Page 40 of How We End
“Julian, Jessie with theVegas Herald.Last week Coach Murry said that he was concerned with a nagging injury you had.Is that still a concern?”
“No.”I nodded at the next reporter.
“Broch for theLA Reporter.You and LA are tied for first place in the division.With Colorado a close second.Both are younger teams.Can the Coyotes keep up with players like Payton Hulton and Carlson?”
“We have a strong team.These last few games we’ve been able to find the back of the net more than once.Blaisy had a couple of really good rebounds.Abe is solid in the net.Our power play is one of the best in the league.The age of the team has nothing to do with it.”What I wanted to say was we were a young team too.Dima was nineteen.Everyone on my line was under the age of thirty.
It always seemed to come back tomyage.
“Matt Rebel for theBlueLinepodcast.Silver, you and Cole Graham are the two most penalized players in the league.You had seven minutes this game for fighting, and with the new rule on fighting, how will that change your game?”He made it sound like I fought every game.
I didn’t fight in the game against Edmonton.Or in the one against San Jose.“You might want to recheck your stats, Matt.Shaw and Host are the two most penalized players.Things get tense on the ice.Midleton and I were both assessed the penalty.It is what it is.There isn’t a lot I can do.But if the league wants to cut down on injuries, they need to train their refs to watch the game.Next.”I rolled my shoulders, feeling the stiffness setting in.
“I have one more question.Some say players like you are a dying breed while players like Hulton and Host, who can skate fast and have consistently scored, are what teams are looking for.There are rumors that the Coyotes might be interested in Hulton, and with your contract up and still no cup, what would you tell the fans in Vegas?”
“What would I tell them about what?”Matt Rebel thought I was overpaid and not worth the ink I signed my contract with.He made that very clear every week in his podcast.Every time they allowed him in the press room.
“About your future here in Las Vegas and the quest for the cup.”Matt sounded like he was speaking to a spoiled teenager.
“I would tell them and you, we are only twenty games in.There is a lot of season ahead of us.”
“And what about?—”
“We’re done here.”I stood as more questions were being lobbed at me.I left the press room, ready to be done with this night.
* * *
“Julian, you have to do better with the puck control.Christ, the ten-year-olds playing pond hockey have better puck control than you, and they’re using discount sticks.”My father’s voice filled the car’s interior.“Who the hell were you passing to in the second period?Your team wears the dark blue jersey, not the bright white ones.”
“Thanks for clearing that up, Dad.”Once I had tried to defend myself against his complaints.I tried to explain an injury, but that was always met with the same thing.He had played with a broken rib and a broken hand.Players nowadays were too soft.He had less padding.It was that padding of the other player that made a hit hurt so much more.
“Well, someone should clear it up for you.You need to keep your head up and watch your teammates.Make some open ice for your center to move that puck.And when you pass, pass to a player that is open.Stop passing to the skates.This is shit you learned in Bantams.Walker was wide open, and you passed it back to Graham, who was fighting with two d-men.Why would you do something so stupid?”
I rested my head on the headrest of the car seat, letting him get it out.The sooner he got it out, the sooner this call would be over.After this, he’d remind me of all the lessons and the trainers they had paid for when I was younger.Then he’d remind me I should have a cup by now.He had two by my age.
“There’s a rumor that you’re doping.Are you?”
“No, I’m not doping.”
“Your mother is concerned.She thinks you’ve lost weight.I keep telling her you should cut a few pounds.Wingers should be fast.You need to be faster.What do you weigh now, 230?That’s too much.You should be two even at the most.”
“That’s not what my trainer said.He wants me to hold my weight.”
“What the fuck does he know?Does he skate?He ever felt what it’s like to carry around all that weight?It might be fine if you were a d-man.But wingers need to be light.Look at Hulton.He’s 190.”
“He’s barely six foot.”I couldn’t get away from being compared to Payton.No one mentioned he didn’t win the Calder in his rookie year and never won the Heart Memorial, which I won twice.What they talked about was how young he was and how old I was.
“I don’t care.”My dad sighed into the phone.“Julian, if you don’t fix everything we talked about, they’re going to trade you.The only way to stop that is to do better.Play harder.Leave it all on the ice.”
I had.That was why my life was a fucking mess.
CHAPTERTWENTY
WYATT
November 15
The rest of the night went fine.Barbra said nothing for the rest of the dinner.After five hours, I was ready to be done.I asked Gabe if we could leave.He insisted on walking me to the elevator.
