#This penalty was also questionable but refs are going to ref

[mooseheads]

The Avs remain undefeated after beating the Canes 6-4 this past Saturday. With their 5-0 record, Avs are #1 in the Central Division and Western Conference. Go Avs Go!

[futbol16]

Just an FYI  • Ana-Maria Crnogorčević

Request:  can I please request jealous protective anamaria over R?

Word count: 3k

Going into the Champions league semi final you were quite surprised to see that Barca would be going up against Arsenal. Nonetheless, you were excited. Especially because of how the last games ended two years ago. You knew the reds have improved their team and game a lot since then, but that didn’t stop you from picturing all the goals your team would send soaring past Zinsberger. 

You sat next to your usual bus buddy, Ana, on the way to the stadium and the two of you spent the bus ride laughing and sharing the snacks you were allowed to eat. 

“How many goals do you think we’ll score?” she questions with the same cheeky smile on her face that you are wearing, the both of you more than ready for the match.

“I reckon 2, maybe 3.” you nod confidently, following your statement by your own question. “What would you predict for the end result?”

“3-0” she shrugs nonchalantly and you chuckle at her antics, leaning into her side more. Your cheeks are dusted with a light pink shade as Ana keeps an arm around you.

 “Okay, 3-1 if we get unlucky.” You can only nod along to her words, knowing that the team is in its best form and a strong Arsenal won’t stop you from scoring.

Walking out into the tunnel already clad in your Barca jersey you take your place behind Jana. Your focus is solely on the pitch just outside the tunnel but you’re also aware of the stares of some players from the Arsenal line to your right. 

You breathe in deeply to calm your nerves and then you slowly exhale. Ana senses your slight distress from behind you and without a second thought she slides her hand into yours, giving it a squeeze. It seems like her gesture has the desired effect because the pounding of your heart is becoming less intense and you feel more at ease. Your thumb rubs over her knuckles in appreciation and the Swiss international’s heart swells at it. Just as quickly as her hand slipped into yours, you let go of it though and Ana’s eyes snap down to your hand in confusion, only to then be nudged from behind and she realizes the team has started walking out. 

The game is intense to say the least. It is apparent that even without Vivianne and Beth, Arsenal are more than capable of creating chances. Barca is doing good too and although the possession remains mostly in your team’s, Arsenal’s defense is proving to be hard to get through. 

You’re experiencing it first hand because as soon as you're near the penalty box, a certain defender takes you out in some way or another. Every single time. More than half of these tackles have been borderline fouls which frustrates you and your team on no end. Irene and Ana can barely contain themselves enough to not spring into action and give the defender a bit of their own medicine. 

The first time you were brutally side tackled, her boots catching a bit of your ankles, you thought you knew who it was. The flash of the red jersey and the aggression of the tackle is one you’ve experienced from an Arsenal defender before. However, when you catch sight of the name on her back, you’re beyond surprised to see it’s not McCabe who’s been trying to end your career. 

“Bloody hell, what has gotten into her?!” you mutter under your breath as Ana helps you up and the referee finally blows her whistle. There’s a fire in Ana’s eyes as she glares at Catley, one that you recognize in every other Barca player’s eyes too. They’re all ready for revenge. It’s a well known fact about Barcelona, any Barca team. If they mess with one if you, they won’t come out alive.

“What? Ref that was nothing, it was the ball! The ball!” Steph shouts in fury, mimicking a ball with her hands. 

“You might need glasses, honey.” Mapi retaliates and while Ingrid tries to stifle her laugh, Ana next to you doesn’t hold back. The referee interferes before it can go any further and hands the ball to Irene, telling her that the team is going to be awarded a free kick. Steph Catley’s expression falters slightly as she watches the ref write her name on the yellow card. 

“You confident to take it?” she raises an eyebrow with a small smile, knowing just how much you enjoyed shooting from long distances. 

As you stand behind the ball just halfway in between the halfway-line and the penalty area, your eyes rake over the players scattered around in front of the goal. Your gaze connects with Ingrid’s and all you need is the small nod she gives you before you’re sending the ball into another dimension with the force you kick it with. The Arsenal players expected you to line your shot up for a header but when the ball goes soaring above them and straight into the goal, they stare after it with wide eyes, their bodies still in a position that tells you they were ready to head the ball away. Dumbfounded, that’s what they were. All of them. 

In an instant you’re surrounded by the team as you do a knee slide in celebration before getting into the group hug. 

“I fucking told you they weren’t ready for you!” Ana shouts in your face as she touches her forehead to yours and you laugh at her words while your body heats up. Even as the team moves back into position, the winger stares after you with a prideful look.

Your happiness is short lived because barely fifteen minutes later and just before halftime, Frida manages to slot the ball into the goal, just out of reach for Panos. 

Despite the equalizer, the girls' heads are held high as you head to the locker room, ready for the halftime speech Jonatan would be giving. 

Ana-Maria’s hand subtly resting on your thigh grounds you enough to absorb everything the coach says like a dehydrated plant. Ana on the other hand, keeps most of her focus on you during those fifteen minutes and she doesn’t miss the pink tint of your cheeks as her thumb grazes your skin just below your shorts. 

Truthfully, the two had been dancing around your feelings for each other since the start of the season. It started when the team was out for team bonding and you ended up dancing with a girl at the bar - far too intimately you had to admit. It resulted in endless teasing from your friends and a scowl on Ana’s face. You didn’t understand why she was upset, and for the first few days neither did Ana. But as the weeks went by and her urge to be closer to you only grew, she had come to the realization that she had strong feelings for you. 

You shared these feelings, you’ve always found Ana attractive but you were scared to shoot your shot with the older woman, scared of the embarrassment you’d feel when you would be rejected. The blonde never made a move on you either, only giving small signs here and there that weren’t enough to give you a clear indication as to how she felt. She has only recently gotten as touchy as she was now, her hand rarely leaving you.

The second half of the game is a hard fought one. Frida and Stina are on the move any chance they get and Steph still hasn’t given up on trying to sprain your ankle. In spite of their clearly good advances on goal, your team has switched up their strategy as well. Zinsberger can’t catch a break in goal with each shot Caro and you send her way, and you’re proud to say that Sandra has stayed clean in your goal. The defenders are working extra hard to keep the ball away from the penalty box. 

Just as the clock hits the 60’th minute mark, Ana sends a through ball that ends up in front of Aitana’s feet who continues the pass towards you. You know you have to make a quick decision before Catley comes pouncing on you. Pass or shoot. The ball is still in the air. Pass or shoot. The red of Steph’s shirt appears in your peripheral vision, you can’t let her close. Shoot. 

With a jump, your back still facing the Arsenal goal, your foot connects with the ball in an overhead shot. On your descent towards the ground you merely manage to crane your neck and watch as Zinsberger attempts to punch it over the crossbar.

You aren’t given a second to react before a body lands on you, many following behind and you lay under the pile of blaugrana players with a satisfied grin on your lips.

“VAMOOSSS!!” 

The switch flips after that and Barca take advantage of Arsenal’s momentary discouragement. Another shot fires into the back of the goal, courtesy to Caroline and you don’t even bat an eye at the way Steph barrels into you when the game is resumed because it is only five minutes after that when the full time whistle is blown. Barca is through to the final.

You ignore the Arsenal players around you and the crowd as you dance around in happiness with your teammates, celebrating the win. 

“3-1 like I told you.” Ana winks at you and you roll your eyes at her.

“It’s not like I said it would be different.” she chuckles at you and then breaks out in a laugh when you gently shove her.

Once everything has calmed down a bit, you shake hands with the one red player you haven’t shaken hands with. You’re surprised when you’re pulled into a hug by the defender but you pat her back anyway. Steph pulls back from you though she keeps her hands on your biceps and looks you over with a smirk. 

“You made my job extra hard today, you know.” she informs you as her thumbs rub into your bicep and you let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah well I didn’t know the yellow card McCabe’s spirit would possess you.” The Australian throws her head back as she laughs and her hands slide lower on your arm before her fingers graze over yours. 

You barely resist from pulling back from her touch, mildly uncomfortable in the situation you’ve found yourself in with the defender who’s been trying to separate your ankles from the rest of your legs.

“Do you want to swap shirts?” the heavy accent rings out close to your face and she doesn’t give you time to answer as she pulls the shirt over her head. You can’t refuse now though. Steph’s hands play with your Barca kit but she’s quick to put it on once you’ve handed it to her. 

Steph’s eyes remain glued to your toned abdomen as she continues lightly praising the way you’ve played. Just as her fingertips are about to make contact with where she’s been staring, a hand slides across your torso.

You let out a breath you didn’t know you’ve been holding as you recognize the arm and your body relaxes into hers. Ana’s hand remains on the waistband of your shorts, clearly displaying not only her protectiveness but also rubbing it into the defender’s face when her fingers softly scratch the skin of your abdomen, soothing you more than possible. 

Steph’s eyes finally part ways with your abs and her head snaps back up to your face. You almost laugh at the frightened look that washes over her expression. 

“Everything okay here?” That's not a question, all three of you know that.

The Swiss international stares her down, a mix of emotions swirling in her eyes but Steph can tell none of them are good. The brunette clears her throat in discomfort, averting her eyes back to yours as she rushes out a goodbye.

“It was nice to meet you - well formally, you know, apart from the many tackles.” she huffs out a laugh but stops when Ana raises a daring eyebrow, urging her to finish. 

“Erm, well thank you for the shirt and goodluck in the final” the Australian almost squeaks out and you decide to cut her some slack as you give her a quick hug. Still, the blonde’s hand remains on the small of your back and she gives Steph one last glare over your shoulder before the defender practically sprints back to her own team. Ana snorts at that and you lift your gaze to meet the older woman.

“Thank you” you tell her sincerely as you lean into her side and you discreetly press a small kiss to her shoulder. The winger’s face heats up right in front of you for the first time ever and she struggles to say anything for a second. A smile forms on your lips as you see her all flustered. You’d be lying if you said your knees weren’t close to giving out from the softness of her eyes and the seemingly star struck expression on her face.

“I’ll go catch up with Ingrid and Frida, okay? I will see you after” you give her arm a squeeze and Ana nods at you. She stares after you as you join your national teammates while you struggle to pull on the shirt and she chuckles under her breath when Ingrid gives you a helping hand. 

“Du bist eifersüchtig” A voice speaks up next to her and Ana jumps slightly. Lia grins at her with a knowing look and Ana can’t stop herself from rolling her eyes.

“Nein.”

“Ja. Don’t think I didn’t see whatever that was just now. Oh and the hand holding before the game?” the Swiss women share a look and then Ana sighs in defeat as she finally pulls her national teammate into a hug. However, she is quick to redirect the topic as she instead opts to ask about how her friend has been doing since the last time they’ve seen each other.

A few minutes later both teams start heading inside and you hug Frida goodbye as you detach from your Norwegian group. You lean your head on Ana’s shoulder, who without your knowledge glances down at you with a fond smile.

“Hi Lia” you greet the Swiss Arsenal player and she hugs you. 

“I also better get going. See you next time” she tells the two of you and then she gives Ana a teasing smirk who thinks she knows what her friend is about to say. “Sag ihr, dass du sie liebst!” the confusion on your face is one she expected but the blonde next to you had been totally caught off guard by what she said. But, a second later, she does give a small, shy nod.

“Come, let’s not make them wait.” you follow the blonde into the changing room and then onto the bus.

It doesn’t come as a surprise to you when by the time the bus leaves the car park, half the team is passed out and deep in sleep. The dark sky outside the window can only hint as to just how late it is. You’re sitting next to Ana in one of the last rows in the bus, like usual. 

Unlike the rest of your friends though, the two of you are wide awake. You’ve always been known to be very energetic so you can’t even think of resting your eyes. Meanwhile, Ana-Maria next to you is deep in thought about what Lia had told her. 

You linking your pinkies together is what breaks her out of her trance and she turns to you. The dimmed lights of the bus give you a halo and as the light from the street lamps shine through the window Ana recognizes the glimmer in your eyes.

“What’s got you lost?” you whisper, mindful of all the girls who are sleeping around you. The blonde’s eyes are dark with desire and the urge to tell you everything. She swallows hard as you patiently wait for her to say something.

“Look Y/N/N, I just really-” she stops mid sentence, wondering if it was the right thing to tell you. You reach out with one hand to cup her cheek gently, bringing her gaze to meet yours again. 

“You really what?” Ana opens her mouth again and her eyelids flutter at the way her body heats up when your thumb strokes over her cheek. She has never felt so flustered around someone. She can feel your breath fanning against her face, only now noticing that she has subconsciously leaned closer to you. “Ana?”

“I really like you” she chokes out and she’s ready to panic but your soft touch calms her slightly. “Actually, maybe I'm in love with you. I don’t know if that’s a wrong thing, I get it if you don’t feel the same way. Just like, an FYI” she rambles in a hushed tone and you swear you’ve never seen her act so nervous. 

The butterflies in your stomach are going crazy however and you’re overwhelmed with joy knowing that the Swiss woman feels the same way you do.

“Ana, I’m in love with you too” you tell her softly - although truthfully you thought it was obvious - and her eyes meet yours. The adoration in your gaze makes her blush deeper and you smile at her, your own face heating up at the close proximity as well as the confession.

“Just an FYI” the two of you giggle quietly and you press your face into her neck to muffle the sound. Ana lets you stay there for a second before she eases your head back and her eyes move to your lips. Your mouth falls open in anticipation and you gently squeeze her thigh.

“Can I?” Ana breathes out.

“You know you can” is all it takes for Ana to dive right in and claim your lips. You softly gasp into the kiss, your senses heightened and utterly in love with the way she kisses you so passionately, like she’s been waiting for decades. It’s only for a second that you pull away to take a breath and then you’re back in, lips molding together and moving against each other in a fervent yet loving way, uncaring of the people around you. 

“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” Ana whispers against your lips while your fingers tangle in her hair.

“I’ve wanted you to do this for so long.”

[onebourbon-oneshot-onetear]

Dating Shoresy Headcannons

Writing this because it is CRIMINAL how little Shoresy/Letterkenny content there is on this website. I go feral for this man it isn't even funny. I mean, look at his smile...

Shoresy loves cuddling. He loves to be the big spoon AND the little spoon, depending on his mood.

He’s happy? He’s the big spoon all night long, pulling you so you’re tucked under his chin and his arms are wrapped around you. 

He’s feeling kind of down? You better hold onto him. He will burrow himself in your side and wrap your own arms around him if he needs to. Bonus points if you stroke his hair without him having to ask. He’s so soft. 

Very much into casual PDA. Despite his reputation, with you he isn’t as in your face with it. He likes the small gestures with you. He’s sitting? You get pulled into his lap. Standing next to him? His arm is around your waist. He’s leaving the room? Mandatory kiss on your cheek. 

His family loves you. His adopted family is very important to him so he loves how well you get along with them. Even to the point where they give you a special nickname, just like everyone else. You go to every Shore reunion, make up dances with Kayla, and are even helping Carrie and Free plan their wedding. 

You started calling him Waffles, and as sweet as that was, once you started doing it around the team he shut that down real fast. 

Speaking of the team, they also love you. The boys are now officially your big brothers. If you need help with anything, there will be at least two of them there. Sometimes they’re helpful. Sometimes they're not. But at least they try in their own way. And if a guy looks at you the wrong way then Lord help him because he will have 8 grown men beating the hell out of him. 

With that being said, if Shoresy catches a man being disrespectful to you, it is an immediate punch being thrown. No questions asked. And if the other team is chirping about you? Shoresy will be in the penalty box for the rest of the game, no questions asked (along with half the team).

You're their unofficial nurse, patching them up after scraps, games, and helping them with the occasional hangovers. Your nurse duties include homemade ice packs, the occasional wrapped ankle, and massages, but only for Shoresy. 

As much as he talks a tough game he's such a softie. He has no problem being vulnerable with you. Talking about your future together, his stress about games, his doubts. He lays it all out for you and you are always there for him. It’s one of the things he fell for when he first met you. 

You always babysit Big Sexy when Shoresy’s out of town. She even learned to say your name. Shoresy seemed a little betrayed, but when he saw how excited you were about it he was so amused. 

You go to every one of his games. In the time you’ve known him, you don’t think you had ever missed a single one. He always said that you didn’t have to go to all of them, especially the away ones, but you know that he loved seeing you there, so you went every time. Your bum was always in a seat. Even on nights he was reffing the high school games, you were there. It always made him smile, seeing you cheer out of the corner of his eye. And if he scored a goal, he’d celebrate with his team and then give you the biggest smile. 

Even Nat saw how much you meant to him. She had always known the serious hockey player, but she hadn’t seen him be serious over a significant other like this. If he wasn’t at practice, then he was with you. If there was a lull in conversation that he couldn’t fill with hockey or a smart ass comment, he was talking about you. It was nice to see that side of him. 

You are constantly stealing his hats and his sweatshirts. They smell like him, a mix of his cologne, his mint dip, and the crisp air that always lingered from the rink. You often wore them to bed and to lounge around the house and he thought it was so sexy. He loved seeing his last name (and the 69) on your back. He would think it’s the sexiest thing you could wear, until he saw you trying on his hockey sweater. He knew he would never see a hotter sight than that. 

You make sure to always have a can of dip in your car or in your apartment for him. You don’t condone it, warning him of the dangers of cancer and stuff like that, but you knew he liked to have it on hand. He definitely tried to dip less when he was around you. 

He makes sure to tell you he loves you every day. Usually multiple times a day. He’ll even send you random texts throughout the day telling you he loves you. 

He loves it when you lay in bed and trace his tattoos with your fingers. He gets the biggest shivers but it warms his heart so much. 

Believe it or not at first he was so self conscious about his missing tooth. He always wore his denture so he didn’t scare you off, but the first time you saw him without it, you demanded he never wear it around you again. You loved his missing tooth. It was a part of him, and you thought it made his adorable smile all that much cuter. 

His chirping skills have definitely rubbed off on you. Sometimes you even surprise yourself with the things that come out of your mouth, but he just laughs, pulls you into his chest, and gives you a small kiss on your temple. The man is so proud that you are just as much of a smart ass as he is. If someone is being super rude or annoying the two of you will tag team the put downs so it can be a full ten minutes of nothing but insults and sarcasm. 

The man is a space heater. He can stand outside in the snow with absolutely no problem. Your fingers are cold, he’ll grab your hand and they’re thawed in minutes. When you have cold toes in bed, you’ll put them on his calves and in minutes they are warmed up. Even if he jumps at the sudden cold but he doesn’t really mind, as long as you are happy. 

[l-e-e-woso]

Will You, Mi Amor? - Mapi Leon

Italics = Spanish

Prompt 90 - “If I ask you to kiss me in front of all these people will you do it?”

_________________________

This was one of the biggest games of your career, the Semi Final of the Champions League verses Wolfsburg.

You had expected it to be one of the toughest matches you’ve played in for Barca but it was far from it. Aitana scored within 3 minutes of the match starting which seemed to just open the flood gates because 7 minutes later Caro scored, then Jenni at 33’ which you assisted and just to top it off Alexia scored 7 minutes before half time.

As you walked back on the pitch from the changing room Mapi put her arm around your shoulders and kissed your cheek. “You just need to get a goal now amor!” Mapi chuckled as you rested your head against her shoulder as the both of you got back into position on the pitch.

“I’ll try bubs.” You say giving her a quick hug before taking your place beside Alexia who gives you fist bump before smiling at you.

The game starts back up and you manage to get ahead of the defenders with the ball and you go to shoot when you get inside the penalty box. One of the Wolfsburg defenders goes in for a slide tackle completely missing the ball and takes you off your feet.

The ref blows the whistle and signals for a penalty in favour of Barca. Alexia comes over to you to make sure you are alright after that dirty tackle. “You take the pen speedy.” Alexia says patting your shoulder and gives you the ball to take the pen.

You take the ball and place it on the penalty spot, the ref blows the whistle again, you take a few steps back and take a deep breath before running up to the ball and slotting it in the top left corner.  

As soon as the ball went in you were swarmed by your Barca teammates screaming in your ear in celebration.

The game ends a few minutes later and all you can hear is the fans singing Un Dia de Partit.

Mapi comes up behind you and wraps her arms around your waist then rests her chin on your shoulder. “We're through to the finals babyyy!” Mapi says excitedly as you rest your hands on top of hers.

“Are we celebrating by ourselves tonight amor?” You say with a smirk as Mapi blushes at your question before nodding yes.

“Baby if I ask you to kiss me in front of all these people will you do it?” Mapi whispers in your ear making your eyes go wide and turn around in her arms quickly.

“Of course amor.” You say placing a hand on her cheek before leaning in and kissing her softly, you feel her smiling into the kiss causing you to also smile and pull away, resting your forehead on Mapi’s.

_________________________

Taglist:   @sofakingwoso @dutch-gay86 @gt713 @mmmmokdok @xxforeverinadayxx  

[swissboyhisch]

My Jersey

Pairing: Nikita Zadorov x Reader

Summary: After a little rain comes sun... And thunder. Thunder in the form of a six foot five Russian defenseman.

Word Count: 1389

Warnings: Shitty Bruins fans, harassment, some puck bunny comments, borderline sexual harassment, but also hinted sexual stuff at the end!

A/N: I love Zadorov and there is NOTHING on him anywhere. He's so cute as well. Easily the best dressed player in the league. Have you seen him in those suits... WOW. If anyone has any fic recs for him... PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME! Or even just to talk about him, feel free to send in something or message me. I'm always happy to discuss him.

THE MASTERLIST JOIN THE TAGLIST HOCKEY DISCORD

You, adorning your Zadorov jersey, shuffled along the rows of the Saddledome. You had a glass ticket that was next to the penalty box for the Flames. But for now, it was time to watch their warm-ups like many of the other fans. Around you was a large group of older Boston Bruins fans already in their seats. The way they were eyeing you made you nervous. The Flames players skated out for warm-ups skating past where she now stood. 

“What are you? Some kinda puck bunny?” Someone questioned from behind you. At first, you weren’t paying attention, but a tug on the back of your jersey pulled your eyes away from warm-ups. “Hey Zadorov slut.”

You turned to them after them tugging hard enough to cause you to stumble back into the seat behind you. “I’m just a fan, can you please stop?”

“What’s the accent, huh, sweetheart?” One of the other older guys questioned. 

“Leave me alone please.”

The grey-haired guy wouldn’t let go of the sleeve of your jersey. Even though you struggled and pulled. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin the brand new Zadorov jersey. No-one around them was coming to your aid. You looked around, hoping someone would help you cause it was like he wasn’t stopping. A loud sound from behind you startled them. The guys doing the harassing looked past you. You turned to see the 6’5” Nikita Zadorov standing against the glass glaring at the group. 

“Don’t touch her,” He shouted, slamming his fist against the glass.

They seemed to listen to the Flames defensemen because they didn’t speak to you for the rest of the warmups. At the end of the 15 minutes, Zadorov came over with a puck in his glove. He smiled and pointed to you. He chucked it over the glass. You flipped the cold puck over in your hand, the Flames logo staring up at you. The kids nearby got excited but were sad when you caught the puck. One thing you hated was seeing the sad kids and there was one girl that stood in front of you that was also wearing a Zadorov jersey. 

“Here you go sweetheart,” You smiled, passing her the puck. 

The young girl got so excited jumping up and down and holding it out to show her parents standing nearby. You smiled and laughed as the kids were all bouncing at seeing a Flames puck up close. By the time you looked up from the kids, the team had skated off the ice and back to the changerooms. 

“Thank you for that,” A woman’s voice spoke up.

You smiled at the girl’s mother. “It’s all good.”

Everyone started moving to their seats after warm-ups ended. After buying a coke from one of the food stands, you moved to the opposite side of the arena and found your glass seat. Right next to the penalty box. You watched on as the stadium filled with fans becoming the ‘Sea of Red’. Something that was exciting to witness for yourself. It wasn’t long before the teams returned to the ice ready for puck drop. You were ready to watch the Flames win.

Marchand knocked into Markstrom making the ref call goalie interference. But that wasn’t enough. You watched as Zadorov skated to drop the gloves with Marchand. 6’5” vs 5’9”. Not exactly fair but that didn’t matter to a defensemen protecting his team. He screamed something in the Bruin rat’s face as he shoved him away from the crease.

“Get him!” the guy beside you shouted.

The ref stopped and sent them both to the sin bin. You watched as Zadorov skated to the one right beside you. He was pissed off and helmetless from the fight. He looked… sweaty. And sexy. He caught your eye and smirked at you. Whether he remembered you from before the game or not didn’t matter.

Calgary came onto the ice, waving thank you to the fans still in the crowd. The final score was 5 to 3 with Flames winning. Each player had something they were throwing to the fans. Some had pucks, t-shirts or hats. Many kids were back down against the glass but you just stood at your seat. Making sure to take pictures before you leave. 

Zadorov spotted you in the crowd once more. Paying no mind to the people around you. He grabbed a puck and skated across the ice. Standing before you, he held up the puck once more and made sure you knew to keep it. After you nodded he flicked it over the glass. 

You flipped the puck over in your palm again. Just like before the game. This time, on the other side of the puck, was an instagram handle. One that you didn’t recognise written in silver marker. 

“Me?”

Zadorov smirked and nodded. Tyler Toffoli bumped into him, the pair sharing a laugh. The other members of the team were heading off the ice. Zadorov sent you one more smile before the pair left the ice. You sat back down, knowing the three stars were yet to be announced. While you waited, you pulled out your phone and opened instagram. You searched the handle and a simple account popped up. A private account to be precise. As you requested to follow him, the announcers started the star presentation. Toffoli, Zadorov and Lucic were the three stars of the game which was awesome to witness. 

You followed people out of the Saddledome and continued your path down the street into the city where you occasionally went for post-game drinks. After a win like tonight, it seemed like many people had the same idea as you. You ordered your drink and found an empty table to perch yourself at. People watching was the entertainment for the night. Drunk girls dancing like nobody was watching. When in reality everyone was watching them twerk. Guys arguing over something stupid. It was like most of your solo nights out at the bar. 

“Well I didn’t think I’d see you out tonight,” A voice spoke up over the music. It was the certain Russian accent you’ve heard only in interviews.

The seat across from you was pulled out and Zadorov settled himself into it. Over the music the hollers of his already tipsy teammates could be heard. If either of you looked in the back corner of the bar, his friends were posted up. All celebrating tonight’s win against the Bruins.

“Well I decided to stop by on my way back to my place,” You respond.

Zadorov holds out his hand, “Nikita.”

You slipped your hand into his and shook it, yelling your name over the music. “So, Z…”

“A nickname already?”

“There are like 5 other Nikita’s in the NHL,” You state, “I need to differentiate them all.”

The smirk that came across the Russian’s face should have been illegal. “Yet, my name is the one on show across your back.”

“Is that how it’s gonna be?”

Zadorov chuckled, “It’s definitely a sight for sore eyes. A sexy woman wearing your jersey… It’s something most men dream of.”

Two drinks were placed on the table between the pair of you. Both looked up to see Toffoli already retreating back to the corner. Upon closer inspection, they had gotten your order correct. Zadorov was drinking what looked like stereotypical Vodka but anything was possible. Knowing athletes, a majority don’t like to drink during the season. 

“Well…” You smirk, “I originally wanted Tkachuk’s jersey but he was traded to Florida before I could buy it. Don’t you think it would have looked good on me?”

Upon hearing your words, Zadorov slid his hand up behind your neck. Gently pulling you closer over the table so he could whisper into your ear. “How about we go back to yours and I’ll make it so the only name you say is the one across your back?”

“Hm… Try me,” I retort, sending him a sly smile.

“Let’s get going shall we.”

“Sure thing Tkachuk replacement.”

On the way out of the bar, once out of curious eyes, Zadorov pulled you close and hand settled on your ass. Giving it a squeeze. “Just you wait baby. The only thing you’ll be wearing is my jersey as I make you forget everything but my name.”

TAG LIST:

@penny4yourthoughts @mp0625 @hischierhaze @11zegras @lvrzegras @francesfarhadi @cixrosie @daisysthings

[rimouskis]

in baseball there’s this thing called “umpire score cards” where the ppl who make them go through every call in a game and see how much the umpire influenced the game outcome, with the top three missed/blown calls that mathematically influenced the expected runs getting highlighted. obviously that’s easier in baseball than in hockey bc strike vs ball is a concrete yes or no question with a provably correct answer (“was the pitch in this specific area”) whereas hockey penalties are more subjective, but i wish there was something like that in hockey too so we could 1) mathematically show when refs are bad, and 2) mathematically quantify which refs are the worst

this both gives me anxiety as someone who, for several summers as a teen, was a softball umpire and definitely fucked up at least one day, and also delights me because I like to think that sid would have his own scorecard for hockey refs to furiously fill out after every game

[swifty-fox]

https://www.tumblr.com/swifty-fox/746422388427735040/actually-now-ive-thought-of-a-hockey-au-question

I JUST READ THIS i Do Not understand hockey and watched the goalie fight and i am soooo confused i thought this was like an ice stick sports game thing WHY are they doing a hand to hand combat in the middle of the ice 😭😭😭😭

the gloves the helmet the stick thrown away and the grabbing at each others THROATS??? why did it feel like they were the only people in the ice i was like '???? Is facilitating a fist fight an actual session of the game?'

and WHY did it take so long for someone to break them up too 😭😭

so i talk a little about the mechanics of a fight in this post

the hand to hand combat is a TIME honored tradition in hockey. It's part of the game, its a way for the players to let off steam and to stand up for eachother against a rival player whos just kinda being a Jackass.

SO as said there you've got your average brawl. This is a bar fight. they're pissed. This is not pre-negotiated and because it's not serving a purpose the refs are gunna get involved quickly. Sometimes they will allow this kind of fight if one of the players has been a huge ass during the game. FAFO buddy.

Then you've got your average hockey fight. Think of it more as boxing. Generally two guys will call eachother out and literally be like "yo wanna fight dude?" theres some great clips of that. this is a great one you can actually see the ref step away once both guys agree. (Lol sorry age restricted it is dudes hittin eachother)

If it is an allowed fight (agreed too, refs stepped off) you will see them hovering around once both guys have exhausted themselves or usually once someone falls to the ice. then they step in to break it up and escort them to their respective Sin Bin (penalty box)

They fight to pump up the crowd, to add some energy back into a slow game and just cause it's fun. they do take penalties for it though no matter the kind of brawl.

for that goalie fight im not sure whats going on honestly lol it may have been some event and the tendys just wanted to fight. You mostly see Tendys fight during a line brawl (literally everyone on ice going at it) And they're not necessarily grabbing at their throats but actually the plastic armor under the jersey. even though its meant to protect the players body from any number of hits or bumps or bruises It's also a solid piece of underarmor that they can maintain a good grip on so as not to fall while throwing punches. it's that white thing PeePaw Ovi is wearing here

[reginaimissyou]

.....and here we have another example of bad referring. Like yeah, it is kind of fun, but this is an automatic red card offense.

Just so we're all clear, other moments that go in the "bad reffing" column:

VAR reviews that last that long are usually a sign that the offense was not "clear and obvious" like they're supposed to be.

There were numerous instances of time wasting by Spain in the second half. Like that corner kick at 90'+3', geez.

Paralluelo should have received a second yellow for this moment (it's just a screencap) where the ball goes out of bounds, off her, and then she kicks it out again in frustration. You can literally see the ref reaching for her yellow card and then backs off? What the hell. Also her own reaction was pathetic, don't act like you don't know why the ref is glaring at you (I just hate when players do that).

There were plenty of moments where a foul should have been given and wasn't, or was given when there wasn't that bad of an offense.

I know I probably just sound like a hater and/or an trying to find ways to justify why the team I like more should have won, so two things:

Some of the penalty shot behavior from the English team was uncalled for. Like as fun as Mary Earps screaming "fuck off" is, that's also a cardable offense. And so was whatever the hell Bronze was doing to Hermoso, which was kind of dumb.

I'll say there appeared to be consistency from the ref for the most part, but her choices of what counts as a foul and what doesn't were bad.

Ugh, I'm just annoyed. This happened in the Spain v Sweden semifinal. It's been happening in other games too, I've just noticed it more significantly in these two; it begs the question, what the fuck is the point of the rule book if we're disregard it at time or just not follow it at all?

[freebooter4ever]

i dont know if this will clear anything up for you, but ill def try. so a delayed penalty occurs when the team that caused the penalty is not in possession of the puck. say someone tripped geno but sid had the puck, the refs would acknowledge the penalty, but they would delay it because if they called a regular penalty then the game would pause and the player with the puck (sid in this example) would have to stop his play. does that make sense? when there is a delayed penalty, it stays a delayed penalty until the other team, say the rangers in our example, touch the puck. the goalie can be pulled in a delayed penalty because, in theory, they dont need to worry about the puck going into the net (tho there have been cases where a team has almost put it into their own net), so they pull the goalie and throw another player out there, so they still get a man advantage.

i have no clue if that made any sense, but i hope some of it did. hockey can be very confusing, so dont let anyone make you feel silly for asking questions or not understanding something

Someone tripped geno?????? D: i dont like this hypothetical situation.

No, i joke. But thank you. As soon as someone explained it, everything clicked and it made sense! And there was that 'aha' moment when i realized exactly why the rangers were able to keep possession of the puck without much worry even when the net was empty and they were in their own goal zone. (honestly i dont think THAT specifically happened often during the regular season - i think i would have noticed? The rangers were struggling in parts of this game to control the puck in the offensive zone??? At least it seemed to me)

also thank you for offering encouragement in learning this game ^_^ i've seen some super unfun gatekeeping type posts going around on a few blogs i follow, and it does feel like there's an attitude of superiority against new fans. I am actually surprised, after going into this knowing next to nothing except the tons of historical docs i watched over the summer, that i have picked up so much over one season. Especially terms and such. Its a fascinating game!

[traveltrainsandcoffee]

THE FFL END OF SEASON REVIEW 2023/24

The summer of 2023. Australia had retained the Ashes, bloody Manchester rain and a very controversial stumping. In football Man City had won the treble in May, but the big talk in the Premiership and FFL was about Harry Kane. Kane had been in most people’s teams for many years, but was probably leaving Spurs, but where? City, United? Spain? Germany or the Saudi Pro league. Several stars followed CR7 to Saudi Arabia, including Manager Steven Gerrard with his dodgy attempted Arabic and Jordon Henderson who caused a stir after always supporting LGBT+ then moving to a country which strictly banned such things.

The FFL had been won by a Colin for the last 3 seasons. The Hawk had the title and back in May he stated that he was only a couple of dodgy weekends off the treble. Could he go even better, what about Our Grimsby Roma. In 2022 he set a world record point’s score in winning the league. Mark Taylor had led the league, but ran out of steam and players finishing second, could he challenge again. Senol Durmush and Andy Flanagan had both won cups and were among the favourites. Could Kieron Mullin get back to winning ways?

The Euros awaiting at the end of the season, but just before the season started sad news. Former work colleague and friend Steven Spence died. Spenny won the 2004 Euro FFL. Rest in peace mate.

New managers joined FFL, both had had a go in the World cup, now the real thing for Holly Shakeshaft and Blessing Charumbira. FFL had now had members from Europe, North America, South America and now Africa. It then looked like Kane was staying,  but just at the deadline Kane went to Germany and my phone exploded with managers frantically changing their strikers, well a couple missed the deadline and had to start with only 20 players. Thanks Harry. Milner was still in FFL, 3 years after I said it was the end for him Barista Sarah put him in the Team Aroma.  So as England were battling and eventually losing in the final of the Women's World cup, The FFL started, with The Hawk as the early leader, with Senol, Paul Taylor and The Knightrider best of the rest. 

September started with the return of Origi to the Premier league with Forest. Some managers in FFL seemed more interested in the size of his err, appendage than his football skills. The Hawk was starting ok, but behind the scenes all was not well, angry worried texts from him showed how many players were missing. His team was falling apart and in real trouble. A very understrength Hawk was beaten by Senol Durmush in the Bennett's Shield and went into freefall. Senol was going very well at the top of the league, but with many players injured, many FFL teams were suffering penalty points already. After a poor start Mark Taylor went for an Ice-cream with Harry Maguire at Mablethorpe. By the end of September Senol was still top, facing an unlikely challenge from Team Aroma, yes Team Aroma were doing well. That will never last.

October and VAR madness was in the headlines. A complete breakdown in communications between the VAR bunker and the ref resulted in a total mess. Liverpool and Liverpool fans felt a total injustice. Disco Lee Ritchie had a good online moan. The PGMOL stated that human error was to blame. In the champion’s league first group stage, Tappy, Sally Sands, Andy Flanagan and Mark Taylor were top of the groups. The Hawk was having a nightmare and was out. The month also saw the passing of Francis Lee and Bill Kenwright, along with World cup winner Sir Bobby Charlton. Bobby was probably England’s greatest ever player. In the league only 1 point between the top three of Jon Thomson, Team Aroma and Senol Durmush. Yes Team Aroma were still challenging. 

November and three things I didn’t expect to be saying. Cameron back in the cabinet, Farage going into the jungle and Team Aroma top of the league. Our Grimsby Roma questioned how on earth have they done this? This would be a start of a great run by Team Aroma. Aroma famous for always doing badly, famous for some very dodgy player picks were top, clear and pulling away. Definitely their greatest FFL run in their history.  Not so great news for Everton as they were deducted a record 10 points for spending far less than Chelsea, and Man City, but more than their Premiership allowance would permit. That’s fair play for you. Everton would get 4 points back on appeal, but have another 2 points taken for the same reason during mostly the same time period???  Forest had points deducted too.  Imagine how many points they would have been deducted if they had spent as much as Chelsea have in the last two seasons? Man City had 115 charges hanging over their head, but this may take till the end of time to deal with.  FFP and VAR would really spoil this season. 

More sad news as former England manager Terry Venables sadly died. I don’t think anyone our age will forget the summer of 96. Early December and a bad injury to Goalkeeper Pope would have a huge impact on many teams. With Ramsdale not playing, Allison injured and so many defenders missing, this season would see more penalty points than ever before. In the champions league second group stages it was very tight. The final games saw last season’s winner Andy Flanagan  along with Sally Sands, Kieron Mullin and Colin Fenwick through to the semi-finals. Mary Earps won SPOTY and had a Nottingham tram named after her. The AROMA TRAIN kept on rolling, they were now 30 points clear at the top and the Christmas number one. Could this be a Leicester city moment, could anyone stop them?

Over Christmas and New Year so much happened. Rishi came to Lincoln and even met Blessing’s mum in Sainsburys.. Orange netting flapping around in the wind caused panic at Blackpool tower, Klopp broke Tsimikas collarbone and the world was being introduced to the oldest looking 16 year old, Luke ‘the nuke’ Littler.  Joey Barton started mouthing off against women in football and generally making a fool of himself. My German trip didn’t go very well. Firstly Harry Kane didn’t join me in the Augustiner Keller, then angry farmers, rail strikes, delays and rail replacement buses brought misery. More sad news as one of the world’s greatest ever players Franz Beckenbauer passed away. Back in Lincoln for my birthday and that life size cut out of Divock Origi was still stalking me from behind the bar in Red5. During all this time Team Aroma were top and clear. Barista Shann wanted to make room for the trophy, Olivia started writing a Team Aroma chant. There was even talk of an open top TVR ride along Guildhall Street with the trophy, if they won. You can almost see Andy driving, with Sarah and Shann in the back holding up the trophy.  January ended with the news that Klopp would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. Lots of tears from Disco, Holly and half of Merseyside. Jordan Henderson hadn’t settled in Saudi and wanted out. I donated to Stonewall and ActionAid again, when asked on the website why I was donating I simply put ‘disappointed with Jordan Henderson’. A bit of edge crept into FFL.  A few digs at Team Aroma from some managers including Colin Fenwick comparing it to an infinite number of monkeys writing the complete works of Shakespeare. Team Aroma’s Sarah came firing back. Not with Keegan style madness, but with Shakespeare. Not since the days of Flannery , Padgham and Burnett battling with Flynny and Mullin had we seen such scenes.   

The FA cup. Team Aroma, Our Grimsby Roma and Jon Thomson got first round byes.  The first leg of both champions league semi-finals were both draws.  The FA CUP 1st round saw wins for Duncan Mackenzie who beat Gareth Dyke, Danny Lawson hammered Holly, Pam Taylor beat Andy Flanagan and Kieron beat Blessing. The tie of the round saw FA cup holder Senol beat Disco Lee Ritchie by 2 points. Blessing overlooked this disappointment and started crowing about Arsenal winning the league this season. Colin Fenwick won his champions league semi against holder Andy Flanagan, while Kieron beat Sally in the other semi. These were good days for Our Grimsby Roma, a Champions league final, starting to close the gap on Team Aroma and last 8 in the FA cup. Possible treble?  The second round saw Jon beat Duncan, Kieron beat Danny and Colin beat Pam. Senol beat Team Aroma. More bad news for Aroma as the lead was being chipped away. Sad news as German world cup winner Andres Brehme died. Under pressure Roy Hodgson ended up in hospital and eventually left Palace. Liverpool WON the EFL cup, ‘beating the blue billion dollar bottle jobs’ Chelsea, not my words, but the words of Gary Neville.

In the FFL, the dream was over. After leading for 3 and a half months, key injuries saw Team Aroma slide down the table. Both Kieron Mullin and Colin Fenwick were going for the treble. The champion’s league first leg saw Kieron get a 2 point lead. Penalty points were hurting so many teams. Jon Thomson was 3 points clear of Kieron with Danny Lawson 3rd. The FA Cup semi-final saw Jon beat Kieron and Colin beat Senol. This ended Kieron’s treble dream and Senol’s hold on the FA cup. As Easter approached Jon had 15 point lead at the top.

Easter and it's very tight at the top. The penalty points have kept scores lower this year, but it’s very close between Jon Thomson, Kieron Mullin, Colin Fenwick and Danny Lawson. There was a national outcry as Nike changed the England Flag on the England shirt, not to mention the price £125. In FFL in one week every single manager apart from Holly got penalty points. Kieron Mullin won the first trophy of 2024 in winning the champions league. This was Kieron's 13th FFL trophy, an FFL record and the end of Colin Fenwick treble dream. It was also around this time that we were all introduced to the term 'Pickfordsexual' now I'm pretty clued up on the modern gender and sexual spectrum, but this one was new to me.

Harry Kane left spurs to win titles, unfortunately as the saying goes 'you can take the boy from Spurs, but you can’t take the Spurs from the boy' for the first time in 12 years Bayern München didn't win the league. Poor Harry, you really should have joined me for that beer at the Augustiner Keller.

 

By April Jon was 13 clear at the top of the league and preparing for an FA Cup final. Possible double. A bad couple of games for Arsenal saw them lose ground in the league and out of Europe. Blessing who had been very confident of their success was crushed, so much so that he started quoting Friedrich Nietzsche. This along with Sarah Henderson quoting Shakespeare makes you think ' whatever happened to the days of people shouting I would Love it if we beat them, love it.' More sad news as Joe Kinnear died, I remember seeing him as a manager on the touchline at a couple of games.

 

Late April and something very strange happened. Everton who started to improve beat Forest 2 nil. However 3 possible Forest penalty shouts were not given and VAR didn’t get involved. Forest issued a statement after the game accusing the Premier league of putting a Luton fan in the VAR box and that they were considering their options. This felt like full on tinfoil hat conspiracy time. Who was to blame for this very miss-guided statement? Nuno, The strange Greek owner or Mark Clattenburg in his vague ref advisory role at Forest. Most of the footballing world came out and condemned Forest. The FA talked of charging them with bringing the game into disrepute. Then shortly afterwards Clattenburg left his role at Forest. 'Clattenburg, you will go on my first whistle.' The FA Cup final was an all Italian affair as Juvejon played Our Grimsby Roma. Klopp and Salah had their touch line bust up, I was watching the game in a pub in Norwich with Holly Shakeshaft. We were given the true London stadium feel as the TV screen was about 5 miles from where we were sat. Colin Fenwick won the FA cup final by 4 points to win his 3rd FFL. Liverpool had found Klopps replacement, A Dutchman who looks like a cross between MVG and Matt Lucas called. Arne Slot.

May and the FFL was becoming a 2 maybe 3 horse race. Jon Thomson was top, with Kieron Mullin 2nd and Our Grimsby Roma 3rd, but 15 points back.  Leicester City were heading back to the Premiership, Bayern were knocked out of Europe and Kane would again finish trophyless.  The hammer blow, the KO came in the final few Man City games. Defender Gvardiol, who had missed a chunk of the season started scoring goals and keeping clean sheets. He got Kieron 12 points in only 2 games. Going into the final Premiership weekend Kieron was 15 points clear of Jon at the top.

The final weekend of the season saw Usyk beat Fury, Man City win their 4th Premier title in a row and Liverpool fans said their tearful goodbyes to Klopp.  Kieron Mullin had all but wrapped up the FFL title. A now 17 point lead and with similar players left in the FA Cup meant he couldn’t really be caught. Moyes left West Ham, Pochettino was sacked. Luke Littler won the Premier League of darts and Rishi called a general Election. During his attempt at being a normal bloke he asked a group of Welsh guys if they were looking forward to the football (Euros). Wales haven't qualified.

The FA Cup final saw a mix up in City's defence and Utd go one up, two, no its offside , but soon it was two nil. Final few minutes and it 2v1. Utd hang on and win the FA Cup. No double for City, but is Ten Hag still getting the sack?

 

So Kieron added The FFL title to his Champions League title a record 14th career trophy, amazing when you consider he got -50 in penalty points. Jon Thomson took second place and Colin Fenwick 3rd. Colin also won the FA Cup. Team Aroma had their highest ever finish of 8th and made the champions league for the first time ever. A brilliant season for them, but it all felt disappointing after once being 30 points clear at the top, Andrew, Sarah, Shann, Olivia and the rest  lamenting what might have been. The final champions league spot went to Blessing, by just 2 points over Tappy.

Thank you for a great Season, really great fun, soon be time for Euro FFL and we go again for the main event starting again in August

2 Final thoughts.

1. Will Kane ever win a trophy?

2. Can Team Aroma repeat this again next season?

MT

[alexbkrieger13]

Well the Viaplay commentators Per and Saga (who btw aren't journalists but a former Sweden U23 coach and a current player for Malmö FF who've previously played in Damallsvenskan for LB07 and have played college football overseas), after the game yesterday aren't the only ones to put Lina Hurtig outside of a World cup squad. It's been predicted on different Swedish football pods too.

I can see where they're coming from and it's not just about now when she's injury free she's a definite call up. She hasn't started many games for Arsenal when she wasn't injured. And iirc she was injured twice this side of the year? The second time was when she had a surgery done.

She has barely played this side of the year and isn't gamefit. Then there's the issue of exactly how injury prone she is - will she be able to play many 90 minutes games? Then there has been a long standing critique against her she's too timid on the pitch. It's been wished for her to be more forcefull and confident and to bring out the game everyone knows she has within her.

Last summer after the Euro, a Sweden team doc said something along the lines with the increased amount of games for the players, the medical and physio staff would have to take the physical load more into consideration (when telling Peter how many minutes each player would be available for before games).

We know Peter wants brave players who dare to take risks and not play it safe all the time but obviously not take dumb risks and not do the same mistakes over and over again. His players are allowed to make mistakes as long as they learn from it and grow from there. It makes especially players with a first call up and a first cap like Sandberg feel confident and safe. We also know for championships he wants players who can play many minutes, many games and players who can come in and perform directly.

If Lina had been gamefit and not so much injured it wouldn't be a question mark. If it's between say Blomqvist and her it's possible Blomqvist would be given the nod. She hasn't played much for her club either but has performed lately in the games when she came off the bench and hasn't been much injured. She's also been called up before to championships and has performed. Still fuming over the lousy VAR refs at the Euro last summer who didn't know how to draw the lines correctly. How many goals did Blomqvist have ruled out for offside again? Three? Glad she in a qualifier soon after got to score.

var at the euros besides the penalty over turn was so against the swedes it was bizarre. with lina im going more back and forth on. shes a know player and if shes able to be healthy for the wc then i'd be pretty sure Peter will pick her that being said if given all those reason mention result in her not being chosen then tbh it wouldn't shock me tbh

[thedawningofthehour]

Dance mom dance mom dance mom

Leo would play basketball, and join the chess club to annoy Donnie.

If they're going to Yokai high school then Raph can wrestle. (I don't even want to think about Yokai wrestling weight classes) I remember talking about this with the LSOW series, Raph would definitely enjoy playing football but it would be more a question of when he killed a guy, but since Yokai kids are more durable maybe he could get over that fear. (I also made a joke about him curling, but since this is New York and not Minnesota-)

Donnie would do track and maybe swim/dive, but I feel like he'd also be very busy with crazy advanced classes and joining all the nerd clubs. (robotics, chess, mathletes...) Plus you can't tell me the twins wouldn't be theater kids.

Mikey I feel like wouldn't be that much of a team sports kid. He'd probably do gymnastics or dance team, and follows the twins to every audition.

It doesn't even need to be an au think of Draxum going to Cassandra's ice hockey games. She gets thrown in the penalty box and he's down there starting a fistfight with the ref. It gets even worse when the fam signs Junior up for youth soccer to get him out of the lair, then he has Draxum and his mother (who is the same age as him) screaming at him from the sidelines.

And April is generally too busy being April for sports, but she'd totally play a bloodsport like lacrosse.

I wanna figure out some sports the turtles would play for the Draxum raises the turtles au but I know nothing about sports lol

[aamoxie]

As someone who played ice hockey as a teenager, when someone said Hockey Au, a switch in my brain flicked on and I went into a haze. Next thing when I woke up, there was this mess. 

It is a Rink AU, with Wolf boys and Vampires and D.A.M.N Squad at the end for a treat.

Hockey team:

-David: Defense, Captain. He is a great leader, and everyone on the team looks up to him, but he is always worried he only got captain because his dad is the coach. (It takes the whole team to reassure him to eventually get him to realize his potential. David takes a more defensive approach to defense, preferring to hang back and watch the plays. He is constantly yelling out plays, and has the most assists. (most of his assists are Asher)

-Asher: Wing, Notorious trash talker/ major flirt with the other team. Constantly spouting one liners as they set up for the puck drop. Usually this ends up with him becoming a target for the other team. David makes sure to make questionably legal hits at anyone who tries to go after Asher. Asher is the head empty type when he plays. If you ask him what he just did 30 seconds ago, he will not remember. His body just does what it does. He has been playing for years, so his body knows the right moves. (he has just enough consciousness to hear david call plays).  

-Milo: Center, short and angry makes him able to zip right past people. He is able to weave in between the other team, making himself basically untouchable (mans stole the invincibility star from mario). Milo gets into the most fights, and his team has to hold him back. He also get the most invested in the games, getting super excited at wins, but taking loses the hardest. Milo is also the best puck handler on the team, basically breaking peoples ankles when he moves around them. He also has the most goals, just because he is able to handle the puck so well.

-Darlin: Defense, but very offensively aggressive. Not afraid to absolutely body someone. Especially in front of the net. They will push and shove until you are no longer in front of the net. They also will chase the other team into the corners head first at full speed. (Darlin should have the most penalties, but they know how to do it behind the ref’s back) They also have the hardest slapshot on the team. Everyone knows to stay out of Darlin’s way when they are practicing slapshots, or you are going to leave with a puck sized bruise. 

-Christaian: is the goalie

 Amanda: plays for an all girls travel team, but since it is so far away she practices with the Daliah team. Amanda and Darlin like to talk smack with each other about team gossip

Gabe is the coach, and is a pretty good one at that. He is able to recognise everyone’s talents, and put them together into a cohesive team. Everytime he coaches, the team gets into the playoffs at least, and they have quite a few tournament championships under their belts as well as a state championship medal or two.

Mama Greer is the team mom, taking care of everyone. She also is the team doctor, making sure every injury is treated properly and given adequate time for healing. If you do not follow her directions exactly, you get the disappointed mom glare. And Mama Greer’s glare is one that could make grown adults cry. 

Figure skaters:

Angel: has been skating since they were a kid. Best overall skater in the rink. David tries to get closer to angel under the guise of “improving his skating”. Angel sees right through that. 

Baaaaaaaaaaaabe: New in town, and becomes Angel’s rival for a little bit. This eventually culminates when they both get minor injuries and have to sit on the sidelines for a bit, where they become best friends. From that moment on, they are attached at the hip. Asher and Baaaaabe get together over time just by the fact that Angel and David are always hanging out as well.

 Double dates at the rink just end up happening because the Angel, David, Baaaabe, and Asher basically never leave. When Asher and David are practicing or playing, Angel and Baaaaabe are watching. Vis versa when Angel and Baaabe are practicing and performing. But they each have their own little secret spot in the rink where each couple goes to hide for time alone. 

Alexis: is the most graceful of the ice skaters. She started as a dancer, but found a love in skating. She looks down on the hockey players, saying that they destroy the ice. (to be fair, she did end up hurting her knee pretty bad because of a crack in the ice, but still). ((and the hockey players also don't care for the holes the figure skaters put in the ice)). While not overtly rude, sometimes her compliments could work as insults. But she is very dedicated to her craft. She goes to the rink early in the morning to practice, and will come back in the afternoon to continue. Being a year or two older than Angel and Baaabe, she has a soft spot in her heart for them. But she does not understand why they would spend time with hockey boys. (she also used to be pretty good friends with Darlin, but the Sam situation messed it up, ((hopefully they will be able to make up))) 

Vincent: is the best male figure skater in the area. He wins almost every competition in the state. Him and his adopted sister Alexis are the talk of the state, two prodigy skaters. (Alexis always reminds Vincent that he is only the best because there are like no male figure skaters, and Vincent says that he still has more medals than her, so she can shove it (William has broken up many fights over this)). Vincent also is a huge flirt at the rink, flaunting his skills and going to “help” poor unfortunate souls who need some help skating at the public sessions. This is how he meets Lovely, who was dragged out by their friends. 

Others:

Sweetheart: Instead of ice skating, Sweetheart actually plays roller derby. Darlin is also on the roller derby team, so sweetheart goes to support them. A feisty ball of speed catches their eyes, and they stalk Milo on social media for a whole month before Darlin forces Sweetheart to talk to him. After many hours of psyching themselves up, they eventually ask Milo out at a coffee shop he frequents. Their confession is very messy and they stumble a lot. Milo is very confused, and rejects them at first. But after seeing Sweetheart hanging out with Darlin and being their natural self, he falls for them. Milo teaches them to skate on the ice, and Sweetheart teaches Milo how to skate on roller skates. While it is unfortunate that they will not ever really be comfortable in each other's rink, it just means that they have to hold hands to stay stable. 

Sam: He used to come to the rink to support Alexis, and eventually ended up getting a job at the rink just for some extra cash. He ends up liking the meditative effects of skating just for fun, spending many nights at public skating sessions, skating in circles with Alexis and enjoying the moment. After the break up, he keeps the job, but stops coming to the rink just for fun. While walking around the stands cleaning up trash, he runs into Darlin sitting in the bleachers during their teams practice. (Darlin got a concussion last week, and Mama Greer prescribed 1 weeks rest). They eventually end  up talking about Sam being around the rink less, and Sam jokes that he doesn’t have a skating friend anymore. Darlin volunteers for the skating buddy position, and well the rest is history. 

Lovely: They do not skate. Vincent tries to get them on the ice, promising that he will not let them fall. Very occasionally, Lovely will relent and let Vincent take them out for a couple laps, before they complain their feet hurt. Lovely much prefers to watch their man from the sidelines, rather than when Lovely is too busy trying not to fall. Lovely has many photos of Vincent skating, some of them at less than flattering angles. 

D.A.M.N. Squad: Once in a blue moon, the DAMN squad will go to the rink to let some steam off. The freelancer is the best out of the squad, because they practice with Gavin occasionally. The next best is Lasko(for the same reason as Freelancer ;), followed by Damien then Huxley. Damien always quits first, preferring to sit on the side and read or study. Huxley sticks to the wall, his legs trembling like a newborn deer. After 45 minutes of skating, Freelancer and Lasko are able to coax Huxley off of the wall by promising to hold him so he doesn’t fall. 

Gavin: His untapped talent will remain unused, since he only likes to skate when the freelancer goes. All of the skaters who have been practicing for years are surprised when they see someone with rental skates doing pretty well on the ice. His hands are always on the Freelancer, making sure they are stable. 

Caelum goes to the rink for the hot chocolate. (The freelancer orders for him)

Dj anxiety plays the music for the rink, and that is why it always slaps.

(If you get this far, thank you for listening to my ramblings.)

[nuckswriting03]

imagine...

Being Neighbors with the Hughes family

~ Meeting them when you move in across the street

~ first meeting all three boys after their mom made them go say hello

~ BUT, getting to really know them when they needed a referee for a street hockey game they had with their friends

~ becoming like a sister to some of the players

~ if you are a really good baker/cook; making dinners to give their mom a night off from having to make dinner for three pro hockey players and sending them back to their teams after breaks with containers filled with cookies

- you are a myth with their teams, that is if they share the baked goods you give them

- some of the wags for Jack and Quinn’s teams finding you on Instagram and asking you to give them your recipes cause their significant others will not shut up about the baked goods the brothers brought to their teams after break

~ if you play a sport; having the Hughes family come to your games as much as they can

- and god damn can you tell when the boys make it to one of your games

~ having hoodies from all their teams

~ shocking the guys when you ended up at their house for movie night wearing a hoodie that said Hughes on the back

~ Owen knowing that Luke gets pissed when you wear hoodies that support countries other than the US so he gave you a Canada hoodie for your birthday purely to anger as many of the boys as possible 

(and him purposely choosing one that doesn't have a last name or a number on the back so that they don't know who gave it to you, and you would never tell them who gave it to you) 

~ “WHO IN THE HELL HAS THE UTTER AUDACITY TO GIVE YOU A -BLEEP- TEAM CANADA HOODIE?!?! ALSO WHY WOULD YOU EVEN ACCEPT A TEAM CANADA HOODIE, TRATOR” - Luke, probably while adding every Canadian hockey player on his team to a list of people to question

~ “I'm Canadian, you idiot.”- you (if your not Canadian than you can choose your own reason, I suggest that the hoodie either smells like the forest after it rains or like maple syrup)

~ they still don't know who gave it to you and that makes all of the people who know laugh when they see you wear it

~ I think that the Hughes boys would be protective idiots

~ like they would see you rough housing with someone and would pull them off of you only for you to tell them that its your sibling coming home from school or their respective sports

~ I can imagine the wags or even the players going behind the boys backs to surprise Quinn or Jack with you coming to visit them for a game in their respective cities

~ like I think some players would just get sick of hearing the brothers babble about you so they beg you to come to a game to shut the boy up even if it’s only for one night

~ just wearing a plain outfit with no designs or logos to any game that involves two or more of the brothers playing against each other so that you aren’t accused of favoritism towards one of the boys

~ being the designated ref for road hockey games and making up the stupidest penalties

~ like there is a penalty if their celly is complete trash, a penalty if they miss the net and the ball rolls halfway down the road

~ essentially each time you play a game the reasons for penalties gets stupider and stupider

~overall just being like a big family

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks for reading, if you want me to continue this then please request a part two.

-Mollie

[idontlikeem]

hi!! i was curious from a wild's fan if this level of physical play is customary?? and how you feel about it being directed toward pens...to be honest i am quite scandalized.

alright so, yeah, let's talk about this. i've been sitting on this ask since thursday's game because i wanted to get my thoughts straight about it.

below the cut you will find my thoughts on the wild's recent heel turn, along with a little bit of musing on how we got here and hockey culture as a whole. it's long. i'm sorry. let's gooooo:

the western conference, for the most part, has always always been a much heavier, more physical conference than the east. if you exclusively watch the pens (or one of the other eastern conference teams, i'm not sure if i have too many followers who follow other teams that extensively but if you're one of them, hi! who are your other faves and why?), it probably comes as a surprise whenever we play one of those western teams. they're bigger and meaner and play rougher hockey overall.

the wild have been no exception, especially this season. their 'third line' (i put that in quotes because the wild head coach vehemently disagrees with labeling and numbering his lines like that, and he does tend to roll them more and distribute ice time more equally than a lot of other teams do), which you'll see referred to as the GREEF line, has only four goals against when they're out on the ice together this whole season (the second fewest in the league, with more than 100 more minutes more than the line ahead of them—if you want to look at how other lines stack up, go to moneypuck.com!), and a LOT of it has to do with their big, physical presence. they have spent all season bullying other teams' top lines off the puck, while also managing to score a tidy number of goals themselves.

i don't have a problem with that. this is hockey—big hits, consensual fights, physical play, that's all part of the game. you're not gonna see me sitting here condemning the heavy, rough side of hockey, because i like it, and i think for the most part the players do too.

HOWEVER.

cheap shots—crosschecks after goals, shoving people with their back to you when you're close to the boards and it's totally avoidable, etc—none of that has a place in the game.

the wild have played with an edge all season. they're a good team, they had a guy who could step up and prevent other teams from taking liberties with the skill guys, and they haven't been afraid to deploy him.

there's a difference between making sure stuff stays respectful, though, and having people goon it up with intent to injure.

since the wild traded for middleton and deslauriers, they've been stepping over the line more and more frequently, in my opinion. every hockey player is gonna make a questionable play from time to time, that's how the game goes, but i've watched them since the trade deadline, and there's a difference between having a heavyweight to keep the game in line (foligno) and specifically employing goons that embolden the rest of the team to play loosey-goosey with acceptable behavior.

i don't think kevin fiala intended to hurt jason zucker on that play. for the most part, with some exceptions, i'm pretty sure most pro hockey players, these days at least, aren't actively looking to injure their opponents. however, he didn't have to make that hit. he could have pulled back. jason was in a vulnerable position, he wasn't facing kevin at all, and they were incredibly close to the boards. that's a dangerous play, and it was a play kevin had time to pull back on and avoid. he didn't. and that's what i don't like.

so, this leads me to, if the wild ALREADY had a heavy style of play, why did they trade for two enforcers?

the answer is simple: that's playoff hockey, babey. the wild are gearing up for the postseason.

it is known that playoff hockey is a totally different game than regular season hockey. penalties basically don't get called, and the refs that already purposely miss a lot of shit in the name of game management swallow their whistles even more. teams that succeed and make it through the postseason have to have a combination of size AND skill—you need elite playmakers and scorers AND heavies who can keep the other team in line and dissuade them from roughing up your stars at any given opportunity.

this is how it's always been. the league sometimes comes out with flaccid statements that they're going to enforce consistency among the refs, they're going to call the rulebook, they're going to crack down on crosschecking or whatever the penalty of the day is....it never happens. never.

so, when i'm looking at my beloved wild inching over the line of acceptable play (in my opinion only, of course, please do not take this as me making an authoritative statement at all), i am disappointed, i don't like it (and i wouldn't like it no matter who the opponent was), and also....

how do i blame them? this is a team that's all-in for the stanley cup. how do i say, no, don't get bigger and tougher and meaner when you know it's the best way for you to make it out of your division; you should instead sit back and let your skill players get tossed around the ice and get knocked out?

the problem here isn't the wild. it isn't the western conference. it's not even the players.

it's the reffing. it's the culture of hockey, which is still being stifled at the top by old-school dinosaurs who hate skill games and gloat over fourth-line plugs taking potshots at kids for having the audacity to be better.

think about what the commentator says in that clip. "you wanna skill it up? you better be prepared to get punched in the mouth". what the hell is that?

that line, and his smug gloating 'wow wasn't that fun~' attitude the whole time, to me encapsulates EVERYTHING that's wrong with the prevailing attitude around the sport.

as long as we have men like that calling the game, in the upper echelons of the league, guys who are stuck in the 70s and want to see career-ending fights instead of displays of elite skill and puckhandling, nothing will change. teams will continue to add enforcers and goons to bolster their playoff chances. teams that don't will get knocked around and risk injury to their stars. and the game will never, ever grow.

new fans don't want to see trevor zegras get crosschecked to the ice because some no-skill dick who's had one goal all season decided to have a temper tantrum over his team playing like shit and getting run off the ice. they want to see the fun, flashy plays. they want to see the lacrosse goals scored by guys with personality. they want to see sidney crosby putting on an edgework clinic and feeding his wingers with gorgeous, impossible passes. they want to see evgeni malkin deke around three defensemen and sniping in a goal. they want to see connor mcdavid skating past an entire team like they're standing still. they want to see auston matthews make it to 60 goals in a season. and, hell, they want to see big, clean hits and fights that both players agreed to in advnace.

they don't want to see some no-name ending a young star's night, and potentially his whole career, because he's having a hissy fit that his team sucks and decided to continue punching a guy who was already on the ice and wasn't engaging any longer.

i don't know how this gets fixed until the league as a whole realizes that people aren't interested in watching brain injuries occur live on TV. what will it take to get them to that point? i think it involves getting off the carousel of 'let's keep hiring the same 50 guys for GM and coach' and bringing in fresh voices that can speak for what new, younger fans want.

the reffing this season has been HISTORICALLY bad, and all that does is encourage this shit. i know the GMs allegedly talked about it during their meeting last week. but that's just talk. is anything actually gonna be done about it?

i don't know. i sure hope so. something has got to give.

[gotham--fc]

The league isn’t super clear on penalties awarded after the fact, I think that for that game misconduct that Taylor Wenczkowski got after the game I don’t know for sure but I’m assuming that Ottawa requested a review on that play and that’s why the league reviewed it, so I can see Montreal doing the same thing, for that hit on daoust, and then especially for the 2 minute roughing from Howard where she ripped the players cage off and punched her, I can def see Montreal requesting a review for a game misconduct for that, but they’re not clear on how things like that work and I hope the league eventually clears up how that process works

Also! The refs can review plays on the ice, they’ve done it a few times where they call something a minor or whatnot and they can once the play has stopped go to a review. We’ve seen it on the Wenczkowski hit, the roque situation, and then we saw it today after the big fight where the refs came together and reviewed the play to make sure they had the right players in the box, so they had the ability to review Howard’s check but obviously they chose not to, but I also feel like refs are hesitant to make big calls I think they don’t want to call something a major and then be proven wrong so they don’t make those calls and then when they do it raises the question of why they make or don’t make calls

despite the massive amount of jail time we saw…those refs called about half of what happened