#1st NHL career point

[goaliesarethebest]

MITCH MARNER WORKS HIS MAGIC AND MAKES IT LOOK EASY SNIPING IT INTO THE TWINE, PIERRE ‘SEABISCUIT’ ENGVALL BURIES IT, AN OPPOSING PLAYER WAS SHOVING MICHAEL BUNTING BUT HE PAID THEM NO MIND SKATED AROUND THEM AND THREW IN A NIFTY LITTLE PASS FROM JOHN TAVARES ON THE POWERPLAY, AUSTON MATTHEWS CAUGHT THE PASS FROM WILLY WAITED THEN FIRED IT TO GET HIS 499TH CAREER POINT, TJ BRODIE STOPPED THE CLEARING ATTEMPT THEN SENT OFF A HOTSHOT THAT HIT THE CROSSBAR AND IN, WILLY NYLANDER WHILE BEING CHASED BY THE DEFENCEMEN WHO WON THE NORRIS TROPHY LAST SEASON MANAGED TO SEND THE PUCK TO BIG MIKE WHO PUT THE BISCUIT IN THE BASKET WHERE IT MADE ITSELF HOME IN THE EMPTY NET TO SNOWPLOW THE AVALANCHE 6-2 

[intheupside]

@penguins: THE CAPTAIN IS COMMITTED.

The Penguins have re-signed Sidney Crosby to a two-year contract extension, running through the 2026.27 season and carrying an average annual value of $8.7 million.

“There are no words to properly describe what Sidney Crosby means to the game of hockey, the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins organization,” said Dubas. “Sidney is the greatest player of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the game. His actions today show why he is one of hockey’s greatest winners and leaders. Sid is making a tremendous personal sacrifice in an effort to help the Penguins win, both now and in the future, as he has done for his entire career.”

The three-time Stanley Cup Champion (2009, ’16 & ’17) will be entering his franchise-record 20th season in a Penguins uniform and 18th with the ‘C’ on his sweater, trailing only Detroit’s Steve Yzerman (19) as the longest-tenured captain in NHL history. Crosby is the Penguins’ franchise record holder in games played (1st, 1,272), even-strength goals (416, 1st), even-strength points (1,025, 1st) and game-winning goals (90, 1st), and trails only Hall-of-Famer Mario Lemieux in every major category in Penguins history including goals (2nd, 592), assists (1,004, 2nd), and points (1,596, 2nd).

of course he’s signing for $8.7m

[samuelerssonupdates]

*on opening night

Forwards

1st line: Michkov #39 - Couturier #14 - Foerster #71

Maksim Konstantinov / Len Redkoles / Jason Mowry (header image: Eliot J. Schechter)

Michkov on the first line is the only non-controversial choice here. It was hard to pick between Couturier and Frost, particularly since I believe that Michkov and Frost are going to work really well together this upcoming season. However, I think it's more than likely they want to pair Michkov with a more experienced player, particularly one like Sean Couturier, who is strong on faceoffs - can get Michkov the puck off the faceoff! - and a good defensive forward. Speaking of defensive forwards, I put one of the top defensive wingers in the NHL this season, Tyson Foerster, on the other wing. Foerster is a RW but since the Flyers seem to have completely done away with GAFing about what position wing their forwards play, I put him here and, in this post, will not GAF about L/RW either.

I think Foerster and Konecny would be the only two wingers the Flyers would consider opposite Michkov right now. Konecny for his own strong offensive upside was definitely a plus, but I went with Foerster because I think making sure that their two best defensive forwards are balancing out Michkov's high offense will be a high priority for Tortorella. Foerster also plays a pretty physical game where I don't believe Michkov does...? Someone correct me if I'm wrong there. I think that this top line is a well-balanced line between a vet, a strong winger, and a superstar.

Matvei Michkov, 19-22--41, 47 GP for HK Sochi

Sean Couturier, 11-27--38, 74 GP

Tyson Foerster, 20-13--33, 77 GP

2nd line: Konecny #11 - Frost #48 - Tippett #74

Len Redkoles / Len Redkoles / Dustin Satloff

Purely offensive line. Total fun. Morgan Frost's defensive play is very good, but he's a playmaker at heart and I would love to see this line get some time this season. I do eventually envision Frost and Michkov on a line regularly, as I think (as do many others) Frost's creativity will work well with Michkov's, but as far as opening night goes, I can't see them putting Frost and Michkov together too early.

Otherwise, these three would be fun to watch. In the 23-24 season Konecny assisted on 10 of Tippett's 28 goals, and 8 of Frost's 13 goals were assisted on by one of these two. All three were particularly productive during the Flyers' more dominant period in December 2023 and January 2024.

Travis Konecny, 33-35--68, 76 GP

Morgan Frost, 13-28--41, 71 GP

Owen Tippett, 28-25--53, 78 GP

3rd line: Brink #10 - Laughton #21 - Farabee #86

Randy Litzinger / Len Redkoles / Len Redkoles

Something of a double-veteran presence on this line for Brink, who, while he has NHL experience, spent a multitude of games last year playing for the Phantoms and watching from the press box at the behest of Tortorella. Farabee had a career year in 2023-24 but it didn't seem like it after he went long stretches of time without a goal, and Scott Laughton, the unofficial Flyers locker room DJ, had a much maligned 23-24 season. Not that this is SamuelErssonUpdates's Line for Lost Flyers, but it's a line of guys who you'd love to see do even better. Hoping that each of them move up the lineup at some point in the season, but on opening night this would be a safe bet.

Bobby Brink, 11-12--23, 57 GP

Scott Laughton, 13-26--39, 82 GP

Joel Farabee, 22-28--50, 82 GP

4th line: Cates #27 - Poehling #25 - Hathaway #19

Rich Graessle / Dustin Satloff / Jason Mowry

The easiest decision of the bunch, the Ph(C) line was one of the most cohesive and regular of last season. A solid 4th line of three guys that scored a little and hit a lot, (thank you, Garnet Hathaway) all three are signed to short-term contracts in Philly. It would, however, be nice to see Ryan Poehling Do The Thing again, and if he potentially moves up the lineup this year, maybe we'll see a burst in production from him.

Noah Cates, 6-12--18, 59 GP

Ryan Poehling, 11-17--28, 77 GP

Garnet Hathaway, 7-10--17, 82 GP

Defense

In general, all of these defensive pairings have been pretty well established; they were generally paired together last year, and the Flyers org shows no signs of switching them up unless something surprising happens.

1st pairing: Sanheim #6 - York #8

Len Redkoles / Len Redkoles

These two were the top defensive pairing last year, and they'll be our top defensive pairing this year. York played 82 games and had an average ice time of 22:37 per game; in one stunner of a game against the Canes, he played a whopping 29:01. Sanheim, meanwhile, logged 30% more assists than ever before in his career. These two will be back at it on your TV screen on October 11, I guarantee it.

Travis Sanheim: 10-34--44, 81 GP

Cam York: 10-20--30, 82 GP

2nd pairing: Seeler #24 - Drysdale #9

Jason Mowry / Len Redkoles

Generally considered to be the pairing on which Tortorella will have Drysdale, Seeler's defensive defense will be a solid counterpoint to Drysdale's offensive defense. Literally everyone in the world wants to see Drysdale do well on the Flyers – a healthy, more veteran player like Nick Seeler is probably the best option to round out his play.

Nick Seeler, 1-12--13, 71 GP

Jamie Drysdale, 3-7--10, 34 GP (1-4--5, ANA; 2-3--5, PHI)

3rd pairing: Zamula #5 - Johnson #77

Len Redkoles / Bill Wippert

With the return of Rasmus Ristolainen still unclear, and having seen none of the Flyers' prospects in the preseason, this is my current projected 3rd pairing. Both Zamula and Johnson re-signed short-term deals with the Flyers this offseason, and while Johnson will most likely remain a 7th d-man to be rotated in and out of the lineup, if Zamula makes the team out of camp I expect to see him as a regular fixture on the blue line.

Yegor Zamula, 5-16--21, 66 GP

Erik Johnson, 5-1--6, 67 GP (3-0--3, BUF; 2-1--3, PHI)

Goalies

Starting Goalie: Ersson #33

Len Redkoles

I don't know what anyone wants me to say here. this could not more clearly be my fucking guy. the blog is named after him. I am not taking questions at this ti- Stats? Buckle up, fuckers. I love stats and I'm incapable of being objective.

Sam Ersson is tied for the 4th-most winningest rookie goalie in Flyers history. At 24 years old, he has 5 shutouts in 63 career GP; the goalie he replaced had 6 shutouts in 227 GP. He had 4 this season alone, tying Igor Shesterkin (55 GP) and Pyotr Kochetkov (42 GP). With 23 wins in 51 GP, he won more games than Linus Ullmark (22 W in 40 GP), Alex Lyon (21 W in 44 GP), Tristan Jarry (19 W in 51 GP), and tied Jarry (29 years old with 8 seasons of NHL experience) and Thatcher Demko (28 years old with 7 seasons of NHL experience) for games played on the season. He had a 19-game streak of 3 GA or less where he went 12-4-2 (with one game where he entered in relief) and was one of the best goalies in shootouts in the league. In shootouts, only 4 goalies stopped more shots than him, yet he had a better shootout save percentage than all of them.

He had an .890 save percentage on the season. I don't care. The Flyers played 37 games from January 18th to the end of the season. Ersson played 32 of them, most of them with a backup that wasn't NHL caliber (Cal Petersen - sent down; Felix Sandstrom - sent down and traded in the offseason) or not ready to play in the NHL yet (Ivan Fedotov). Ersson was playing 86% of the Flyers' games at this point; for reference, the top 5 most played goalies in the league played:

Saros, 28 years old, 64 GP; 78% of NSH GP

Georgiev, 27 years old, 63 GP; 77% of COL GP

Hellebuyck, 30 years old, 60 GP; 73% of WPG GP

Skinner, 25 years old, 59 GP; 72% of EDM GP

Bobrovsky, 35 years old, 58 GP; 71% of FLA GP

So to recap, rookie Sam Ersson was starting games at a higher rate than 5 goalies that made the playoffs, including one that won the Stanley Cup, one that went to the Cup finals, and one that won the Vezina trophy. Forgive me if I don't take his .890 save percentage as the word of God and the final statement on his goaltending.

He's the starter next year. Tortorella and Briere have already made it clear; Ersson is their guy. Fortunately, he likes that.

Samuel Ersson, 23-19-7, .890 SV%, 2.82 GAA, 4 SO

Backup: Fedotov #82

Len Redkoles

Ivan Fedotov should be fun to watch this season. He was phenomenal in the KHL for years, and hopefully will be able to bring that this season with more time to get settled in the area, the team, and in his gear. If all goes well would expect to see him start 25-30 games. Like Ersson, his stats on the Flyers tell nothing of the full story, and next season will be a better showing of his capabilities between the pipes.

Flyers, 2023-24: 0-1-1, .811 SV%, 4.95 GAA, 0 SO

CSKA Moscow, 2023-24: 21-22, .914 SV%, 2.37 GAA, 4 SO

[thoughtshobbiesdaydreams]

The GOAT goal-scorer, indisputably (anybody who wants to argue that is very wrong, and frankly stupid)

The argument that he's a one-trick pony is wrong because his goal-scoring highlight reel is the most impressive, versatile, and fun highlight reel of any goal-scorer in NHL history... but also stupid, because what does that mean? He scores "too many" goals from one area of the ice?

An underrated passer; obviously his mentality as a goal-scorer/shooter prevents him from being a top-tier playmaker, but he averaged 56 assists a season through his first 5 seasons in the league; his linemates really let him down after that. Backstrom is the most underrated NHL player of all-time: maybe the best playmaker of his generation, a top tier two-way player as well (he's absolutely Toews' equal, if not better, and roughly on Kopitar's level; he should've won a Selke or two, but he never finished higher than 7th! Voters should lose their votes) BUT... he just wasn't quite the goal-scorer Ovie needed to take advantage of Ovie's passing. ALSO the Caps were "lucky" with what I call complementary 1st liners

(guys I'd say are maybe more 2nd liners than 1st, in a vacuum, but are so well-rounded that they fit on a 1st line seamlessly by complementing the legit 1st liners - a good goal scorer even if not quite a sniper, a really good and smart passer even if not quite a playmaker, a good defender) with Mike Knuble, into TJ Oshie, into Tom Wilson... but Marcus Johansson was really not a good fit there and *really* depressed Ovie's point totals. (On paper he fits that complementary 1st liner mold: really good passer, solid shot, great skater, smart defensively... but he just didn't fit. No shame, nothing wrong with being a nice middle-6 F. BUT we could've drafted Wayne Simmonds, which would've made that Knuble -> Simmonds -> Oshie -> Wilson lineage so satisfying. Oh well.)

but Ovie didn't really have a true goal-scorer on his line after the uber-talented/ultra frustrating Semin left...

And of course, nothing needs to be said about his hitting; when you see the list of, like, the top 20 goal scorers since Ovie entered the league, with their goals and their hits, it's WILD how much Ovie dominates both categories. (He's also MUCH better defensively than he's given credit for. At his age, now, he's a negative defensively, but for the bulk of his career, he was somewhere between mediocre and solid, leaning towards "solid at worst" under Trotz.)

This highlight reel... I disagree with some of the decisions as far as what is honorable mention vs actually cracks the top-10. I would lean towards the milestones being honorable mentions, and his hit on Ruutu shouldn't crack the top-10: it's a really good, textbook hit with great force, but c'mon, dude is the greatest goal-scorer of all-time, a routine hit shouldn't crack the list. (But I get it as an honorable mention, to show off his versatility.) But overall, if you worry less about how it's ranked and focus more on what plays are on here, it's great. And the top-5 is pretty unassailable.

So... enjoy.

[itsnotgray]

All about Gianna’s hockey career

au masterlist!

- She plays center like Adam! When they were younger, it was easier to herd the pair to the same lessons, and she fell in love with the postion. However, when she was like 13-14 she tried to play D for a little bit, and found she was fairly adroit in the position, so if need be, she can also be moved to D.

- Her and Adam have always put up similar numbers (aside from their one year at Kimball, where she struggled) but she’s always had to fight 10x harder than adam to even show coaches she’s worth it.

^ The first coach to actually give her an honest chance, that doesn’t judge her off of gender, was Brandon Naurato at Michigan. She went up for a visit on her own, and when she comes back to Chicago, she brings Adam and Luca into her room and just breaks down. “He’s giving me a chance, guys. he’s actually giving me a chance,” and that’s what’s makes up their minds on where they want to go. Gianna commits, and Adam and Luca follow a few weeks after.

- Her parents, as supportive as they are, initially tried to have her face the reality of her dreams really early on. They knew how hard it would be for a woman to prove herself, and they were constantly reminding her just how much this goal would drain her, and about how many people would constantly be telling her she couldn’t. Their reminders did nothing to negate her passion for the sport, and she stayed strong in her desires.

^ On her draft night (day 2), she collapses into her parents arms when she hears her name, because in that moment all she feels is pure and utter relief. She’s crying into their ears “I did it, I did it,” and identical tears are running down their faces as they get to see her dreams come to fruition in front of their eyes, hearts full as they take in the fact that the same 7 year old girl who cried about wanting to keep playing hockey, even though the boys were mean, is now in the same leagues as them.

- She was drafted 61st overall by the Dallas Stars

- Gianna goes to development camp, and instantly impresses the Dallas staff. By the end of dev. camp, Gianna has a flight booked in a week to come back to Dallas and sign her ELC.

- She signs her ELC, and is invited to training camp.

- She puts on an impressive performance, and gets the call that she made the team two days later, while her, Adam, Luca, and a few others are on a boat soaking in the last bits of free time they have. She answers, and Adam sees her mouth drop and eyes start to well, and gets concerned. “Gi are you okay?” He questions, and is met with a finger to his lips while she continues the conversation. The minute she hangs up, she launches herself at Adam, almost throwing him off the boat. “Guess who you’ll be playing October 30th,” she mumbles into his chest, and he soaks it in. Once he processes what she said, and the grin he felt against his chest, he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her excited. “No fucking way! NO FUCKING WAY!” Once she told the rest of the boat the news, they all glanced at each other before grabbing her and tossing her in the lake in celebration, all letting out various cheers of congratulations.

- She debuted against the Blues on the 12th, aka her and Adam’s birthday. The family was up in Columbus with Adam, because no one expected for her to get many minutes her first game.

- While she didn’t get many minutes her first game, she got her first point, assisting on Jamie Benn’s goal!

- The family flies out to Vegas a day early for Dallas’ game on the 17th so they can go out for dinner for her birthday. She gets the day before the game to spend with them. Lucky enough that they were there though, because in the 2nd period, she gets her 1st NHL goal!

- She cried listening to the play call after the game- “ And there it is folks! History has been made! Fantilli fires a shot straight into the goal and cements herself in the history books. The first woman to score a goal in the National Hockey League! Have yourself a night Ms.Fantilli! Take a bow for yourself and the strides you’re making. For all the little girls that have come before you and been told their dreams were impossible! For all the little girls that now know their “crazy dreams” are attainable goals!”

- Calls Adam and Luca that night on a group facetime and sobs.

- “Mo, Lu- I did it, I actually did it,” she stutters out the minute the call connects, tears making their way down her face again.

- After her first goal, she has a bit of a dry spell, but finds her groove in mid-November.

- At this point in the season, she currently sits with 13 goals and 19 assists.

[sirenalpha]

ok Batman Hockey AU (no capes or superpowers of any kind)

first the team

Gotham Knights (probably)

I want them to have like Pittsburgh Penguins financial problems like they nearly get moved because of it but Bruce turns his owed salary into equity post career and helps keep the team in the city

Philadelphia Flyers style team history though like they won their first cups through physical play not being highly skilled

currently have a monochrome uniform now but everyone likes their more colorful uniforms from the 90s

Bruce Wayne

nickname: Wayner

position: left winger

play style: power forward

drafted: 5th overall

50 goal scorer in the dead puck era

one of the last guys to be high scoring and have 100+ penalty minutes

retires due to back injuries

wins one cup in the 90s

and like I said before he agrees to get partial ownership of the team to keep it in the city post retirement

Dick Grayson

nicknames: Tracy, Mr. President

position: center

play style: playmaker

drafted: 1st overall

first sign of hope as the team has been bottom of the league post Bruce's retirement

I did consider making him a goalie because of flexibility but felt him being captain was more important so center it is

one of the youngest captains in the league as he's named at the start of his sophomore season as he entered the NHL at 18

only one to go CHL as he's not American so no US National Team Development Program

cheats at face offs because if you're not cheating you're not trying

can use heel to heel for puck protection and can get off the ice on his own if he loses a blade on his skate

no one thinks he's fast until he's coming after them on the backcheck

favorite thing is stealing the puck, second favorite thing is breaking ankles

doesn't fight but he can WWE slam guys to the ice

everyone thought he was a bust for the first two years because he had no one to pass to

third year he decides to start shooting and begins to rack up more points

chats with everyone teammates, opponents, refs

always stops to sign stuff for kids

Jason Todd

nicknames: Toddy, Hot Toddy

position: right defense

play style: offensive defenseman

drafted: 62nd

dropped in the draft because he was short

got into a car accident that destroyed his knee after the draft so everyone thought his career was over

rehabbed his knee to the extreme and came back a season later and suddenly 6'0"

went NCAA before NHL to get back into it and scored a ton

cannot play defense

thinks punching guys in the face is gap control

has totally had pucks go off his ass and into his team's goal

will jump into the rush

silent wrist shot for power play goals

never talks to Dick when he gets mic'ed up

Tim Drake

nickname: Goose

position: right winger

play style: goal scorer

drafted: 15th

also dropped in the draft because he's short

USNTDP to NCAA

actually not that fast

always loses defensive coverage in the offensive zone

deceptive shot, can change the angle on goalies

always squeezes out from getting hit

active stick on defense, good at poking the puck away

lots of high sticking penalties in the early years

did get checked into his own bench one time and no one will let him forget it

Damian Wayne

nickname: also Wayner

position: center

play style: goal scorer

not drafted yet still in USNTDP

Talia refuses to get into hockey even after being with Bruce but when Damian was three she asked Bruce if skating would wear him out and he said yes so she let Damian go skate

didn't learn to how to stop until he was six because going fast was more important so either fell down or slammed into the boards to stop

vicious in family games of floor hockey

definitely practices trick shots

gets both power skating and figure skating coaching

not even in the NHL and already annoyed with media as he's predicted to go high in the draft

he'll learn to pass and play defense eventually

[arizonanighthawks]

Nighthawks Weekly’s Projected 24-25 Roster

Jude Hartman, staff writer

AFTER A CRAPSHOOT of a 23-24 season filled with injury, drama, and Simon Dahlvig’s busiest season of his career playing 64 games, it was all but confirmed that the Arizona Nighthawks were going to enact some big changes. 

And yet the team looks largely the same going into the slowest part of the offseason. Sure, there was the trade at the deadline that sent C Phillippe Lemelin to Dallas in a one-for-one for C Hector Morales, the acquisition of RW Michael Yeung during free agency, and the news that winger Hugh Bishop is coming off IR, but all this happened in the bottom half of the lineup. In the end, Walter Bowen is still head coach, Isaiah Chambers is still GM, and why Vezina-winner Simon Dahlvig accepted a trade to Arizona and then signed an extension here is, as always, a mystery.

Of course, the biggest news is that of Anatoly Zikov, the Russian-Kazakh center whose KHL contract ended last season. Though the Nighthawks have been infuriatingly tight-lipped regarding him and no word of an ELC has emerged yet, it’s widely assumed that he’ll be dressing in teal and orange on opening night 2024. So, with all that in mind, Nighthawks Weekly presents our projected roster for the 2024-25 season.

Forwards

Top line: Stanislav Dudek #52 - Lee Bartlett #21 - Mattias Almqvist #27

Look, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Alternate Captain Lee Bartlett’s top line was the Nighthawks’ top producing line in the 23-24 season, by a large margin. The guy’s a play-driving machine, the only moving part on an otherwise stale powerplay, and one of the best penalty killers in the NHL right now. When he’s on the ice, xGA% goes down by over 10%. The chemistry between Dudek and Almqvist can’t be denied either; just over half of Dudek’s 27 goals were assisted on by Almqvist.

2nd line: Michael Yeung #42 - Anatoly Zikov #? - Nicolas Proulx #14

It might be worth it to see if anything can get Nicolas Proulx going like he could in juniors, and if that thing is a Russian phenom, well, why not? We might sympathize with Proulx’s lack of production, but at some point, we hope to see the 2022 5th overall light the lamp like he used to. He topped his record skating speeds this year and if his trainer’s Instagram is to be believed, he’s only going to get faster. Yeung is a great addition to the team, a 26-year-old solid winger who’d already been taking younger players under his wing in New York, and we’d like to see him do the same with Zikov.

3rd line: Nick Torvalds #19 - Ezra Page #98 - Brodie Barnes #43

Page might be young, but he’s been in the league long enough that he’s gonna be able to center these two rookies. Calder winner two years ago and leading goal-scorer last year, Page is only getting better with age. If this is our third line center, then we might be golden. We expect to see Nick Torvalds, the 2023 1st rounder who spent last year lighting up the AHL, make the show this year. And as for Brodie Barnes, the 22-year-old college kid who only came down to Arizona last year to play for the Ringtails, why not give him a shot? He was certainly no Torvalds last year, but he’s a great two-way forward who can play either right or left with ease, and he deserves to get a chance.

4th line: Roger Smith-Sweeney #77 - Hector Morales #68 - Hugh Bishop #61

Put this line on the ice the second you see anyone even think about laying a hand on Zikov.

… I’m only half kidding. But really, this is a solid fourth line. Hector Morales was the return for Phillippe Lemelin to Dallas at last season’s trade deadline, and after racking up 4 goals and 7 assists in 16 games, the FO decided to sign him to a one-year deal, because why not? He’s a great fourth-line center that could certainly move to the third line, and Smith-Sweeney and Bishop are a proven pairing that can do some damage. Hopefully Bishop can stay healthy this year, because we’d love to see more of that combination.

Defensemen

1st pairing: 

Dion Martinez #55 - Michael Houck #90

Martinez might have been labeled a reach when the Nighthawks drafted him in the first round in 2019, but he has simply proven everyone wrong. This pairing was on fire last year, and now with Houck expected to have an increased leadership role on the team after being given the A this offseason, expect to see major production from this pairing.

2nd pairing: 

Howard McLaughlin #62 - Dennis Nadeau #71

The classic vet-rookie twofer. McLaughlin had decent numbers last year in 50 games for the Nighthawks as a rookie (8-17–25) but his immense production in the juniors still looms. Give him a solid defensive defenseman like Nadeau as a partner and you should see a meteoric rise across the board.

3rd pairing: 

Trey O’Brien #15 - Logan Larocque #8

Larocque is another Ringtail that deserves a shot at the big leagues. After putting up a whopping +23 in the AHL last season, his fiery defense and incredible skating earn him our nomination to the show, or at least to a third pair. 

Seventh defenseman: 

Quincy Martineau

Martineau is a curious player. A graduate of Colgate University, Martineau seemingly appeared out of nowhere when the Nighthawks invited him to last year’s development camp and he blew everyone out of the water. He was a fantastic rotating defenseman last year, a shot-blocking machine on the penalty kill, and would be a great guy to keep on the lineup this year.

Goalies

Starting goaltender: Simon Dahlvig

Backup: Parker Wiley

Last season while Parker Wiley was out with an upper body injury, Simon Dahlvig went on an infamous eight-game point streak, starting every game for the Nighthawks during Wiley’s injury and putting up a seven-period shutout. He’s a Vezina winner, a Cup winner, and a future Hall-Of-Famer. He’s the starting goalie.

The backup shouldn’t be in question either: it’s Parker Wiley, who played well last year – at least for the 18 games that he did play. In the Nighthawks’ goalie pipeline, he’s the only one with NHL experience and that should put him head and shoulders above the rest of the group.

Considerations

AHL starting goaltender: Julian Richards #36

While Wiley is the clear backup, Richards might be a difficult player to cut for Bowen and Chambers. At 23, he’s been putting up .900+ save percentages for the Ringtails for the past 4 years and playing over 40 games a season for the past 3. He’ll be in the AHL, but whether they trade him or move Wiley, he won’t be there for much longer.

[cawnecny]

Tyson Foerster's 1st career NHL point!!

source

[mitchbeck]

SWAMP RABBITS BRING BACK COYLE, GET POISSON

BCHL teammates reunited: Coyle back for second season, Poisson set to make professional debut By: Mark Binetti, Greenville Swamp Rabbits GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Greenville Swamp Rabbits, proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL’s Los Angeles Kings, announced today that defenseman Max Coyle has re-signed with the team for the 2024-25 ECHL Season. Additionally, Ben Poisson signed his first professional contract with Greenville, seeking his professional debut. Coyle and Poisson join Austin Saint and Colton Young on the 2024-25 Swamp Rabbits roster, with Coyle serving as the lone defenseman announced. Coyle comes back for his second professional season with the Swamp Rabbits. The 6’1”, 195-pound blue-liner chipped in a pair of goals and 12 points in 54 regular season games and added three more Kelly Cup Playoff games to his ledger. Coyle notched his first professional point, an assist, in his Swamp Rabbits debut on November 1st at Atlanta. He rang his first professional goal off the crossbar and in to win in overtime against Florida on January 6th. “Coming in for my first pro season last year, Greenville always seemed like the right fit for me. It clearly met my expectations: our group was great and I was happy around the rink every day. That’s what brought me here in the first place and precisely what’s bringing me back,” Coyle said of his return to the Swamp Rabbits. “Last year, I experienced many highs and lows as a rookie, and had some great runs with great people throughout the season, one being Coach Mountain. We have insane respect for him as a coach and person, and I’m super happy to return and play for him. My ultimate goal is to play at the next level, whether this season or beyond. However, my expectation this season is to be the best player I can be on and off the ice. I’ve never been obsessed with stats, so consistency and being a 200-foot player every day is what I’m working on this year. Additionally, I want to contribute to a group that will grow throughout season so, when the time comes, we’re ready for playoffs in our pursuit of winning the Kelly Cup.” “Max grew tremendously over the course of last season, and I still believe he has great potential as a player. He possesses a solid and well-rounded skillset, and brings an edge to his game that makes him very difficult to play against,” Kyle Mountain, Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations of the Swamp Rabbits, said of Coyle’s return. “Max dedicated so much time to developing last season, and those hours tend to pay off. Depth is critical in this league, so when players like Max buy into the process of getting better, it instills confidence in the organization that, when called upon, a guy like Max can step up and contribute. This season, he’ll be relied upon for his steady presence on the ice, but beyond that, he brings a great energy to our room. With a full year under his belt, I expect he'll put himself into a position to help this team in countless ways, both on and off the ice.” From Tillsonburg, Ontario, Coyle, 26, began his professional career with the Indy Fuel after the 2022-23 campaign, appearing in three games. Before becoming professional, he skated four seasons of NCAA college hockey, playing with the University of Alabama-Huntsville as a freshman and Bowling Green State University for his final three seasons. During his collegiate career, Coyle notched 21 points in 127 contests between the Chargers and Falcons. He preceded his college years, winning a BCHL championship with the Prince George Spruce Kings in 2019. Poisson joins the Swamp Rabbits seeking his professional hockey debut following the conclusion of his NCAA college career, which he spent with the University of Maine. The 6’1”, 195-pound forward tallied six goals and 15 points in 37 games in his fifth season and helped lead the Black Bears to their first NCAA Tournament in 12 years. “Looking at the structure and beliefs of this team, and speaking to players and coaches, this is an organization that has foundations for winning and developing players to be best they can be. It’s a program with great character, and I’m excited to be a part of it for my first professional season,” Poisson said of signing his first contract with Greenville. “I pride myself on doing the little things right. I play hard as a power forward, strong on the walls and in the tough-to-play areas of the ice. I do my best to play responsible defense just as much as I try to put the puck in the back of the net, overall contributing a full 200-foot game. My expectation for my first season is to adjust to the professional level and find my identity to build around for the betterment of the team. Having won a championship in junior, I can say without a doubt there’s no better feeling, so I want to help this team win a Kelly Cup title through fostering team chemistry and grinding for the crest on my chest and my teammates next to me. I look forward to meeting the fans and representing Greenville with the Swamp Rabbits.” “Ben’s character was one thing that immediately stood out to me in the recruiting process. He captained Prince George to a Fred Page Cup championship in the BCHL and was a two-year captain at the University of Maine. A makeup like that exemplifies what we’re continuing to build in Greenville, and I know he’ll contribute in a number of ways even as a first-year professional,” Mountain continued, elaborating on Poisson. “Ben plays a complete game, which will only serve to help him in his first professional season. He’s sound defensively, and really buys into that side of the puck. His wall play is very effective and is an aspect of his game that differentiates him from other professionals at this level. Ben also has size and plays into his big frame, which increases our physicality and provides him with an edge to create offense and produce. We look forward to growing his game at the professional level and developing him into a high-impact player.” A native of Vancouver, British Columbia, Poisson, 24, enters the professional ranks with 31 goals, 41 assists, and 72 points in 155 NCAA games. Before college, he played parts of four seasons in the BCHL with the Prince George Spruce Kings, racking 114 points in 165 contests. He captained the Spruce Kings to the 2019 BCHL championship, with Coyle as his teammate, and was awarded the Bob Fenton Trophy in 2018 as the BCHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player. About the Greenville Swamp Rabbits … Acquired by Spire Sports + Entertainment (SS+E) in 2020, the Greenville Swamp Rabbits hockey team has been providing family-friendly, live entertainment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena since 2010. Formerly, the Greenville Road Warriors and the Swamp Rabbits are the highest-level professional minor league franchise in South Carolina. The Swamp Rabbits are the proud ECHL affiliate of the NHL's LA Kings and the AHL's Ontario Reign. Greenville is an ECHL Premier ‘AA’ Hockey League member. GREENVILLE SWAMP RABBITS HOWLINGS Read the full article

[fdarnall]

Last Game of the Season

Last night (April 17, 2024) the Tampa Bay Lightning played the Toronto Maple Leafs in what was the last regular season game for both teams. Both teams had previously secured a spot in the Stanley Cup playoffs so that from a standings point of view the game didn’t mean much for either team.

Both teams played a backup goalie: Matt Tomkins for the Lightning and Martin Jones for the Leafs. This was Tomkins’ 6th career NHL game. Lightning won 6-4 but it wasn’t really that close.

But that’s not the story. The story is what happened that nobody expected, what happened that everyone was hoping for and what didn’t happen that everyone was hoping for.

At 6:42 remaining in the 1st period Ryan Reaves scored the first Leafs goal. Reaves was playing in his 877th NHL game. This goal was his 4th of the year and his 63rd of his whole career. Obviously, he’s not getting his $1,350,000 salary for his scoring ability. [1] Really, nobody expected this.

The second event was that at 2:55 remaining in the second period Braden Point scored his 46th goal of the season with an assist by Nikita Kucherov. This assist was Kucherov’s 100th assist of the year making him the 5th player of all time to reach 100 assists in a season. This put him in some pretty good company. Others that have done this are: Wayne Gretzky (11 times), Mario Lemieux (1988-89), Bobby Orr (1970-71) and Connor McDavid (2023-24).

This puts Kucherov in the lead in the scoring race for this season with 144 points. Nathan MacKinnon with 138 points and Connor McDavid with 132 pints play each other on Thursday April 18th in the last night of the season. In that game Conner McDavid didn’t play. Nathan MacKinnon played and had 2 points. So, the 2023-24 season scoring raced ended with:

Nakita Kucherov                  144 Points

Nathan MacKinnon             140 Points

Connor McDavid                  132 Points

And one thing didn’t happen. Auston Mathews had 69 goals going into the game and was looking for one more to have a 70-goal season. That would have been amazing. 70-goal seasons have only happened 14 times and not at all since the 1992-93 season.  He certainly tried. He was on the ice for 21:03 minutes and had an amazing 12 shots on goal. In addition, he had 2 shots blocked and one shot hit the cross bar.

WooHoo! On to the playoffs!

[1] Daley News #354, October 20, 2023.

[swt-serendipity]

2021-22 Goals Game 75/82 (vs Nashville Predators)

Goal 1 - Kane Goal 2 - Kubalik (Lucas Reichel notches his first NHL career point with a secondary assist)* Goal 3 - Stillman

*Milestone Master List Addition

[seventhrounder]

[x]

[powermakar]

can you write about kent and owen back at umich and kent is feeling anxious about being 5th overall and owen wants to help him but kent doesn’t want to feel like a burden bc owen went 1st

5 < 1

Owen Power & Kent Johnson

Summary: sad, anxious, doubtful Kent with Owen coming to the rescue

Words: 714

Warnings: a few swear words and panic attacks

The sound of steel cutting ice was your favorite sound. Hockey was your haven, the thing you always came back to. You never thought you would worry about hockey ever. Until tonight. “Yo, KJ, party at my house, you coming?” Brendan asked. 

“No I’m pretty tired from the game so I think I'm just gonna go home” you replied. Owen caught your eye. He knew it wasn’t normal for you just to go straight home after a big win like this. 

“I think I’m just going to go home too, I have a pretty bad bruise forming from that shot I blocked,” Owen said. 

“Whatever, just know you’re going to miss one of the best parties of the year” Briss responds.

“Stop bothering the boyfriends, they are going home to cuddle!” Bordy jokes. You just gave a small smile, you weren’t in the mood for their jokes. You have had a bad 3 game streak of no points and only one shot on goal through those games. It was just a bad week but it was getting to your head, you’ve never gone this long without a point. 

Getting back to you and Owen’s Apartment, you go straight to your room to lie down with this heavy feeling in your chest forming. It felt like you couldn’t breathe. “Maybe some water will help,” you thought. Walking into the kitchen area you see Owen sitting there working on his econ homework. “Hey Kent, how are you after the game? You just seemed a little off but that could just be me” he asked.

Clearing your throat you respond, “I’m perfectly fine” and it came out much shakier than expected. Clearing your throat again you walked back to your room with your eyes set on the ground. Owen wasn’t stupid and knew there was more that you weren’t telling him. 

Your hands started to shake more and more as you walked closer to the door of your bedroom and your vision was starting to get blurry. “Maybe a nap will help, maybe I’m just really tired.” you quietly said. But laying down made the pain in your chest worse, so much that you were gasping for air. Tears were forming quickly and you didn’t know what to do. Owen must have heard you from the kitchen because moments later he came bursting into your room. 

“Kent, Kent can you hear me bud? I think you are having a panic attack just trying to follow my breathing, okay? We need to get you calmed down.”

“No I’m not Owen I’m fine I don’t need your help”

“Kent yes you do you can barely breathe. Please kent you are starting to scare me” Owen says looking you in the eyes. 

“You shouldn’t worry about me” you gasp “you don’t need to worry about anything, you went first overall for a reason. You can actually score some points against a stupid college team; I can't even do that! I’m gonna be cut before I can even make it to the NHL Owen, I can’t even get a shot on goal! I’m gonna be useless for the Blue Jackets”. 

“Kent, that doesn’t matter right now! What matters is what is happening now and how you are feeling. I know that you think that you won't make it into the NHL because you were drafted 5th overall. Fucking 5th overall. You don't need to go first, hell you can even go undrafted and make such a difference on your team. One bad week in collegiate hockey doesn’t define your whole career” Owen says, touching your shoulder. 

“I just don’t want to be a burden to you Owen. 1st overall is greater than 5th and you are taking all of this pressure perfectly fine but here I am Panicking over being 5th” you say shaking your head. 

“You think I’m taking this pressure of being 1st well? I’m just good at hiding my nerves from everyone, Kent. I’m so scared about going into the NHL. And please don’t feel like a burden to me over some stupid number” Owen says pulling you into a hug. 

“Thank you, Big Dog,” 

“Now if you ever feel like this again, please just tell me. I don't want to see you go through that ever again”

I have a tag list now! please message me if interested on joining it :)

@power2myheart @sophia-bordeleau @jamiedryssdale @xoxo-ceebs

[rutgersmcgroarty]

Since the draft is coming up I present to you the university of michigan 2021 draft trio:

the umich draft trio consists of 3 players that played at the university of michigan this past season and are projected to go in the top 10. You've got the one i think everyone knows, owen power who is projected to go 1st overall, matty beniers who is projected to go 2nd overall and kent johnson who is projected to go 9th. they're my favourite players in the draft and really hope yall grow to like them as much as i do because they're amazing

Kent Johnson, #13:

from port moody, bc

born October 12th 2002

played for the trail smokers eaters in the bchl before coming to umich

led the bchl in scoring with 101 points in 52 games. Was names to the first-team all-bchl. Was named canadian junior hockey league top forward of the year. Had a 46-point season as a rookie in 2018-19 and was named bchl all-rookie and interior division rookie of the year

one of the most entertaining players I've seen play at michigan and he has some amazing hands

by amazing hands, i mean that he does shit that i didnt even know existed

Finished second on the team in scoring with 27 points on 9 goals and 18 assists in 26 games. Ranked second in rookie scoring in the big ten, third in the nation rookie points per game

Started his collegiate career on a four-game point-scoring streak and had a four-assist game in his debut

was on the big ten all-freshman team, was a all-big ten honorable mention, and was nominated for the hobey baker

fun facts:

his brother kyle plays for yale

he can juggle a ball on his stick while standing on one foot

he has beautiful hair

looks scarily like someone from my math class

won the bronze medal at BC provincials he's 2nd year of peewee

a really big breakfast guy (his favourites are pancakes and crapes)

was a canucks fan, his favourite player rn is pettersson (the canucks pick 9th btw so there's a very high chance he goes there)

"at some points you cant coach him anymore" - mel pearson

Matty Beniers, #10:

from hingham, mass

born november 5th 2002

played at the ntdp before coming to umich.

his u18 season he was second on the team in scoring with 41 points (18 goals, 23 assists) in 44 games. Scored 23 points in 42 games in his first year with the ntdp in 2018-19. Got called up his u17 year and won bronze at the 2019 IIHF U18 Men's World Championship

he was the youngest player on the us world junior team and world championship team this year

this year he had 24 points (10 goals, 14 assists) in 24 games - 3rd in the league in freshmen scoring and 4th nationally. he scored Michigan's first goal of the season and started his career on a four-game point streak

was on the big ten all-freshman team and was a all-big ten honorable mention. was also on the college hockey news all-rookie team.

like to skate circles around ppl

fun facts:

he’s a really good singer

was supposed to go to harvard but transferred to michigan last minute when the ivy league cancelled it's season

he has a super cute dog named bella

his sister goes to cornell, and his dad played football there

his mom performed on broadway (which is how he learned to sing)

says that "he needs to work on his goal scoring mentality" (matthew you lead the team in scoring i think your goal scoring mentality is fine)

very smiley and bubbly

very very smart (pre-med major)

doesn't chirp very much (not surprised matty is way too nice to do that)

his mom moved to michigan with him when he went to the ntdp

his coach made him sing in front of his whole ntdp team at the beginning their u17 year (he sang the jersey boys)

Owen Power, #22:

from mississauga, ontario

born november 22nd 2002

played for the chicago steel in the ushl before coming to umich

in the 2019-20 season he was the USHL defenseman of the year and he led the league's defensemen in scoring with 40 points. he was named to the ushl first-team all-star, the ushl All-Rookie Team in 2018-19 with 28 points in 58 games.

"kid canada," youngest player to ever play for canada at the world championships

at 6'5, 214 lb he is, as tsn like to say "a big boy"

was a preseason all-big ten honourable mention, was fourth in the big ten in defenseman scoring, seventh in the big ten in freshman scoring, 2nd in the nation in freshman defenseman points per game and had a three-point (2 goals) game in his collegiate debut (as a defenceman).

was on the all-big ten second team, was a unanimous selection on the big ten all-freshman team, was a finalist for big ten freshmen of the year, was nominated for the hobey baker, was college hockey news rookie of the year, and was on the college hockey news all-rookie team

is supposed to go first overall

he has an absolute rocket of a shot, a really good stickhandler, and a really good skater

fun facts:

used to play lacrosse during the summer when he was younger, won a national championship

he likes to play basketball, so here's a video of him and the rest of the umich team playing (he airballed it and it was vv funny)

sports management major but dosent know exactly what it is

celebrity crush is selena gomez

his nickname is the big dog

was supposed to go to the ojhl but chose to go play in the ushl when the steel drafted him

takes his chicken wings with barbecue and nothing else

prefer doing school online

the first thing he wants to do next season is watch a football game at the big house

his favourite player to watch right is victor hedman (he also thinks that hedman is the best defenceman in the world rn)

had a rink in his backyard and that's how he fell in love with hockey

he would pretend to be crosby while on that backyard rink (owen arent you supposed to be a defenceman lmao)

not a big tv/movie guy, he mostly just watch's sports during his downtime (why am i not surprised)

he like to golf but is "not very good" (his handicap is a 10 which is appenrently good so)

if he weren't a hockey player he would be a lacross player

lebron is the athlete he dislikes the most

he doesn't say (chirp) much on the ice (once again i am not surprised lmao)

if matty and him got the chance to play each other at worlds (they didn't cause matty was scratched the first time and injured the 2nd) someone would have gotten whacked in the leg/foot but nobody would have really said anything

basically Michigan could very easily have 2 players picked in the top 5 and 3 players picked in the top 10. and if you haven't realised how special that class is, they also have thomas bordeleau and brendan brisson in it, which means that they're soon gonna have 4 first rounders in one class, and 6 nhl draft picks. (for context a lot of teams don't even have 6 drafted players on the entire roster)

[9116]

1st goal as a Leaf 100th NHL career PPG 500th NHL career point

TOR @ CGY | January 24, 2021

[spine-buster]

The President Wears Prada (William Nylander) | Chapter 30

A/N:  Okay, so, special announcement.....

The President Wears Prada is ending at Chapter 35.

I know a lot of you weren’t expecting this, but that is where I have planned it to end.  It’s a natural end.  Nothing will be forced.  There’s still a lot left to go, a lot to happen with Aberdeen, Willy, and everybody else, and a lot to write about.  I haven’t written up to it yet, but I know exactly what is going to happen.  I didn’t want the end to come as a shock to you, which is why I’m announcing it now.

In the meantime, enjoy this chapter!

July 1st, 2020

Aberdeen Bloom was with William on the rooftop of his condo building.  

She’d spun a wild web of lies to make sure she could be with him after he begged to see her for Canada Day.  It was a bit awkward this year, because it landed on a Wednesday, right in the middle of the week, but she’d managed.  She’d told Kasha she was with her family.  She’d told her family she couldn’t stay the whole day, and because they spent the morning and the afternoon together already, they were okay with that.  

She was getting too good at lying.

“What are you thinking about?” William asked as they lay together on a recliner they had dragged from underneath pergolas so they could see the night sky.  Though there was too much light pollution in Toronto to see a sky full of stars, there were still some bright stars in the sky along with the glowing moon.  From all the way atop the building, they could barely hear the noise from the city below.  

She smiled.  “For the first time, nothing,” she said, cuddling her head onto his chest even more as he held her hand against her heart.  “My mind and my heart are at ease right now.”

She could feel him smile.  He liked how she felt so at east with him.  He liked how he could make her feel that way in between the stress of her job and moving forward in her career.  He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed it.  “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

“Can I show you how much I love you?”

She raised her head from his chest to cock an eyebrow up at him.  “We’re not having sex on the roof of your condo,” she deadpanned.  

He snorted.  He didn’t blame her for thinking that’s what he wanted.  Ever since he got back to Toronto, they fell back into the habit of sneaking around.  Most of it happened at his apartment now, in between skating at Scotiabank Arena and Aberdeen telling Kasha she’d have to be there the whole day and not just the few hours when they boys were in.  “No, minskatt.  Something else.”

“What something else?”

William shifted his body so he was sitting up more, causing Aberdeen to shift too, straddling his lap to face him instead.  She ran her hands over his chest quickly before he took them, kissing them both, before she watched as he pulled his phone out of his pocket.  “You weren’t the only one I was talking to during quarantine.”

She furrowed her brows at him.  She knew he wasn’t cheating – he wouldn’t be risking her career and her reputation if he was just going to cheat on her – so she had no clue what he meant by that.  “What does that mean, exactly?”

“I thought you deserved some good news during the lockdown…quarantine…whatever,” he began.  “So I got Kyle to send me Max’s number.”

“Who’s Max?”

William rolled his eyes and giggled.  “Max Kerman, minskatt.  From the Arkells.”  He watched as her face lit up before he continued.  “He told me to tell you they’re coming out with a new album.  Well – new.  It’s, like, an acoustic album.  They’re re-imagining all of their songs as if you’re singing them around a campfire,” he explained.

“Really?” Aberdeen was excited by the news.  “That’s so cool.  I love when they do acoustic sets.”

“Mhm,” William nodded.  “They’re releasing it in August.  But they’re actually including one new song.”  He paused for dramatic effect.  “Want to hear it?”

Aberdeen’s eyes bulged out of their sockets.  “What do you mean want to hear it?  You have it?!”

William nodded.  “Max sent it to me.  I told him about how much of a fan you were, and he remembered you from the mentor’s trip, so he didn’t mind so long as we were the only ones who heard it.”

He could see her eyes light up like fireworks.  “Well—well of course!  I’m not gonna leak it!” she said as if Max were standing in front of them.  “Is it acoustic too?” she asked.  William nodded.  “What’s it about?”

“Let’s see,” he smiled, fiddling around with his phone, shaking slightly.  “I’ve listened to it once or twice.  I think it’s a love song.”

Aberdeen waited impatiently as William found the song.  He turned the audio up on his phone to the highest level as she heard Max’s voice count the beat in.  When the acoustic guitar started, she automatically fell in love with it.  Melodic, as always, sounding like a perfect Arkells song.  She swayed back and forth gently, and at that point, she saw William staring at her.  

I think about you all the time I can’t get you off my mind

Aberdeen’s body seized up immediately.  I think about you all the time.  I can’t get you off my mind.  I think about you all the time.  I can’t get you off my mind.  I think about you when I’m not even thinking.  I think about you when I’m not even thinking.

A rush of emotion flushed her entire body.  “Willy—” she tried to get out, her voice strained as she pushed away from him.

“Minskatt—” he grabbed her hands on his chest as she pushed away so she couldn’t push away any further.  “Minskatt, come on—”

“—Willy what did you do—”

“—Minskatt, minskatt shhhhh,” he cooed as he saw tears begin to fall down her cheeks.  “Minskatt, listen to me—”

“Willy,” she stressed, looking him in the eye.  “Willy, is this song about me?  About us?”

He nodded softly.  “I got him to write a song about you.  Like your dream.”

Aberdeen burst out into tears, covering her face with her hands as she sobbed into them.  William stopped the song and leaned forward to wrap his arms around her, bringing her into his chest to cry.  He held her tightly and placed a kiss on the crown of her head.  “Why are you crying, minskatt?” he asked.

She didn’t respond at first.  But when she lifted her head from his chest and wiped her eyes to be able to see him clearly, she finally did.  “Are you joking?  Why am I crying?” she asked rhetorically.  “My boyfriend just got my favourite band to write a song about me!” she exclaimed.

“But you like that I did that though, right?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes.  That at least made her smile.  “Of course I like it, you Costco hot dog,” she said, making him chuckle.  “But I don’t – how did you – I mean what – how—”

“I called Max, and I told him about how there was this girl,” William said.  “I didn’t tell him too much.  Don’t worry.  I didn’t tell him it was you.  But I told him what was important, and some things to include.  And he wrote it, and sort of filled in the rest with his own stuff.”

Aberdeen couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  William had gotten Max Kerman to write a song about her.  About them.  Without even revealing their secret.  And he’d recorded it.  Mastered it.  Put it on an Arkells album.  Would tour with it.  Sing it to crowds—

“The best part about it is whenever we hear it on the radio, we’re the only two people in the world who know it’s about us,” William said softly, looking her in the eye.

Aberdeen started crying all over again.  She let her face fall back into his chest as he held her again.  She cried her eyes out.  This was, bar none, the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for her, let alone a boyfriend.  She was so overwhelmed with emotion that she almost couldn’t handle it.  William, for his part, let her cry until she was all cried out – until she lifted her head again and wiped her eyes again too look at him.

“Can I play it?” he asked.  

She nodded her head, preparing herself.

I think about you all the time I can't get you off my mind If they only knew Who I've been talking to You got a place off the park I'll come on by after dark Was nervous then When you let me in

We were hanging at cross town parties, oh Just killing time until the main event

And it hurts All throughout my insides I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn So I'll call you when I'm outside You said, "The key's behind the porch light for unit two" I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you

You said that the fridge is dry But you got some red, you got some white The drunks outside Singing lullabies Slow dance swaying back and forth Whispering "What's mine is yours" When you say my name Hits in a different way

You call me out when I'm talking nonsense, oh And I'll kiss you when I got nothing to say

And it hurts (oh oh oh) All throughout my insides I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn (oh oh oh) So I'll call ya when I'm outside The key's behind the porch light for unit two And I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you

My whole life I'm scanning for the exits, oh Lying next to you I don't wanna leave

And it hurts (oh oh oh) All throughout my insides And I couldn't stop if I tried Loving you I'll never learn (oh oh oh) So I'll call ya when I'm outside The key's behind the porch light for unit two And I thought of maybe quitting But there's no quitting you There's no quitting you

By the time the song finished, Aberdeen had stuffed her face into the crook of William’s neck.  She let some last tears fall.  “You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” she said in his ear.  

“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, minskatt.  Jag tänker på dig när jag inte ens tanker.”

“Jag tänker på dig när jag inte ens tanker.”

***

July 10th, 2020

The NHL announced its Return to Play Plan on May 26 with 24 teams in competition for the Stanley Cup.  The tournament begins with the Stanley Cup Qualifiers, which include 16 teams paired in eight best-of-5 series and a round-robin among the top four teams in each conference to determine seeds for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. "I want to make clear that the health and safety of our players, coaches, essential support staff and our communities are paramount," Commissioner Gary Bettman said when announcing the Return to Play Plan. "While nothing is without risk, ensuring health and safety has been central to all of our planning so far and will remain so. "Let me assure you that the reason we are doing this is because our fans have told us in overwhelming numbers that they want to complete the season if at all possible. And our players and our teams are clear that they want to play and bring the season to its rightful conclusion." The format was determined in meetings of the Return to Play Committee, which included executives from the NHL and NHL Players' Association, and five players: Ottawa Senators defenseman Ron Hainsey, Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares and Philadelphia Flyers forward James van Riemsdyk. The qualifiers are being held at two hub cities: the 12 Eastern Conference teams are in Toronto, and the 12 Western Conference teams are in Edmonton, also the site of the conference finals and Stanley Cup Final.  A comprehensive system for testing is in place in each hub city, and each team was permitted to travel a maximum of 52 personnel, including players, coaches and staff. "Obviously, we anticipate playing over the summer and into the early fall," Commissioner Bettman said in May.  "Obviously, these are extraordinary and unprecedented times.  Any plan for the resumption of play, by definition, cannot be perfect. And I am certain that, depending on which team you root for or which team you cover, you can find some element of this package that you might prefer to be done differently.  But we believe we have constructed an overall plan that includes all teams that, as a practical matter, might have had a chance of qualifying for the playoffs when the season was paused. And this plan will produce a worthy Stanley Cup champion who will have run the postseason gauntlet that is unique to the NHL."

***

This was Aberdeen’s second training camp for the same season.  She never thought she’d ever experience a professional sports team’s training camp in her entire life, let alone two.  But her life had taken a turn one year ago (thirteen months now, if we were really counting) when she met William at that bar and had slept with him.  Everything she had experienced this year was…surreal, to say the least.  And that was just in her personal life.  Never mind her professional life.

Although the lines were blurred these days between her personal and professional life.

At Scotiabank Arena, she knew the entire team was on the ice a few floors below Brendan’s office.  She knew Sheldon was putting them through drills, making them skate laps around the rink, shoot at the net – whatever they needed to do to feel like hockey players again.  Whatever they needed to do to go all the way.  Whatever they needed to do to win the Stanley Cup.

“Aberdeen,” she heard her name being called by Brendan.  She shot up from her seat and made her way into his office.  He looked up at her through his glasses as he continued to focus on his laptop screen.  “Close the door behind you, please.  And sit.”

Suddenly her nerves got the best of her.  He never usually needed her to shut the door unless they were talking about something confidential.  “Is everything okay?” she asked, sitting.

He sighed, taking off his glasses and laying them beside his laptop.  He took a good look at her before he began speaking again.  “Aberdeen, I’m going to ask you a serious question, and I need you to think about it before answering me.”

She gulped.  “Okay…”

“Do you want to come into the bubble?”

She was shocked.  He hadn’t spoken to her about the bubble yet, and on the first instance he did, he was asking her to go into it.  This was a grand total of three days before the clubs had to submit the final list of the 52 personnel who would be going in, so she was sure she wasn’t being considered anyway.  “Me?”

He nodded.  “You’d fulfill roles for both Kyle and I, and you would be helping the content creator with the social media aspect of the bubble,” he explained.  “But Kyle and I were speaking, and as we were going through the list of employees to bring, your name came up.”

“I…me?”

“You’re reliable.  Your hard-working.  We know you’re not going to break any rules.  And fuck, there’s some extensive rules,” he picked up a heavy duotang, wagged it at her, before plopping it down on his desk again.  “But it’s going to be tough going in there.  Psychologically.  It’s not going to be easy.  Especially if we go all the way.  And believe me…we want to go all the way,” he stressed.  “That’s why I want you to think about it.”

***

“Brendan asked me to be in the bubble.”

Aberdeen and William had a bad habit of asking things or blurting things out after sex while they were lying in the bed, she with her tits out, trying to catch their breaths.  When she looked over at him, his eyes were bulged out.  “What?”

“Yeah,” she nodded her head.  “He wants me to fulfill my role and help the content creator with the social media aspect.  But yeah…he wants me in there.”

Aberdeen didn’t know what she was expecting to hear from William, considering the information they already knew about the bubble and knowing that much more information was to come, but it definitely wasn’t a decisive, stern, “No.”

It was her turn to whip her head to look at him.  “Excuse me?” she asked.  “No?”

“No,” William shook his head.  “I don’t want you in there, Aberdeen.”

Aberdeen furrowed her brows, not understanding why William was acting like this and saying these things.  She shifted so she was propping herself up on her elbow.  “William…I…what?”

“You…I…listen,” he began, sighing, “as much as I love you and as much as I’m gonna miss you when I’m quarantined in there, I don’t…I don’t know if I want you being in there.  I don’t want you to experience that.”

“Why not?”

“We’ve already gotten the rules.  We can’t be in each other’s rooms.  Aberdeen, we can’t even speak in the elevators.  It’s…I don’t know if I’d be able to do all that knowing you’re there too.  But even more important than that, I don’t want you to risk anything.  Your safety, your health.”

“Willy…” she cooed, bringing an arm up to drape around him.  In turn, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, placing a quick kiss on her shoulder.  “I know you want me to be safe, but I’ll be safe in there.  If you’re safe, I’m safe in there too.  What’s the difference?”

William continued to shake his head.  “I don’t want you to have to go through, psychologically, what I’m gonna have to go through.”

She brought a hand between them to cup his face.  “You don’t have to be the martyr here, Willy.  It’s not like I want you to go through it either.”

William sighed, nuzzling his face into the crook of her neck.  She could feel his lips graze her skin on her neck and shoulder, but he stayed silent.  He didn’t say another word.

***

July 12th, 2020

“I’ll do it.”

“You’ll do what?”

“I’ll come into the bubble.”

Brendan looked up from his desk, finally.  He took off his glasses.  “You’re sure about this?”

“Positive.”

“Because once you say yes you can’t back out.  We have to submit the names to the NHL officially tomorrow.  And once you’re in the Royal York, you can’t leave unless it’s a family emergency – death, birth of a child—”

“I know.  I read the package,” she nodded her head.  “I understand what I’m getting myself into.  I’ll do it.”

***

July 16th, 2020

Aberdeen walked gingerly into the coffee shop Brendan had sent her to.  In the middle of a pandemic.  She understood cases were now fairly low in Ontario, but she was still apprehensive.  People shouldn’t just be…going places.  Walking into offices that weren’t their places of work or coffee shops that weren’t their regular coffee shops or grocery stores that weren’t their regular grocery stores.  Places that they didn’t know.  That they weren’t used to.

Yet here she was.

She stood at the door awkwardly.  There were exactly three spaces for indoor dining when, in regular times, she knew there would be much more.  At one table, a couple sat with masks on and coffees in front of them staring at their phones.  At another, a girl who couldn’t have been older than here was sneakily taking a Snapchat selfie.  At the third—

“Aberdeen Bloom?” the woman sitting at the table asked.  Her eyes crinkled slightly, signaling to Aberdeen that she was smiling behind her mask.  “Please, sit!” she motioned to the chair.  

“Hi,” Aberdeen said awkwardly, extending her hand but then pulling it back violently before half bowing as a form of saying hello.  She was so fucking awkward.  She didn’t even know what this was for.  “That’s me, Aberdeen Bloom.  I’m Brendan Shanahan’s personal assistant.  And your name is…”

“I’m Beth Zadakis, the major features editor of Toronto Life magazine.”

Aberdeen’s breath hitched in her throat.  She was going to fucking kill Brendan.  She was going to go back to the office and murder him in cold blood.  “It’s so nice to meet you,” she said politely, thinking about the gold-plated envelope opener in Brendan’s desk she could use to stab him.  “You’ll have to forgive me, but Brendan didn’t really give me any information about this…uh, meeting,” she said.  “What is it that he needs from you?  Or you from him?”

“Nothing, actually,” Beth’s eyes crinkled again.  “It’s actually more so about you.  Brendan tells me you’re a writer.”

Aberdeen gulped.  “I’m definitely trying to be.”

“Have you submitted to us before?”

Aberdeen nodded.  “Just to the memoirs section.  I think it was Sandy who read my work, but it was ultimately rejected.  At least, that’s who I got the email from.”

Beth nodded.  “Sandy’s actually left to take a job with The Globe and Mail.  And due to some promotions and transfers, there’s actually an opening for a contributing editor – it’s what we call our writers.”

Aberdeen knew very well what Toronto Life called their writers.  She had dreamt of seeing her name on that list for years now.  “Why…I mean—how do I factor into this?” she stuttered out.

“Brendan tells me you’re going into the NHL bubble.”

“I am.”

Beth leaned in slightly.  “We’d like for you to write a feature for the magazine about life in the bubble.  The hotel, the boys, the games – everything.  Hockey in a pandemic.  A full feature, anywhere between five to ten thousand words.”

Aberdeen’s body felt like it was on fire.  She was sure her eyes were bulging out dramatically, but at this point, she didn’t care.  “I can do that,” she said, nodding her head.  “I can do that.”

“If you can pull it off, Aberdeen, you’ve got a job with the magazine.”

Her heart fluttered in her chest.  “I can do it.  I won’t let you down.”

Beth shifted slightly in her seat and took out a piece of paper.  “I’m going to write you the name and contact information of my senior editor, Alec,” she said.  “He’ll want to meet you and speak to you about the piece.  But it’s a go, Aberdeen.”

***

“A major feature, minskatt?” William’s eyes lit up at the news Aberdeen had just shared, her giddiness and excitable energy rubbing off on him quickly.  “That sounds important.”

“Is is important!  It’s the longest feature of the magainze!  Willy, it’s usually the cover!” she exclaimed.  “The—the cover!  Do you know how much of a big deal that is?!”

“I can tell from how much you’re freaking out about it,” he smiled.  He reached to grab her hands and intertwined their fingers.  He pushed them and crossed them at the small of her back before moving closer to her body and giving her a quick kiss.  “Look at you, minskatt.  I’m so proud of you.”

“Well, I haven’t written it yet.”

“Yeah, but you’ve shown me your writing.  And it’s fantastic.  So you’re gonna knock this one out of the park.”

Aberdeen knew how lucky she was to have someone like William in her life, always supporting her and always being her biggest cheerleader.  While other people had told her to pursue other things, he was there encouraging her – the silent support she always wanted and needed.  “I love you.  D’you know that?” she asked tenderly, looking up at his big blue eyes.

He could only smile.  “Not as much as I love you.”

She chuckled slightly.  “You realize if I knock this out of the park, that means I become a contributing editor at the magazine.  I become a writer.  My dream.  And that means I leave the Toronto Maple Leafs.”

“That means I can finally kiss you in public.”

Aberdeen smiled.  It did mean he could finally kiss her in public.  It meant a lot of things.  They could finally be open with their relationship.  They could go out on dates publicly.  They could go out to dinner.  She could bring him to San Remo Bakery.  They could have picnics in the park.  They could walk along the lake.  They could post on Instagram about each other.  She could finally have the name set as ‘William Nylander’ on her phone as opposed to ‘Head Empty’ (maybe she’d keep it that way).  They could do so much.  So so so much.  “It would be bittersweet leaving…” she bit her lip.  “I mean…I love my job, Will.  I love all the guys.”

“Brendan wouldn’t have put you up for the job if he didn’t think it would be a great opportunity for you,” he shrugged his shoulders.  “The guys would miss you but they know you want to become a writer.”

“But what if I can’t deliver?”

William shook his head.  “Brendan wouldn’t have put you up for the job if he didn’t think you’d be able to deliver, either, minskatt,” he said.  “I know you can do it.  We all do.”

***

July 17th, 2020

“You must be Aberdeen Bloom,” Alec Young said with no hint of any emotion in his voice as Aberdeen stood in the doorway of his large, expansive office.  As per COVID-19 protocols, there were very few people in, but apparently Alec was important enough to be in the offices working instead of working from home.  She imagined he had piles and piles of articles to edit for future issues.  She was surprised he even had time for her – granted, it was a quick lunchtime visit, but still.

“Yes sir, that’s me,” she nodded quickly, clutching her purse handles in her hands.  

“Beth tells me you’re going to be writing a feature for us, possibly,” he said.  “About the NHL bubble.”

“That’s the plan, sir, yes.”

He eyed her.  “Sit.  And close the door behind you.”

Aberdeen did as she was told, sitting in the plush chair more than six feet away from his desk – his office was that big.  She settled in but he made her wait as he typed away furiously into his laptop before he finally stopped and turned towards her.  “She told you the length?”

“Yes.  5,000-10,000 words.”

“And what we’re looking for?”

Aberdeen furrowed her brows slightly.  “I…I assume about life in the bubble.  Playing professional sports during a pandemic,” she said.

That was when he smiled.  “No Miss Bloom.  We’re looking for…more.”

“More?”

He clasped his hands together on his desk.  “We know what hockey players are like, Miss Bloom.  You’ve been working for the team for about a year now, right?  I’m sure you’ve seen the shenanigans they get up to.”

“Shenanigans?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.  The booze, the drugs, the women.  They’re professional athletes,” he said.  Aberdeen thought back to a hotel visit in Calgary where she found Mitch Marner and Jake Muzzin playing mini-sticks in the hotel hallway like they were a peewee team on their first-ever road trip; she also thought back to the snowball fight a bunch of them had in Montreal where they were giggling like schoolgirls while also deliberately aiming for each other’s nuts.  If Alec only knew.  “That’s what you’re covering for us.  The shenanigans.  Sneaking women into the bubble, the fights, the booze – everything.”

“I…” she began to protest, not knowing which words should come out of her mouth first.  “They’re…they’re nothing like that anymore.  They’re just not,” she said.  Alec looked unconvinced.  “These are guys that are bringing their gaming consoles into their rooms at the Royal York.  They’re worried about the wifi being too weak when everyone’s gaming that it’s gonna lag or something.  They’re not sneaking in women—and drugs?  I don’t even know where to—”

“Listen,” Alec said firmly, holding his hand up to get her to stop talking.  “Either you get us the scoop, or you don’t.  If you get it, you have a job here, and the guarantee that your article will be on our cover and be front page on the magazine racks and newsstands.  If you don’t get the scoop, you don’t get the job.  It’s up to you.”

Aberdeen thought back to when Mike Babcock got fired.  She thought back to getting called by Brendan late at night and less than an hour and a half later she was on the MLSE private jet.  She thought back to just before going into the locker room, and what Kyle had said to her.  “You know Aberdeen, Brendan trusts you.”  She thought back to what he said after he thanked her for not leaking the information.  “You could have sold that information to any newspaper or reporter and they would have offered you a job.  But you didn’t.”

She remembered what she told him.  “I would never burn this bridge.  I’d never sell Brendan or the team out like that for personal gain.”

And then, what Kyle followed up with.  “This city is rife with opportunity for people who take advantage of others.  But you’re not like that – at least yet.”

That was before everything.  Before she had sex with William.  Before she carried on a secret relationship with him behind everyone’s back.  Before she started lying to everybody.  Had she changed?  Was she a person, now, who would take advantage of others?  Would she take advantage of the organization that had given her so much for her dream job in writing?  Was she that person?  A person who would lie to get what she wanted?  Fabricate entire stories just to secure a dream job?

The answer, to her, was immediate.

No.

But she looked at Alec.  “I understand,” she said instead.

He smiled.  “Good.”