Page 4 of Bad Pucking Roommate

Maybe our backup goalie, Gauthier? I don’t know him all that well, haven’t really hung out with him outside of practice, but he seems like a decent guy. I haven’t heard of him picking up any bunnies though, which either means he’s as innocent as Justus, not into women, or dating someone.

One line I won’t cross is asking someone to cheat just so I can play a good game. There are guys on the team who’d probably be down to help me out even though they’re spoken for, but despite my unconventional habits I’ve got morals.

That’s what makes my predicament so challenging. I’m not a creepy guy, I just do creepy things in the name of hockey.

God, I wish I had a lucky shirt.

Chapter two

Justus

As we pass the puck back and forth to warm up, I get the sense Luca’s just going through the motions, acting more from muscle memory than mental focus.

There’s nothing wrong with that. We’re supposed to be getting loose and technically he’s doing that even if it’s subconscious, but in a game his mind will have to be just as prepared as his body. Luca knows that, meaning he’s not really the type to operate on autopilot.Ever.

Fortunately, we’re not warming up for a game, just a team scrimmage.

If his demeanor today was an anomaly, I’d shrug it off, but this is the second time this week he’s been off. I know because pretty much nothing about the man escapes my notice.

I swear that’s not as stalkerish as it sounds.

Luca Daniels is not only our star forward, but he’s one of the top scorers in the NHL. I can learn from him, and I do so by analyzing every move he makes on the ice. On top of that, I pick his brain every chance I get and I’ve been trying to do everything I can to stack up to him as a player.

Then there’s the fact that I’ve studied his game film for years, starting way back when I still played in the bantam league. Now, I get to do it up close, and I’m lucky enough that he gives me the time of day. I think he even considers me a friend. So, after a decade of learning how to play via him, whether in person or on the big screen, I feel like I’ve come to know his play inside and out.

That’s why I know something’s up. This isn’t normal for him.

We’re doing a one-touch pass drill, and while he’s getting rid of the puck when it touches his stick, he’s letting it linger a hair too long. The difference may only amount to a fraction of a second, but in a game that fraction could be the reason a puck slips past the goalie instead of getting caught in his glove.

After letting him slack for a couple minutes, I stop the puck and skate toward him, circling close enough that no one will hear me mutter, “Everything okay?”

“Get back in position.” He glares, which is also out-of-character.

Luca’s cocky, but he’s generally not an asshole. I circle him one more time and head back to the opposite side of the rink, figuring it’ll only make things worse if I pester him. And as it turns out, there’s no reason to since my question seems to get him back on track.

We do S drills next to work on passing and shooting as we skate, then a three-man weave to fine tune the timing of our offensive triangulation, and we finish off with some two on onewhere Luca and I get paired together. The mission, get past our top defender, Niko, and take a shot at the goal.

Niko was the defensive rookie of the year last season, and he’s hard as heck to beat. But after studying Luca for years my style of play is nearly identical to his, and from day one we fell into sync easily. More often than not, that translates into getting a good shot off, and with his head back on the ice, we do just that, scoring twice.

By the time practice ends, I’m feeling pretty good about how we look, and our chances of beating Seattle when we head there in a few days. But as we gear down in the locker room, talking smack about how we’re gonna crush it on this next road trip, Luca seems subdued.

Though he’s not a loud, flashy guy, he’s no wallflower, either. He’s a leader on the ice, outspoken when he wants to be, and a bit showy in the sense that he likes having the title of highest scorer in the league. And don’t even get me started on his spending habits. Nothing but the biggest and best for that guy, but he doesn’t flaunt it in others faces.

Nothing about Luca fades into the background, so to have him quietly putting away his gear and changing into street clothes instead of whooping it up in anticipation of the next game is pretty odd. If Noah, our starting goalie, were here, he’d pick up on it too. But he’s out with an ankle injury, and aside from him, I have the sense I’m the only other guy tuned into Luca’s frequency.

I’ve already probed once today without success, and even though the timing of my question probably salvaged our practice, I should’ve figured I wouldn’t get anywhere trying to get him to talk on the ice. Maybe once some of the guys clear out, I’ll have better luck.

“What’s with the goddamned flies in here?” Niko exits the shower, swatting at a bug I swear is the size of a dime, dragging my focus from Luca.

“Washer’s broken,” our equipment manager, Gabe, answers. “I had to open some windows to air the place out.”

“I thought it smelled sorta rank in here.” A voice—I can’t tell who’s—says from the other end of the room. I have to admit, while locker rooms don’t smell particularly good, at least the scent of soap drifting in from the showers is making the excess stench tolerable.

“Isn’t there, like, a fleet of washers?” Jace, a winger we got in a trade this summer, ducks and swings.

“Yeah, but the city accidentally hit a water main and had to shut it down so they don’t flood the whole area. So, none of ‘em work,” Gabe says.

“Someone’s having a bad day,” Niko winces as he dodges another pest. “I’m guessing they don’t put a warning in your file if you take out the plumbing for an entire city.”

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