Page 7 of Whirlwind
And there it is. The first time Wylder and I faced off after Isla and him reconciled, I provoked him on the ice. Said some shit about Isla purely to see how he’d react. Of course, Coach took notice. I guess now it’s my turn to explain.
“I cared a lot about her, sir. I still do. There was zero chance I was getting on the ice with him and not testing his loyalty to her,” I say, imagining he’d have done the same if he’d been in my position.
Coach leans back, appraising me silently, for a moment. A small grin grows before he says anything else to me.
“The truth is, I gave Cillian a right hook the first time I saw him after we drafted him. I won’t hold your past animosity against you, so long as the two of you act like what this franchise needs.”
“It’s not a problem on my end. All I ever wanted for her and Sadie was their happiness.”
“They have that,” he says with emphasis.
“I know.”
“Good,” he says. “Then, let’s talk about your scoring and what we need to do for you to pick that back up.”
This season has been my worst start since I entered the NHL seven years ago. Three seasons ago, I was the top scorer in the league. My team…or, my old team, had an off year last season. We didn’t play cohesively. Because of that, management executed several changes to our lineup and coaching staff.
“All I need is a team that wants to work together toward the common goal. I haven’t gotten the cup. That’s what I need—a team focused on that, rather than their own egos.”
“That’s it?” he asks, skeptically.
“I could use some new opinions on my form, too. Until this season, I’ve had the same coach. He was great, but maybe we got complacent with each other’s style,” I admit. “Like so many of us, I’m a creature of routine. That routine is no longer paying the same dividends it used to.”
“You’re going to be okay with us changing up your routine?” Again, he’s skeptical. As he should be. Hockey players aren’t just creatures of habit; it’s not just superstition. It’s a way of life. Some guys wake up at 8:08 every day. Not eight AM or eight-thirty. They tape their sticks the exact same way they’ve been doing it since peewee, absolutely no alterations. They chew their mouthguards a certain way or at certain times. Our warmup routines don’t waver night to night. During the season, they eat the same food every day without variation. I’m not any different. After a while, you figure out what makes you feel your best and you stick to it.
“If you’d have asked me at the beginning of last season, I would have said hell no. After the last two months, I’m open to suggestions and seeing what may work better. I’m at least halfway through my career. I want this second half to be better than the first. I’ll listen to whatever you all have to say.”
“We’ve evaluated your tapes. Not only from your time in The Show, but also from when you were coming up. The trainers are going to work with you on a few things, they’ll go over some of those today on the ice. I suspect they’ll improve your personal game. As far as the team is concerned, we’re a family. The guys will give you the same energy you give them,” he says, then smiles. “After some initial shit is given in fun. You know how that goes.”
“I expect it.”
“There might be a conversation or two from the higher ups regarding your reputation, as well. As long as it doesn’t affectyour time on the ice, I don’t give a shit what you do in your personal life. This is just a heads up that they may throw some media training at you.”
This isn’t unexpected, either. I had an off-season incident that tabloids ran with. Was it part of why Vancouver didn’t hesitate to trade me? Maybe.
“Whatever they need from me,” I say, easily. Seattle is giving me a shot; I’ll give them one, too.
“If you want a place at the dinner table, all you have to do is show up. The guys here will hold a seat for you.”
“Thanks, Coach. I appreciate that.”
“Don’t thank me, just put in the effort and I’ll do my best to get you that cup.”
“Will do, Coach,” I tell him, standing to leave.
Before I make it to the door, he stops me.
“Tyson,” he calls. “Sadie is going to be excited to see you.”
“I’m going to be excited to see her, too,” I admit. She’s a special girl and I’ve missed her. “I hope that won’t be weird for anyone.”
“Her dad worships the ground she walks on; he’ll be happy she’s happy. I think you can understand, yeah?”
Coach Cole doesn’t need to remind me of common ground between me and Cillian. I know it exists. I appreciate his effort, all the same. Regardless of how difficult it will be for two men in love with the same woman to play together, we’ll both put Isla and Sadie first.
“Perfectly.”
“Good, get suited up. I’ll see you on the ice.”
