Page 86 of The Home Game

He still had the same thinning gray hair, pale blue eyes, and fair skin crisscrossed with deep wrinkles that he’d always had. But his smile was warmer than Matty anticipated.

“Great to officially meet you,” Gilbert said, shaking Matty’s hand.

Considering the guy had screamed his head off at Matty for the hit he’d put on their second line center the last time Toronto played against St. Louis, Matty had been expecting a slightly cooler response.

But he supposed it was like anything else in hockey, the disagreements on the ice didn’t follow them off the ice.

“Great to meet you too,” Matty said as he settled into his usual spot next to Dom. The meeting was being held at the team’s practice facility, in the room they usually used for video review.

Once everyone was seated, Coach Gilbert spoke. “So, first of all, feel free to call me Gilly. Everyone does whether I want them to or not.”

The team laughed politely.

“Second of all, I want you to know I’m nothing like Claude Casey.” Gilly smirked as he looked out over the team but there was nothing amused in his voice. “I have the utmost respect for him as a coach but I think as a team, you’ve all grown complacent. I think you’ve gotten lazy and entitled and you think someone owes you another Cup.”

A couple of the guys shifted in their seats.

“But no one owes you shit,” Gilly said. “You want the Cup? You’re going to have to earn it. You’re going to have to work your balls off for it. And I’m not gonna kiss your ass the way Casey did. I’m gonna work you until you throw up and then I’m going to push you past that. I’m old-school.”

Matty caught a glimpse of Dustin and Nico sharing worried glances with Jonah and Felix. Gilbert apparently did too.

“Ahh.” Gilly scoffed. “Yeah, you think that means I’ve got a problem with LGBTQ+ people? Well, I don’t. My daughter’s a lesbian and if you think for one fucking minute I wouldn’t fight anyone to the death for her, you’re wrong. And I’ll do the same for my team. You’ve got nothing to worry about there. You love who you love and that’s great. But any one of you—gay, straight, bi, any single one of you—who gets this team in the news for anything other than charity work or winning fucking games? Your ass is mine. Do you understand?”

The team nodded.

“Oh no,” he said with a laugh. “I wanna hear you. I wanna know you heard me. So if I ask you a question, I want a loud, clear ‘Yes, Gilly’. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Gilly,” they all chorused.

“So, remember that. Arents, I know you like to get your name out there but we’re done with that, you hear me?”

Nico protested. “I don’t—”

“Nope. That sounds like an excuse to me, and I don’t accept excuses. You take responsibility for your actions and their consequences. Do you understand, Arents?”

Nico’s jaw tightened but he nodded. “Yes, Gilly.”

Gilbert’s gaze swept the room. “That goes for all of you. I don’t want a whiff of a scandal. The ownership is tired of the drama and that’s why they brought me on.”

Ohh, Matty thought. Well that explained a lot.

“I’m not gonna go easy on any of you. I’m not gonna be your friend the way Casey was. That’s his style and it won you a Cup but it’s not mine. Winning one Cup was hard. Winning a second is going to make that first one feel like a walk in the park. I am going to ask you to give me your best and then I’m going to demand more.”

Several guys straightened, squaring their shoulders.

“You’re going to have to earn a place on my roster. I don’t care who you are or how you’ve performed in the past. We take it a game at a time. A practice at a time. Your reputation means shit to me. Your past accomplishments mean shit to me. All I’m going to look at is how much you’re proving to me that you deserve to be on the ice. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Gilly!” they shouted.

Matty hid a grimace. Oh yeah, this was going to be a very different season than the last one.

The meeting wrapped up after that and Matty watched guys give one another sidelong glances on the way out. There was a team lunch scheduled after this and he knew they’d be talking about everything Coach Gilbert had said.

But before Matty could follow Dustin out the door, Gilly called his name. “I’d like a word with you, Fowler, Carlson, and Olson.”

Ahh fuck, Matty thought.

“Yes, Gilly,” Matty said with what he hoped was a smile and the other guys did the same.

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