Quill & Quire has published an article by Wayne Tefs on hockey, fandom, and his creative process when writing On the Fly. Tefs' piece examines the psychology of the "fan," and communal fandom: "We turn to a group activity, ritually donning the gear of our heroes, cheering as one voice for the home team, enacting at the arena a kind of minor madness, but a socially permissible one." Tefs writes about the first return of the Jets in spring 2011, saying "it wasn't just the return of a city's team. It was the resumption of an hysterical love affair."

Read Tefs' full piece in the December 2012 issue of Quill & Quire.

Read more of Wayne Tefs' thoughts on hockey and life in Winnipeg on his blog: http://www.waynetefs.com/

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After 15 long years the passion of Winnipeg’s hockey fan’s was reignited with the return of the NHL. A passion that would sell out an arena’s worth of season tickets in mere minutes. A passion that would electrify the home team and send shivers down their opponents’s spines. A passion that sports fans live for each and every season.

Part chronicle, part memoir, part essay, and rant, On the Fly follows the return of professional hockey to the river city, capturing the thrill of every faceoff from the fan’s view in the stands. From the last minute goals to the missed calls, On the Fly brings a true “gut” reaction to hockey. What’s more, Tefs reflects on what it is to be a fan and lose yourself in the ecstasy and agony of the game.

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Wayne Tefs was born in Winnipeg and grew up in northwestern Ontario. He has edited a number of anthologies and published eight novels and a work of non-fiction. His novel Moon Lake received the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction in 2000 and his novel Be Wolf won the 2007 McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award. He lives in Winnipeg with his wife and son.