One in 2330 ~ Connor Bedard Love Story

12. Welcome to the NHL

October 3rd, 2023.

It was one week before my first official NHL game.

I still had yet to speak to anyone on the team besides Connor, but I was starting to get used to it. Every day, I would make breakfast for Connor and I, get ready before he woke up, give Connor his breakfast, head out for the day, get back to the apartment in time to make Connor and I dinner, get ready for bed, sleep, repeat.

Ever since my first meeting with the team, I realised that I didn't fit in. Everyone had ignored me, no one saying a word to me, the only time I was spoken to was when the coach told me that I had to do something. I missed my World Juniors team. At least they made me feel welcomed. 

This happened for the next four weeks straight. 

After the first week of the team completely ignoring me, and barely talking with Connor, even though he was ignoring me, I felt like I had to prove to them that I belonged in the NHL alongside them. So, I threw myself into hockey.

Every day after I would give Connor his breakfast, I would head over to Fifth Third Arena to practice. I would practice all the way up until I had practice with the team, and on the days that we didn't have a team practice, I would be at the arena for the entire day.

Luke had eventually found out about my unhealthy practice schedule and urged me to stop and give myself a break, but even though he was my best friend, I wasn't going to listen. I had to show the team that I was worthy of playing beside them. I would work on everything from accuracy, footwork, agility and stick handling every day, not stopping until I had ensured that I could master a new skill by the end of the day. 

As much as I wanted to prove myself, my body was starting to give out. My muscles hurt and my bones ached and I didn't know how much longer I could go on with this crazy routine, but I needed to prove myself. I couldn't stop, not not, not ever.

Today was like any other day. I had woken up like normal, made Connor and I breakfast before heading out to Fifth Third Arena to get in some practicing before I joined the team later today.

I finally arrived at the arena and I headed into the dressing room, got into all of my gear before making my way onto the ice, a bunch of stuff I'd use for my practice in my hands. I placed my stuff onto the bench and skated onto the ice, doing a light skate around the rink a few times. After I had finished my laps, I did a few stretches before grabbing my stick and a puck, doing a few stick handling moves to get warmed up.  

I then grabbed a few targets and attached them to the posts of the net, making a border around the inside of the net. I grabbed my bag of pucks off of the bench and threw them onto the ice by the right circle. My goal was to hit all of the targets with one try, only using wristers. 

My first shot, I had hit the target in the middle of the right bar, and into the net. The second one I had shot the puck into the top left corner. The next, bottom left. The next few after that were middle top, bar down, top right corner, left middle and in, and bottom right corner. 

I was getting ready to shoot the puck at the target above the target in the middle of the right side, but below the top right corner. I had swiped the puck onto my stick and had passed the puck from my forehand to backhand a few times. I was just about to shoot, but right before I was about to release the puck, a voice called out to me, making me mess up, sending the puck wide of the net. 

"Okay, who the fu-" I started, fuming, scanning the arena to see who had messed me up, but stopped when I saw Connor staring at me, Nick Foligno, Alex Vlasic and Kevin Korchinski, all in their gear, watching from behind him. 

"What do you guys want? There's still a few hours before practice starts." I huffed angrily, grabbing another puck and sending it towards the net, hitting the target that I would've gotten earlier, had my teammates not interrupted me.