Tampa Bay Lightning broadcaster Dave Mishkin now a novelist

TAMPA - Dave Mishkin has been the man behind the Lightning's radio microphone for the last 22 years. This year he's taken on a new game.

Dave is now a published author, about to release his first fictional book, "Blind Squirrel."

"My wife suggested to me ‘what are you going to do this offseason,’" Mishkin told FOX 13 Sports. "She's like 'why don't you go back to that novel that you started all those years ago?' I did up here (pointing to his head)."

It took Dave a little longer to write than it does for him to call a hockey game. He actually began with two chapters 19 years ago, but he wrote most of it in less than four months.  Not surprisingly, it's hockey-themed, but it's not about hockey.

"In 'Blind Squirrel,' Noah Nicholson is a minor league hockey player, captain of his team," Mishkin said. "Who is silently struggling with this mental health. When he was 12, his parents died in car accident, and he's dealt with mental health issues ever since."

Dave Mishkin is one of just 32 NHL radio play-by-play announcers, a rare job to have. He's been broadcasting hockey games for over four decades. It's taken him a while to write his first novel, so what's been the bigger challenge in his career?

"Given the fact that I don't know how many games I've called, and it took me 15 years to come back to the novel, I would save the novel. Honestly, once I had the story, it really did flow out of me. I wouldn't say it was easy, but it wasn't painstaking."

With the book now complete, Dave has an eye on the playoffs, looking forward to the Lightning writing more chapters in this season's journey.

A portion of the proceeds from the novel will be donated to Tampa Bay Thrive, an organization that works to help end the stigma surrounding mental issues. Dave will release the book on Thursday at 6:00 at Thunder Ally outside Amalie Arena.

SIGN UP: Click here to sign up for the FOX 13 daily newsletter

WATCH FOX 13 NEWS