The Road to the Cup ~ Wattys 2015

Puck Drop

Johnston came to find me before warm-ups, "Time to talk to the team," he said.

"Do you want me up in the box for this game?"

"No, I want you down on the bench with me tonight," he replied before leaving my office, clearly expecting me to follow.

I walked into the locker room where the guys were standing around, ready to go. You could hear the fans milling about out in the arena. Bortuzzo came my way and held up his hand for a high five. I slapped his hand and we finished our arm swings to smack hands again at hip level. I smiled and he started laughing, "Great minds think alike, eh, Coach?"

"They sure do," I replied.

"We should, like, chest bump or something, Coach," Bennett said to me.

"Um, no," I replied, giving him a funny look.

"I was just kidding!"

Bortz said something in Bennett's ear and Bennett wasn't happy. "Shut up!" He said.

I rolled my eyes and stood a little behind Johnston as he brought them in to get fired up for the game. "Okay, we have a game to win, boys." I saw Maatta roll his eyes at the obvious statement Johnston had just made. "We're gonna fight, and work our asses off," Johnston said. "Erin?" He had turned to me.

I stepped forward, "Do you all remember what I told you on the first day of practice? You're a family; this is your house. You're going to protect this house and fight for your family! If you play like I've seen you guys play at practice, you can win. Play for the logo on the front, leave it all on the ice, and make us proud." My volume had risen as I spoke. The guys nodded.

Sidney came to speak then, "Guys! What are we?"

"A family!"

"Right! And those guys out there haven't seen us play. They don't know what we are capable of yet. Well, by the end of the night they'll know more than they wanted to! And guys, it's Detroit; we have to win. If not for us, for Erin." I was shocked that he had used my first name. He nodded at me then continued, "The team out there is the one she was raised supporting. But we're her team now, her family. We're going to win for her."

The guys nodded solemnly in agreement, their nerves getting to them with the added news that the Wings were my old home team. They wanted to impress me by winning, and I could see their determination in their eyes. They grabbed their sticks and began filing out onto the ice to warm-up. I could hear the crowd start cheering as they skated out.

I nodded at the guys as they walked past. Bennett fist-bumped me as he walked by. Greiss walked by and I said, "That's your net. Don't let them in." He nodded. When Malkin came by I stopped him, "No survivors," I ordered, and he grinned.

Then it was just Sidney and I in the locker room. He put his hand on my shoulders, "You'll do great tonight."

"Thanks. Good luck. Don't do anything stupid," I replied.

He chuckled, "Never." He turned to go.

"Sidney?"

He turned back, "Yeah?"

"What if the ritual doesn't work? Do we change it up?" I was still nervous and probably would be until the puck dropped.

He came back to me and looked down into my eyes, he was much taller than me, especially on skates. "We don't change it up, Erin. We use the same ritual all season, win or lose. Our faith will pay off." Then he leaned down and placed a kiss on top off my head, "For luck," he murmured. Then he was gone. My face burned and my heart raced with more than nerves as I walked up into the bench with my clipboard.