D2: The Mighty Ducks Novel

RETURN OF THE DUCKS

      Jan eventually convinced Gordon to try his hand at skate sharpening. It had been years since Gor don worked the sharpener, and he had lost the touch. It was just one more frustrating thing for Gordon to deal with. But he had promised Jan that he would help out around the shop. At least for a while.

      One afternoon, just as Gordon had finished the morning's load of sharpening, Jan entered the workroom and dropped an afternoon's worth of skates on the repair bench. Gordon sighed, ex hausted just at the sight of them.

      "You don't have to do them right now," said Jan. "We have customers. Go help them, then come back and do it."

      Gordon scowled and trudged to the front of the store. A man in a very expensive business suit was trying out a hockey stick from the rack. He swung the stick and knocked down a display of pucks.
     
       The man didn't look like much of an athlete

      "Can I help you?" asked Gordon. The man clumsily replaced the pucks on their display table and returned the stick to the rack. Then he approached Gordon with a wide, toothy smile.

       "You look even better in person," said the man.

       "Thank you," said Gordon, a little confused.
      "Don Tibbles," the man said, introducing him self. He held out his hand. Gordon shook it. "Sen ior vice president, Hendrix Hockey Apparel How's the knee? I know a doctor in Los Angeles want you to see; he's doing great things with I baboon ligaments"

      "What exactly is it you want, Mr. Tibbles?" in terrupted Gordon.

      "You, Gordo," answered Tibbles. "I want the next coach of Team USA to be a household name. I want you to be synonymous with winning and winning to be synonymous with Hendrix. As the official sponsor of Team USA Hockey at the Junior Goodwill Games I am here to say welcome. Welcome. Is that how you always wear your hair?"

      "Time out," said Gordon. Was this guy for real? "Did you say the next coach of Team USA? I'm the next coach?"

      "Darned straight," said Tibbles with a flash of his teeth. "Jan has been pitching you for months. What you did with the Ducks was magic. Now we-Hendrix Hockey-the Junior Goodwill Games-your country-need that magic."

       Gordon turned around and saw Jan standing in the doorway of the back room with a broad, knowing smile on his face.

     "How did you do it, Jan?" asked Gordon.

      "I have my ways." Tibbles took a step closer to Gordon. "Go round up your Ducks, Gordo," he told him. "We've got a lot of work to do."

       Within minutes Gordon was out the door.
      Charlie Conway was in his bedroom struggling with his American history homework when he heard a strange noise outside his window. Quaaaack! Charlie smiled and ran to the window. Gordon Bombay was sending out a duck call. When they saw each other they both broke into huge grins.

       Gordon explained to Charlie about the offer from Hendrix Hockey Apparel and asked Charlie to round up the team. Charlie didn't have much trouble finding seven of the original Ducks.

       Jesse Hall was playing roller hockey on a bas ketball court not far from his house. At a mall downtown they found Les Averman at his job tear ing tickets at a movie theater. He happily agreed to play. Connie Cascardi and Guy Germaine were Rollerblading in the park when the boys tracked them down. Connie wanted to play, too. Guy wanted to be anywhere Connie was.

      Goldberg was working at his dad's delicatessen. The kids pressed their faces against the window, and Charlie blew on his duck call. Goldberg smiled, gave his father a quick look, then ran out before his father could stop him. Of course, he did manage to stop just long enough to grab the left overs of a fat pastrami sandwich on his way out.

       Adam Banks was practicing his stickhandling in his driveway in front of his house. The idea of playing international hockey made his eyes grow as wide as saucers. It didn't take much effort to convince Adam to play. Hockey was his life.

       There was one more player to find before the Ducks would be complete. In the park the kids burst out laughing when they saw three Hawks players floating in a canoe on the lake ... in their underwear. The Ducks had beaten the Hawks to win the championship the year before. Only one person was big enough to take on three Hawks. Fulton Reed.

       The Ducks were back!