Page 20 of Dirty Pucking Player

I certainly had what he said to me racing through my mind over the last couple of days. It occupied my thoughts far more than it should have. The truth is, he rattled me, more than I even want to admit to myself, let alone to Jill or Dad.

And I’m still not sure if anything I said got through to him or not. But something happened. Something changed.

I glance up at the scoreboard. Three minutes left, and we’re up by one.

Come on, guys. Keep it tight.

Clean passes. Clean shots.

All we need to do is hold it together for three fucking minutes, and we’ve got this game.

Whenever we play the Whales on their home ice, it’s a madhouse in here. These are the kind of conference rivalries that make the fans insane. The crowd cheers and screams so loudly, we can barely hear ourselves think. Some would see it as a problem, but the energy is infectious. It always makes us play harder and faster.

Tonight is no exception. The guys look good. Really good. And Bash has managed to stay out of the penalty box the entire game. That’s practically unheard of for him. The commentators are probably scrambling to find that statistic to give to the viewers at home.

Having him on the ice rather than in the sin bin has been a huge asset. He’s scored two of our four goals and has been lightning-fast and precise with his passes tonight. It’s incredible to watch a player of Bash’s caliber have a good night.

I’d love to see more performances like this, and I hope I’m now a little voice inside his head reminding him that he doesn’t have to hurt people to play well.

But who the hell knows with Bash?

This could be a fluke. Or, maybe Dad was right, and this is just what I needed to know what my gut was telling me about Bash. That maybe, just maybe, there’s some humanity under all that bravado, arrogance, and grins.

He jumps back out onto the ice after a short break and gets right into the play, knocking the Whales’ Orlov to the boards. Orlov struggles to get back to his feet as his teammate Carlson picks up the puck, but it was a good hit. The type of hit hockey is supposed to have.

I have no problem with the violence in the sport, but it doesn’t mean it needs to go beyond that. A few lost teeth and some blood are expected. It’s unchecked tempers that cause problems, and the tensions are always high when we play the Whales, especially on their home ice. It usually leads to more than one scuffle, yet tonight has been surprisingly calm.

Keep up the good work, Bash.

One twenty-five left.

Just hold it together, guys.

Kasinski manages to wrestle the puck away from Carlson and takes off down the ice into the neutral zone with Mac and Bash right behind him. He knocks it back to Mac, and Mac drives the puck to the goal, zigzags around two defenders, and shoots…straight into the net.

Yes! Goal!

It’s a little cushion. A little bit of wiggle room that makes the remaining minute seem a slightly more manageable.

The guys celebrate on the ice, and the Scorpion fans who traveled for the game erupt as do the guys on the bench in front of me.

It’s the best part about playing the sport or coaching it—the crowds, the fans. The uninhibited joy that a goal and ultimately, a win, can bring to them is something I can’t even begin to explain to someone who hasn’t experienced it for themselves.

Playing in the Olympics showed me the camaraderie and national pride in the team and the support we got no matter what country we were in is the same when the Scorpions travel. Even at the away games, there are so many fans wearing our jerseys and people cheering for us.

A new team with the Cinderella season. People love cheering for an underdog. And we certainly are one. Now, having a superstar like Bash Fury on the team, it feels like our fan base has only exploded in the last week since the trade announcement.

His jersey is already outselling any other member of the team. That probably rubs a few of the guys—like Lebedev—the wrong way, but that’s always going to happen when big egos butt heads. Thankfully, that situation hasn’t come to blows, and even though there’s definitely still some tension between him and Bash, whether they’re on the ice together or not, it hasn’t interfered with the game, and that’s all I care about.

What’s best for this team. And getting the two points gives us a little more space ahead of the Stingrays who are closing in behind us in fourth in the conference right now. It also inches us closer to second place.

The guys line up for the face-off, and Lebedev—in for Hayes who is getting a skate issue fixed by Steve—gets away with the puck. He shoots it over to Mac, who makes his way into the slot and knocks it over to Bash. Orlov takes out Mac right after the pass, and Berglund flies across the ice and slams into Bash, nailing him against the boards.

Bash climbs to his feet, and even from across the ice, I can see his fists clenched in his gloves.

Don’t do it, Bash.

A second passes, and he relaxes slightly, apparently reconsidering whatever response action he was about to take.

---