Page 11 of Just Friends
I rifled a hard pass 120 feet up-ice—the kind of pass that only an unreal player like Niko can catch. Without breaking stride, Niko picked the skipping puck out of the air and sped towards the goal like a charging bull.
“Oh, shit!”the boys on the bench hollered, jumping to their skates to watch the magic happen.“Niko’s got a breakaway!”
The goalie in white, Vaughn, came out of his crease to aggressively challenge the shot. When Niko came within striking distance, Vaughnsy threw himself at the puck with a desperate, diving poke check. But the young phenom suddenly cut to the side, snow spraying high into the air, and dangled the puckjustout of Vaughnsy’s reach with lightning-quick hands.
The boys on the bench made sounds of awe and disbelief as Niko fired the puck into the open net. He made the impossible lookeasy.
“YEAAAAAAAAAH!” Niko roared. It didn’t matter to him that there weren’t any cheering fans to witness his incredible moves—he saluted the heavens to celebrate a good goal just the same. “WE WIN! WE WIN!”
The boys on the bench laughed and tapped their sticks against the boards, a cacophony of hollowthuds echoing around the empty rink.
“That’s game,” Dane said. “Great work today, boys.”
Tired bodies spilled over the boards and coasted to the exit.
Dane skated up behind me as we filtered off the ice. “Nice hit, ya fucker.” He gave my ass a love tap with his stick,whack. “Keep it up, Cammer.”
Cammer: I guess I should explain now that I’m a man of many nicknames. My real name is Jack Cameron, but the Devils alreadyhavea Jack on the team—Jack Hathaway, who is currently honeymooning with his wife, Emma—so no one here ever calls me that. Which is fine by me, because I mostly go by Jax these days, anyway. That’s a nickname my best friend, Piper, gave me—“It’s more fun to say! It suits you and it’s sexier, too.”—and it happened to catch on with my teammates.
Just don’t tell them about the “sexy” part. Not sure they’d agree.
I also go by Big Rig (because I’m kind of a big guy), and Riggs or Riggsy (like Big Rig but easier to say in the heat of the moment).
What can I say? Hockey players show love through nicknames. I’m pretty blessed when you think of it like that.
“Thanks, D,” I said. “Hope I didn’t hit you too hard.”
Not that I was worried about Dane—our captain is one tough customer, as tough as they come, in fact. Besides, if Ihadn’thit him in that situation, he would’ve torn me a new one for taking it easy on him. Because no one will improve if everyone’s taking it easy. We can’tallbe Niko—and even he doesn’t get a free pass; the veterans are always riding him about improving his effort level.
Sure enough, Dane bristled. “Hey. I can take it.”
He pushed open the locker room door and the team followed the captain in, all of us taking care not to walk on the Devils logo emblazoned in the middle of the carpet.
“That being said,” Dane added, “you really do hit like a truck, Big Rig. Andman, am I ever glad you’re onourside now.”
The boys packed into the locker room, the air alive with rapid-fire banter and laughter, and we began the process of tearing off our pads and stripping out of our sweat-soaked clothes.
I sat next to Niko. He loosened his skate laces with a permanent smile on his face. He loved to score goals, evenmeaninglessgoals.
“Great pass, Big Rig,” he said.
I pounded his shoulder and returned the compliment. “Great finish, man.”
“Top ten goal my career,” Niko announced to the room confidently. His English is a little broken, but it’s improving everyday. The English–Russian dictionary never leaves his side, and I’m always glad to help, which is probably why he’s always by my side.
Reavo laughed out loud. “Top ten of yourcareer?” Reavo might be married to Niko’s sister, but he’s also one of the team’s veterans and leaders,and so it’s his job to help keep Niko in line. “Nice of you to wait until everyone’s gassed to break out the actual effort, by the way. You know you don’t score that goal in a real game, right, Niko?”
With blank eyes, Niko turned to me for help.
“He’s saying you weren’t tired,” I said, breaking it down in simple English. “Everyone else was tired.”
“Oh. Ya,” Niko said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “I save energy. For big play.”
The room laughed at the Russian’s bravado.
“Gotta give it to him,” Vaughnsy said with a sigh, “thatwasa nice move.” The fiery goalie hated losing more than anyone, but he was always a good sport.
“Ya. Very nice,” Niko insisted. “Like I say. Top ten goal.”
