Page 19 of Riding Pine
Turns out it’s quite limited, but I’ve had to alter costumes before, and with a bit of a change, Slappy the Beaver will bring his A-game to every appearance. After making some notes about music and routines, I grab the phone number list.
Now I just hope this equipment guy knows his stuff and gets it done in time for Slappy’s first public appearance.
six
Lukas
Training camp is not for the meek. Even for a seasoned veteran like me. I’m young on the page, but on the ice? Fuck, I feel like I’m older than a dinosaur.
I’m fit. I do my conditioning. Yet these younger guys still skate circles around me without breaking a sweat. But what I lack in speed, I make up for with my strength and playmaking. That’s what I need to keep a spot on this team.
And I intendto keep it.
“All the defence over here, please!” Coach Nix waits on the ice, and eight of us skate over. I need to be better than five guys if I want to dress every game. And I do, but I’d rather be better than more than that and not be a third-line defenceman.
“Breakout drills, fellas. Split into two groups and switch after everyone has had a turn.”
Four of us go behind the net, and four of us stay at the blue line, including me. Coach will pass the puck to the player trying to leave the zone, and it’s our job to shut him down, so he doesn’t reach the neutral zone. It’s one of my favourite drills.
Smitty is the first to attempt to break out, and he’s up against Soupy. Soupy has been around enough to know the moves, none of which Smitty has. I watched Smitty earlier in warm up and for a young guy, he’s slow as fuck, and unless he’s afraid to show us his skills, his hands might as well be cement.
Soupy doesn’t even give him a chance and knocks him off the puck far too easily. Soupy steals the puck and wrists it into the net.
“You need to try harder than that, kid,” Soup barks.
He most certainly does. But he’s one of the five I’m confident will be below me.
The next pairing is more of a battle until Coach calls an end to it and for the next pair to begin.
Taking my turn at the blue line, I groan when I’m matched with the asshole player known as Mitchel Evans. I try to like all my teammates. We need to work together to win, but this guy will be a challenge. His reputation in the league is of someone who walks a line so tight to the rules, he should get an award for his balance.
Coach passes him the puck, and he charges out of the zone on a diagonal. I know he’s hoping to beat me on my nonstick side,but I’m not letting that happen. Digging into the ice, I get a step on him. Seeing his window closing, he pivots back, and I let him create distance, but not far enough that I can’t catch him. It’s not my job to pressure him down low in this drill. It’s my job not to let him cross the blue line.
He charges to the other side of me next, moving the puck and protecting it, but he’s misjudged my speed, and I catch him easily, slamming him into the boards a little too hard for practice.
“Piney, for fuck’s sake, ease up! I’m gonna be injured before the season starts.”
“Are you soft, Evans? That wasn’t even all of my body in that check.”
“Fellas, enough!” Coach blows his whistle while Evans glares at me. This training camp will be super fun if this is how it’s going to go for two weeks.
“Listen up! The following players grab a red bib. Ten-minute scrimmage before you break for lunch and dry land routines after.”
Coach calls out players to the red team, and I’m one of them. As we always do, each team organizes itself on the bench, and we sort ourselves out. Coach assigns us our linemates, and I wiggle over to sit with Smitty.
“Lucky you. You’re my partner today.”
He blinks at me before shaking his head. “Heh, yeah. Partner. Anything I should know?”
“Nah. Just play a strong game. I rarely play too deep because I know I’ll always get stuck down low. So if you see an opportunity, you can take the pinch and I’ll cover for you.” I turn my gaze towards him. “But you have to be sure to skate and catch up.”
He nods, lips pressed. “Got it. You don’t go deep. I mean, er, you’ve got my back. Skate faster.”
His knee bounces next to mine, and I bump him with my shoulder. “We’ll rock this, Smitty. Just have fun.”
He squirts water in his mouth, and the coach drops the puck with the first line-ups out there. It’s fast into the other team’s zone, and Youngblood scores a goal, easily stepping around the defence and floating a snapshot over the goalie’s shoulder.
As Smitty and I jump the boards to line up for the faceoff, the familiar rush of game day slams home. It’s a combination of the thrill of playing a game I love and the awe that people put me here because they think I’m good enough. I get paid to play a game, and it’s the best thing in the world. Just because it’s not the NHL doesn’t mean there isn’t talent here.
