Hub City Horrors (Diary of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs)

Yanni Gourde's Diary: Monday, August 24, 2020

Toronto, Canada

Eastern Conference, Hotel X

After losing game one to the infamous Boston Bruins, we settled in for the night. The next morning when I awake around seven, I hear a frustrated and furious scream coming from the hallway. I immediately jump up to my feet and throw open my door.

Standing outside of his room, barefoot and in only a loose t-shirt and baggy pants, is Nikita Kucherov.

"What's going on, Kuch?" I demand.

"Some asshole put water pail up against door and it spill all over my feet." He gestures down to his feet with anger.

Just then, I hear two strands of evil snickering coming from the direction of where the elevators are. It's followed almost immediately by a beeping sound. I take off down the hall with Kuch close behind.

"Enjoy wet feet, Kucherov," I hear someone sneer as the doors close to the elevator.

Kuch and I skid to a halt before them and Kuch desperately and furiously jams his index finger into the button.

There's another beeping noise, like the elevator has reached its next destination.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!!" Kuch thunders at the sound of the doors opening somewhere above us.

"You'll have to catch us first!" another, higher pitched, whiny voice snarls from above us.

I rush over to the rail and peer out, twisting my head up to see. But I see no one. Now I'm beginning to get frustrated myself. Who is picking on us?

Just then, a door creaks open and Victor Hedman steps out, wearing a light blue ABBA-themed sleep mask, matching outfit and a pair of white bunny slippers. His hair is tangled in messy curly. He pushes his mask up, revealing two seething pairs of grayish-green eyes underneath.

"What is going on? It is too early for this crap and your screaming woke me up from a fun, romantic, amazing dream, Kuch!" Heddy growls, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at the two of us.

"Were you having sex with yourself?" I tease, wagging my eyebrows at him.

Heddy glares at me. "No. Go back to your room, Gourdo!"

I smirk at him. "Not gonna happen, Heddy."

Kuch faces him, frowning. "I woke up, went to the door. I was going to go get some ice...for my water. I open the door up and splosh! Water all over my feet and bottom of my pants and the carpet."

"You get ice for water in the morning?" Heddy questions, cocking an eyebrow.

Kuch nods his head vigorously and explains, "Yes. It's tradition for me after a stupid hockey loss. Ice and water will cleanse the bad stench of the failure and begin anew." He smiles innocently at the defenseman. "Also good if I have bad game, which I did."

"Riiiiight," Heddy says, trailing off and looking at me. "You're bizarre." Then he steps back into his room and slowly closes the door.

"That being said by a man wearing an ABBA eye mask and bunny slippers," I remark.

"I HEARD THAT, GOURDO!" Heddy grumbles behind the closed door.

I laugh as does Kuch and we head back to our rooms. Those of us who wanted to, shed their roommates. After Ceddy kept pissing me off and being disrespectful, I switched rooms and so I'm staying by myself now.

I shut my door and walk over to the desk, where I have a few picture frames. One of them is my little girl, Emma Kate and my wife, Marie, as well as my dog. I also have another two: one of them is a photo of me from one of the team Halloween parties, where I dressed up as a white tiger (hence why some call me tiger) and also, one of me and Vladdy (I still think of him as one of my best friends, even if he isn't on the team anymore).