NHL Short Stories

Alex Nylander | Mini Me

I watch from a few meters away as the toddler with blond curls, like his father, walks ahead of me. He still teeters side to side, its rare he walks in a straight line like most toddlers but it makes me laugh and I love it. I smile as he looks around in amazement, having never been down this way before. We were making our way towards the locker rooms to meet up with Alex after his practice. "Ma!" I hear Junior yell for me, pointing at a poster of his father with the little hockey stick in his little hands. Alex gave him the stick the moment he could stand up straight, saying it would help with balance like his father did for him. "Yes baby?" I ask him, I crouch next to him looking up at the poster as well "Who is that baby?" I ask him. He looks back at the poster, I see him trying to focus and say who is on the poster. From the corner of my eye, I see Alex step out of the locker room, along with William who had his skates on with the bag that I knew had Junior's skates in it on his shoulder, and just stand there watching us. I turn to look at him and smile, he smiles back. I turn back to Junior who is still looking at the poster. "Who is on the poster? it's da-" "Dadda!" he cheers happy that he figured out who it was. "And look, who is standing there?" I ask junior, turning him in the direction towards Alex. He gasps "Dadda!" he yells repeatedly while running to Alex, hockey stick still in his hands, who has his arms stretched out on one knee waiting for his son. Once in his arms Alex stands back up hugging Junior." Hey bud! How are you? Were you good for momma?" he nods his little head, I nod my head as well when Alex looks back at me to confirm it. "You were good! Do you want to go skate and play some hockey with me?" he asks the toddler. Eyes wide , nodding his head as fast as he can, Alex turns towards the locker rooms and points at William "Look! Its Uncle Willy" Alex places him on the floor and watches him run to his Uncle, who takes this time to wave to me, yelling "Uncle Willy!!" until he is in Willy's arms. He turns back to me and smiles when he notices I had walked closer.

Now in his embrace, I relax into him. Having a kid at a young age is hard, I was told that when I found out I was pregnant even though I already knew that but we still love Junior."How are you?" he asks after a few minutes of silence and hugging. I just sigh and snuggle into him more. "That bad?" he asks "No, it wasn't bad" I pause, with my head on his chest I listen to his heart beat. "It's just he woke up early this morning, usually he plays with his toys before coming to wake me up" I add after a couple of minutes "Really? I'm sorry. I didn't know he was awake, if i did I would have given him breakfast so you could have a few extra minutes" he apologizes. I pull back out of the hug to look up at him "its ok. I mean, you like to get to practice early, it's just this morning when he woke up he came straight to our room". I hug him one more time and smile up to him before turning and walking down the hallway towards where Willy took our son, Alex's arm around my shoulder.

I smile once we reach them, Willy was sitting on the bench with Junior waiting for us, his and Juniors skates already tied sticks in hand . "What are you waiting for?" I ask them, taking a sit on the bench "We were waiting momma and dadda, right?" Willy asks Junior, He nodded his head "Skate!" he cheers trying to get down "Wait! We have to wait for dadda" Willy says trying to stop him, Junior didn't want to and started whining until Alex grabbed him before he slipped off the bench "Alex Nylander Jr. this isn't the time to whine. You have wait and you need a helmet" He says softly, but firmly, in his ear. That stopped him but both you and Alex knew, and even Willy knew, that he would continue if Alex didn't hurry up.

Skates tied, gloves and helmets on, sticks in hand the boys were ready to go. It isn't the first time ice skating for Junior, he loved it so why wouldn't he already know how to. He was pretty good although his father still had to skate next to him because he didn't like skating alone. I watch from the bench, smiling that he is following in his father's footsteps/skates. Some still question us if he actually does want to play or if we are forcing him because he is just two but we'd always respond with that he is always playing hockey in the basement where Alex has set up a net and shooting pad for himself. The little hockey stick was always in his hands even when he went to bed, I have to pry it from his hands. Having enough with skating in circles around the rink, Junior decides he wants to practice shooting. Willy decides he was going to help him to give both you and Alex a break. Alex skates to the bench and sits beside me, takes a deep breath before letting it out, looking at his son and brother before looking at me where we stare at each other in the eyes, moving closer. From far I watch the beginning of a great hockey career. "Go Junior Go!" both you and Alex cheer Junior on as he skates around the whole rink slowly with a puck on his stick. A couple minutes later, Alex's laughs to himself and when I asked what's funny he said "he's my mini me" you laugh too. From what you have seen and what you see now, you agree with him happily.