Granato publishes children's book about girl wanting to play hockey

Cammi Granato always wanted to write a children's book. But after being told that there wouldn't be a market for it, multiple times, she did exactly what she has done her entire career -- she went for it, creating her own path.

The result is "I Can Play Too," the story of Mimi, a girl who wants to play hockey like her older brothers, a path that wasn't exactly the accepted one.
Mimi, of course, is a stand-in for Granato, who defied expectations to become a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and a scout for the Seattle Kraken.
"When I told my parents] that I wanted to skate, they just assumed I meant figure skating because that's what girls did," Granato said. "I had to convince them that that's not what I wanted to do. I was very lucky to have parents that at that time just decided, why not? Let's just let her do it even though there's no other girls."
She felt like her story had the chance to inspire others, especially knowing how few books there are about female hockey players. So three summers ago, Granato took the plunge, writing the bones of the book at a campground on Vancouver Island while on a camping trip with her family.
"The biggest message is no matter what other people think of what you want to do, you should follow what you're passionate about," Granato said. "Even if it's not traditional. It's really important to do what you love."
Granato reflected on a moment in the book when Mimi's sister is advising her after a run-in with a group of figure skaters who are mocking her choice, and on the counsel her own sister gave her when figure skaters would turn out the lights on her and laugh in Granato's early hockey days.
"She was just like, 'Hold your head high. You're doing what you love,'" Granato said. "And that is really great advice."
Not only does the book impart a message that is dear to Granato's heart, but she was able to include and honor some members of her family at the same time. "I Can Play Too" is illustrated by Granato's nephew, Dom. And the main character, Mimi, is named after Granato's aunt, who died of cardiac arrest when she was 15, something Granato called "a devastating loss for the family."
It's something that also afflicted former NHL player Craig Cunningham, who suffered a cardiac arrest on the ice before a game with the Tucson Roadrunners of the American Hockey League in 2016. Cunningham, a close friend of the family, survived, and a portion of the sales of the book will benefit the Craig Cunningham All Heart Foundation, whose mission is promote the prevention of sudden cardiac arrest.
The book can be purchased at the Kraken team stores at the Kraken Community Iceplex and the Bellevue Mall and at
[Granato's website
.