shifts,” Stu said to Johnny when they got back to the bench. “A hat trick. And you scored them all against the son of Ian James!”