Dream On (Jonathan Toews)

Chapter Thirty-Seven| Back To The Old Grind

Mary Kate

After the Olympics all the Hawks return from Sochi and it was back to NHL hockey 24/7. No one talked about Sochi too much because there were guys on so many different teams who respected each other too much, they knew to leave it in the past. There was a new goal to go after now and they were ready. The outdoor game at soldier field against the Penguins was this week and no one wanted to look bad on such a huge stage. Sidney was all fine and dandy in Sochi, but this was our turf and we were going to let him and his team know that. "Everyone knows the Penguins are a creative and high scoring team so defense is key. Shut down scoring chances first then worry about scoring. Don't think about taking the puck to the net if you're still in your end. Utilize the stretch pass, you won't beat their zone coverage as much as we would like so create opportunities all over the ice. No turnovers, they feast off those. Any questions" I ask as practice was about to start. Everyone shakes their heads so we start practice. Each line has a specific role to focus on, whether it would be winning board battles or connecting on passes or cycling the puck. Practice is productive and the guys leave satisfied, ready for the big game. "What exactly are you training for now" Shaw asks me as I still stay back to condition. "The future is unwritten my friend. I'm a pen full of ink and this world is my journal. I don't need to know what happens next, I just need to be prepared for anything, keep my pen to paper and see what happens" I say heading to the line for suicides. These suck now but feel pretty good with a gold medal around your neck.

The outdoor game is everything you could ever want it to be. Solider field is in the middle of everything, navy pier to the left, millennium park to the right, the city right behind it, it was amazing. All the history that's gone on at that field makes what's about to happen that much better. So many great lathered have walked the same path I now walk, it's pretty surreal. It is a great feeling to be another part of history at this field. I myself enjoyed watching all this take place with some of the best seats in the house. Jonny and Sid had been chirping the whole game and even had to be separated at points, it's crazy that less than two weeks ago they were skating around with each other laughing and having a great time. But this is hockey and it is pretty easy to switch your competitiveness on and off. Corey looked fantastic allowing only one goal in the third and Jonny had himself a day too. He had two goals and broke the twenty goal plane. Over 62,000 people stood in a blizard to watch the Hawks take on the Penguins at solider field, and the home team left pretty satisfied. A five to one dominate win is just what this team needed to get back on track after the Olympics. Vanessa went back home to Wisconsin because she told her family she would but promised to make thee trip down as often as she could. I'm not sure if her and Pat are still together or not but he seems a bit mopy so I'm guessing that's a no.

The Hawks finish the season third in the central and fifth in the west for a spot to take on the Blues in the first round of the playoffs. Sure, it was nothing like last year when everyone kinda knew they were going to win, but I wouldn't put my money on any other team. They still looked great. "Hey Jonny, what's you're favorite part about playing in the NHL" I wonder as we get ready for the last game of the season. "That's hard, but probably that I'm a part of such a great team. These guys, they're all so passionate and sometimes I'm on the wrong end of that but I don't get upset because it just means they care. Out in the ice we defend each other and off it it's still the same story. We know we're nothing without each other and I love that our core is able to stick together" he says and I nod. That did sound really good. "Why do you ask" he wonders. "I always ask questions like that" I laugh. "That is true, you are a curious little thing" he chuckles and kisses me on the cheek before hitting the ice. I was curious but not by chance, I've been approached by numerous NHL teams about possibly playing in the NHL for them. I don't have a agent and I don't want to leave so I've kindly turned them down, but I wonder all the time what it would be like to be a part of a league like this. It's top notch and take away the whole lockout ordeal it's a really good organization. But I'm still a part of it now and wouldn't be able to play for anyone who wasn't the Hawks.