Hockey has always been part of Lexie Demko’s life. A former NCAA goaltender at the University of North Dakota, she grew up playing the game and later found a way to share her passion through storytelling.
Inspired by a desire to see more young female hockey players represented in children’s literature, Lexie wrote Haley Got a Hat Trick, a heartwarming story about teamwork, perseverance, and the joy of the game.
“I wanted to create a story with a good teamwork message,” Lexie said. “The moral of the story being you can still have fun and do well, but you have to share with your teammates.”
The book follows a young hockey player named Haley, who wakes up to the exciting news that a Women’s Olympic Hockey Player scored a hat trick the night before. Motivated to achieve the same feat, Haley sets out on the ice determined to score three goals. Along the way, she realizes she can’t do it alone and the only way to accomplish her goal is by working together with her team.
Lexie’s love for reading grew in her senior year at UND, and she enjoyed the creative process of writing her first book. From brainstorming the storyline to navigating the publishing world, the experience was both rewarding and educational.
“It was super fun to do; it was a passion project,” Lexie said. “I had the time and the means – so I thought ‘Let’s do it’”.
Through her research, she found self-publishing was more accessible than she expected. She teamed up with local illustrator, Kiandokht Khalili, before publishing the book through IngramSpark and selling it on platforms like Amazon.
While she doesn’t have immediate plans to write another book, Lexie can see herself revisiting the idea down the road. In the meantime, her advice for young girls playing hockey is to enjoy the journey.
“Honestly, just have fun,” she said. “When you’re having fun, then you’ll want to put in the work and when you put in the work that’s when good things happen.”
Fans will have the chance to meet Lexie and purchase a signed copy of Haley Got A Hat Trick during the Canucks’ Celebration of Women in Sports Night on March 7th against the Minnesota Wild. She’ll be in the family zone on the 100-level concourse, celebrating the game she loves while inspiring the next generation of female hockey players.
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