"Skate! Skate! Shate! Get the puck deep in their zone!!" Coach Desjardins yells across the ice. I skate as fast as I can, but I can't. My legs feel like they are about to give out and there is a whole period left after these 5 minutes. Just as I am about to fall, Coach saves my life "Change Up!" " Thank you god!" Jeff say's which is what I was thinking. We were playing Calgary Flames tonight. They liked to play dirty, especially Matthew Tkachuk which isn't how we usually and like to play. Sitting on the bench, out of breath, Coach walks over to me "Your line, last minute of the period" "Yes sir" Jaret says tiredly for our line. As I sat there recovering, I let my thoughts wander along with my eyes. Looking around, my eyes finally land on the one person I was looking for, my girlfriend, Y/N. My beautiful, fun, courageous, brave girl. I watch her as she smiles making me wonder what is on her mind. Maybe to finally have time to see me since it is the weekend, the only time we see each other because of my road trips and her job. I am caught staring at her when we catch eyes, naturally I smile back at her and blush. Looking away was hard because of her beautiful eyes but I had to, time went by so quick I didn't even notice. " One minute left, you ready?" Jaret asked me, breaking me from thoughts. "Ummm...sure yeah sure". I refocus back to present time quick. " Third line up!" Coach calls, my line rush's on the ice when the others return, charging as Drew carries the puck in the other teams zone. I reach the puck first in the left corner, with one quick look right over my shoulder, I take note of where everyone is, I notice number 77 skating behind the net no one on him, Jeff. He turns skating backwards taping his stick on the ice, wanting and waiting for the puck. Pinned to the glass in a tackle, by 2 guys, I somehow get my stick free, kick the puck to my stick and pass to Jeff and make a bee line for the front of the net.
Jeff then quickly makes a saucer pass to Dion, who passed a bouncing puck to Drew only for him to send it back to him slowly for a perfect one timer. Due to not having the best one timers, the puck missed the net by meters and hit the boards in back of it on the left side of the net. Luckily , I had moved out of the pucks way thinking it might actually hit the net and cause a rebound chance. The area I moved to was to the right of the net. What happened next will be in everyone's memories for a long time. The puck was shot so fast the goalie was surprised and lost focus for a second or two, not a long time but long enough for me. Being in the right position where the puck went meant I had a easy shot on net that could be a possible goal unless its a bad day and I miss the net. Without thinking and being the type of player I am with a left handed stick, I put my stick between my legs dragging the puck with it and shot it with a backhand towards top shelf. Smith was still on the left side of the net so basically, I had a wide open net. I don't really score that often so for my goal celebration, bear hugged by both Jeff and Jaret, I was trapped between them for a few seconds before they let me go. Skating back towards my bench to high five my teammates, I sense the tension lift from my shoulders, having not scored in 10 games. I received the puck due to it being my 100th point. Sitting on the bench still smiling, i looked around the arena at all fans here to watch, for a few seconds I catch eyes with Y/N who, like me, is still smiling clapping her hands giving me a thumbs up, even though play has resumed with 50 seconds left, my goal was scored exactly 5 seconds ago. Shuffling down the bench to allow the others to sit when coach called for the second line to go on. At that very moment, I decided I will play until I can't physically move.
The sound of a horn going off broke me from my thoughts, signaling the end of the second period. " Good job boys!!" someone in the stands yelled, they were seated near the tunnel we go down to reach the locker rooms. Walking towards my stall and sitting, Coach starts his speech with the same thing every game, catching my attention "Alright boys! That was a good second period but you have to watch your turnovers. There wasn't really that many this game but still. We practiced puck control, passing, shooting, edge work along the boards, use it! Kempy that was a good goal, using speed to get to the puck first, battle in the corner, looking at where to pass to that was good. And I am not just saying it to him, I am telling everyone, you all did good out there. Alright? Ok get ready for 3rd, keep up the good work here boys, we got this!". Coach never really said that much in his speech. Finally , someone said something and the joking began. We figured out over the years that joking in between periods keeps us loose. While everyone talked, I was busy texting Y/N.
Putting back on the equipment I took off, Anze decides to start bugging me a tradition we do before every game " So Adrian, what do you with Y/N when you are alone?" He questioned me, more of a joke than asking because of how young of a couple we were "Well" I begin while walking towards the door "I'd rather not say it in here" I smiled smugly at him, who was sitting at the back of the locker room. "Ohhhh" everyone, who heard me say it, yelled out. We may be young but we seem to act like a couple who have together for many years and the team liked to tease us about it. " Let's go Kings Let's go Let's go Kings Let's go" people starting chanting when they saw some us walking out to the ice, I loved hearing that.
Since my line isn't playing the first faceoff in the third period, I take a seat on the bench, bumping shoulders with who ever slides next to me then lean forward to rest my arms on the boards. I take this time to think back on my relationship with Y/N, smiling about how we were friends before we fell in love. We've known each other since we were 5, we met in kindergarten and stayed friends since then. I asked her to move to America when I got drafted back in 2014, she said she loved to and went on up until we moved looking up everything about LA, the best places to eat at, she even found our current apartment the same one we have been living in since we got here. I let her choose the decorations because she always wanted to decorate her first apartment. It was only when we got here is when I confessed that I feel love with her, I was a little scared of what her reaction would have been but it useless because she too was in love with me.
A pat on my shoulder from Coach warns me that when the current line on the ice comes back to the bench, my line goes on so I tell myself to stop daydreaming and focus. The third period continues with the team getting a one goal lead over our opponents and we battle to keep it which leads to us winning the game, everyone is excited as the crowd cheers as the end of the game horn goes off.
About a hour later, I exit the locker room in search of my love in the hallway with the other families and stop as soon as I spot playing with Trevor Lewis's twins. Immediately I start to think about the future with her which happens a lot like almost everyday, she is the type of women your parents would want their to be with and my parents are very happy with that. Y/N stands up when Trevor's wife tells her I am waiting for her, walking to me after bye to the Lewis family. With she is close, I wrap my arms around her like after every home game and she does the same. "Congrats on the W Ads" Y/N says as she pulls out of the hug "Thx I couldn't have done it without my good luck charm cheering me on" I smile making her smile and blush, "let's go home" we walk towards the exit hand in hand.
YOU ARE READING
NHL Short Stories
FanfictionThe title says it all! I will attempt to write a short story with every player that is in the NHL. If a player retires, I will decide what to do with that story if it isn't uploaded yet to Tumblr or here.
