#support minor league hockey

[pierrelucdisaster]

Hey, in pretty cool hockey news the Kalamazoo Wings of the ECHL signed Mariah Fujimagari to a professional try-out today!

credit

She's played in the PHF for the Connecticut Whale and in Sweden for AIK.

If this wasn't reason enough to support the K-Wings they also host a hockey is for everyone game where they paint their ice in a rainbow color scheme. They've done it the past few years!

Support your minor league and professional women's hockey teams!

Check them out and all the other ECHL teams here.

Congratulations, Mariah!!!

[blusical]

By the way, if you don't feel like watching the NHL (or even hockey in general) this year because of all the bullshit that's happened, don't feel bad. Don't force yourself to watch this year if you don't feel like it. Feel free to skip a year or even a few select games.

[httpsserene]

𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥 - 𝐥𝐬. 𝟏𝟖 | 𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝟒𝟎𝟒: 𝐏𝐍𝐅 |

𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝟒𝟎𝟒: 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 - 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐰𝐨

summary: if you love her, you have to let her go. who the hell came up with that? content warning: vacation romance. profanity. a couple of suggestive lines. one line of dark humor (toaster bath). fluff and angst. sibling dynamics (bullying). friendship. hard launch (but sad). emotional support esteban ocon (shrugs). heartbreak. this might count as getting together/breaking up. pairing: lance stroll x fem!black!reader

from serene: i feel like i have to reiterate that this does have a happy ending (in the next part). i think my tags are over dramatic asl but, i’m not trying to getting jumped in my inbox for miss tagging anything. also, i know lance isn’t a “popular driver” (whatever that fuckin means) but i’m in love with this smau, and i will not be accepting any judgement xxx

⌕ prev | join taglist | requests & feedback | table of contents | series toc | next ↻

instagram • ynplays • december 14th • cozy in a cabin ⚑

liked by valkyrae, yourbestie, segagenesisthedawg, and 43,879 others

ynplays: falling love with canada🇨🇦🍁🏒⛸️🌨️

tagged yourbestie, segagenesisthedawg, nhl

view comments

ynplays: sega cries after he walks us back to our room at night and leaves 😫

➥ user1: she’s just a liddol girl 🥹

➥ user2: the puppy has spoken u have to keep him i don’t make the rules 🤷🏿‍♀️

➥ user3: so...you have no choice but to run away with him into the sunset.

yoursister: booooo we get it you've been brainwashed by a canadian man 🙄🙄🙄

➥ ynplays: when was the last time you smiled today

➥ yoursister: it's difficult when ALL you do is yap about your crush on this hockey-core man 🤢

➥ ynplays: he gives himbo hockey player IM TELLNG YOU !!!

➥ user4: so he's canadian 😶

user5: his name starts with an L, he's approx 6'0, is brunette with brown eyes, and he's canadian with hockey player vibes👐🏻

➥ user6: i could walk two (2) steps outside of my house in ottawa and i'd run into a man who fits this description 😭😭

➥ user7: he sounds like every other bitch???

➥ user8: let's go through every minor and major hockey league roster again

➥ yourfriend1: "again?" who TF has time for that

user9: tagging THE nhl is crazy 💀

➥ user8: i'm telling you he's a hockey player

➥ user10: idk man he doesn't look like a hockey build in either of these photos🤔

igstory • yoursister uploaded!

[caption1; me and sis] [caption2; fuck. i guess they're kinda cute together 😒]

yourfriend2: did you see them doing snow angels together 🥺🥺☹️ yourfriend2: that had me smiling ngl...they're adorable yoursister: yeah, i'm just happy there's no red flags she's ignoring, he seems like a genuine dude

user11: do you improve of this lance? 6'0, brown eyes, brunette, canadian hockey player 🙂 yoursister: uhh i fear for his life,,are u gonna put a hit on him or smth yoursister: also he is not a hockey player lol user11: oh🫣 yoursister: i'm pretty sure he's like a car engineer or smth? i think i heard him say that

twitter • december 16th

instagram • ynplays • december 16th • sanctuary ⚑

liked by nhl, yoursister, yourbestie, yourmom, and 42,313 others

ynplays: i don't want to leave.

view comments

nhl: not me crying 😩 - admin

➥ user12: huh

➥ user13: nhl admin relatable

yourbestie: aw babe. enjoy your last five days here :)

➥ ynplays: i only have five days left 😟

➥ yourfriend1: oh girlie...it'll be alright

➥ yourfriend2: i always hate this part of the vacation

yoursister: please ask lance if he's willing to take you off my hands. permanently preferably.

➥ ynplays: are you familiar with the term sympathy?

➥ yoursister: oh you're sad for real

➥ yoursister: 😕 therapy session in the hot tub now ladies

➥ user14: this is depressing me

user15: hey, you can just elope? i don't think you've added that to your toolbox yet

➥ ynplays: too sad to even consider it rn

➥ ynplays: nvm he invited me to his cabin later 👅✌🏽

➥ user15: use protection 🙂‍↔️

user16: i feel like this should have a sensitive content warning

➥ user17: my day is ruined

➥ user18: and my disappointment is immeasurable

➥ user19: THERES 104 DAYS OF SUMMER VACATION🗣️🔊

➥ user20: read the room man @/user19

twitter • ynplays • december 21st

instagram • lancestroll • december 24th

liked by estebanocon, chloestroll, astonmartinf1, and 2,109,764 others

lancestroll: winter break has never felt so short. i missed you the second you stepped away from me. happy holidays, baby.

tagged ynplays

view comments

estebanocon: it’ll get better eventually mate ❤️��🩹 believe it or not

➥ lancestroll: finding it hard to believe rn

chloestroll: come have some hot cocoa with me

➥ lancestroll: yn liked hot cocoa

➥ scottyjames31: oh mate…

➥ user21: okay, i'm concerned for my health. there's some sort of clear liquid leaking from my eyes

➥ user22: FUCK man this is sad 😕

astonmartinf1: chin up lance - admin

➥ alpinef1team: feeling for you mate - admin

➥ mercedesamgf1: sad it ended up like this for you lance - admin

➥ user23: the f1 teams are assembling like the avengers in infinity war for this

➥ user24: an unforgettable day in f1 history

yourmom: fix this. liked by lancestroll

➥ user25: w mama 🤩

➥ user26: tell him ma'am ‼️‼️

yourbestie: thank you for being good to her when you had her

➥ lancestroll: don't thank me for that.

➥ user27: cooking up my toaster bath actually

user30: well this is not the hard launch i wanted to confirm our theory.

➥ user31: brb about to create them in the sims and make them get married and have 6 children, sega, two cats and let them get old together

➥ user: realest cure for heartbreak

user28: no way they decided not being together at all is worse than being long distance

➥ yoursister: that's what i sad but nobody listens to me

➥ user28: why'd they do it???

➥ yoursister: my sister can be incredibly stupid about returned feelings. and for some reason she chose now to "protect her heart"

➥ user29: she deserves her happy ending and needs to allow herself to have it 😭😭😭

twitter • ynplays • december 25th

imessage • lance -> yn

© httpsserene 2024

[fxdltc88]

Happy Anniversary Little Caesars!

Little Caesars was established at 32594 Cherry Hill Rd.

May 8th 1959, in Garden City, Mi.

Mike Ilitch played second base for the Tigers and a couple of other teams beginning in 1952.....thanks to a knee injury, he had to retire in 1955.

Little Caesars' history says it all began as a love story in 1954, when Ilitch and Marian Bayoff were thrown together on a blind date by Mike's dad. Fortunately, they hit it off, and it was just a few months later when they married. The two of them pooled their life savings in order to open their own business: a pizza restaurant.

1962 Little Caesars first franchise opened in Warren, called “Little Caesars Pizza Treat”. This featured the “Little Caesar guy eating a slice of pizza” logo. From there, Little Caesars really began to branch out and became the fastest-growing pizza chain in America.

That single mom-and-pop pizza shop grew into the third largest pizza chain in the world with stores in more than 27 countries and territories worldwide, including in each of the 50 U.S. states.

The growth of Little Caesars helped Mike and Marian create other leading brands in the food, sports and entertainment industries.

The couple purchased the Detroit Red Wings in 1982. While the team was known as the Dead Wings at the time, Mike and Marian believed they were a sleeping giant and immediately took charge to turn the team around. By 1997, the Red Wings won their first Stanley Cup in 42 years, and they went on to win three more.

Mike encouraged the Ford family to bring the Detroit Lions back to Detroit from the suburbs and build a new stadium right next door to the ballpark by relinquishing a portion of land to make way for the new stadium. The new football venue allowed Detroit to host the Super Bowl in 2006.

Today - true to Mike and Marian's vision for a bustling downtown area - the Ilitch organization is developing The District Detroit, a dynamic urban destination that provides a dense neighborhood experience featuring a variety of developments alongside Detroit's premier sports and entertainment venues. This includes the new highly innovative and state-of-the-art Little Caesars Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Pistons, and the recipient of the 2018 Sports Facility of the Year award, presented by Sports Business Journal.

Throughout Mike’s life, he remained true to his hometown and was a zealous supporter of Detroit, working tirelessly to help it prosper and to bring pride to the city. In 1988, Mike and Marian purchased the neglected Fox Theatre and carefully restored it to its original 1928 splendor.

One year later, they moved the Little Caesars world headquarters from the suburbs into the newly renovated Fox Office Center adjacent to the restored theatre. This was during a time when many businesses were fleeing the city.

Mike displayed further commitment to the city he loved when he purchased the Detroit Tigers in 1992 and built a new state-of-the-art ballpark for the team. Remembering his early years as a minor league baseball player with the Tigers, he did everything in his power to make the fan experience at Comerica Park a memorable one.

Mike and Marian believed passionately in giving back to the community. As the parents of children who played hockey, the couple wanted to provide other children the opportunity to play the sport as well. So, they established the Little Caesars Amateur Hockey Program in 1968, and it has provided opportunities for tens of thousands of youngsters to play the great game of hockey over the years. Hundreds have gone on to play at colleges, universities and in the National Hockey League.

Inspired by the story of a veteran returning to civilian life, Mike founded the Little Caesars Veterans Program in 2006. The program provides honorably discharged veterans with financial incentives and other support to help them open a Little Caesars franchise.

Since 2000, grants and giving from Marian and Mike, the Ilitch companies and its charitable affiliates have totaled $220 million. This includes Marian and Mike's personal gifts of nearly $50 million to Detroit's Wayne State University - $8 million to the Department of Surgery and $40 million to build a new home for the Mike Ilitch School of Business, prominently located on Woodward Avenue.

[affectionteaming]

Olympic Park, Stellarton, NS

Blayre Turnbull used to play hockey on the pond at this park so the town renamed it and put up this plaque in her (and Babe Mason’s) honour after the 2018 Olympics. transcription of Blayre’s side under the cut:

Blayre Turnbull

“No matter what you are doing, try your best….… homework, practice, work, you will not be disappointed for your effort”. —Blayre Turnbull, Olympian, 2018

Dedication to the above words of wisdom have brought Stellarton’s Blayre Turnbull a rewarding career in her chosen profession of hockey. From the lasting memories as a young child of four learning to skate on this very Olympic Park Pond, to playing the game she so loves, with the best in the world.

Growing up in Stellarton, Pictou County, Blayre had great encouragement from family, local hockey organizations, community and a variety of people. She would state “The credit most importantly goes to my family, which continues to support my dreams; my coaches at Shattuck - St. Mary’s and the University of Wisconsin, who taught me to believe in myself; and many of my teammates, who challenge me to get better and be the best player I can be”.

Hockey Career 2001-2018

Pictou County Minor Hockey (Novice)

Pictou County Minor Hockey (Atom AAA)

Pictou County Minor Hockey (Peewee AA)

Pictou County Minor Hockey (Peewee AAA)

Nighthawks - Northumberland Regional High School (Pictou County, Nova Scotia)

Northern Storm (Nova Scotia Female Hockey League)

Shattuck - St Mary’s

University of Wisconsin

Calgary Inferno (Canadian Western Hockey League)

Team Canada

International Debut: August 18, 2010 vs. United States

Canada’s National Women’s Team (2014-17)

Canada’s National Under-18 Team (201

Olympic & World Championship Experience

2018 Canada’s Women’s Olympic Hockey Team (Winter Olympics Pyeongchang, South Korea.)

2017 International Ice Hockey Federation (Women’s World Championship)

2016 International Ice Hockey Federation (Women’s World Championship)

[strawberryblondebutch]

Korbin Albert, Britta Curl, Marcell Ozuna, and the politics of self-flagellation.

Over this current summer, I have noticed three prevailing narratives that hew too close to one another.

Korbin Albert on the USWNT has not only posted anti-LGBT content on social media, but she liked a post praising Megan Rapinoe's injury.

Britta Curl of PWHL Minnesota and USA Hockey has voiced her support for legislation that will prevent trans athletes from competing alongside cis women, and she has engaged with other right-wing content, including praise of Kyle Rittenhouse.

Marcell Ozuna of the Atlanta Braves was caught on video strangling his wife and threatened to kill her over perceived infidelity. The next year, he was arrested for, and pleaded no contest to, driving under the influence.

All three of these athletes have made public apologies for their behavior, and all three are presently in good standing with their respective organizations. The only one who suffered league discipline was Ozuna, who MLB suspended for 20 games in violation of their domestic violence policy.

(As an aside, I have mentioned this before - there is some whataboutism in play with how MLB handles interpersonal violence that I want to get ahead of. As part of the collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players' association, an individual team cannot levy additional punishment for behavior that has already been disciplined by the league. So if an MLB player is suspended for PED use, domestic violence, or gambling, their team cannot cut them for that reason unless they were already subject to a morality clause. This became relevant in 2021, when the Phillies designated Odubel Herrera for assignment after Herrera's DV suspension. General manager Matt Klentak said in a press conference that it was "a baseball decision" and cited multiple baseball-related reasons why Herrera did not fit with the current roster. If he had not done that, the Phillies would have opened themselves up to a lawsuit.)

What concerns me about the nature of all three individuals' apologies, and the rhetoric from their supporters, is the self-flagellative push. What does this mean?

Coach Emma Hayes, when asked about Albert's performance on the field, said that the booing she received from fans had "affected" the midfielder, who was "a young person ... having to deal with a lot of criticism."

In Curl's apology video, she spends more time hoping the fans accept her than detailing what she did wrong and how she hopes to change.

And the reason this post is being written now -- yesterday, as he prepared to enter the Home Run Derby, Ozuna was the subject of two puff pieces in which his teammates, manager, and other members of the Braves family discuss how hard "things" were for him. What things? Doesn't matter. But the criticism hurt.

This rhetoric is bullshit. We're all critical thinkers, and that part should be obvious. Why is the onus on fans, many of whom come from the communities hurt by these athletes, to get over it? What has Albert done, on or off the field, to justify a more positive reaction? Does Curl even know why people are upset with her? Why do we let Ozuna get away with calling domestic violence "a mistake" as opposed to a conscious decision? When did we forget that playing sports professionally is a privilege?

In one of the worst Supreme Court cases of all time, Flood v. Kuhn (1972), the Court ruled that the reserve clause was not a 13th Amendment violation because no one in MLB was being forced to play for the team that held them under contract. Don't like your team? Get out. But this job is only a privilege when it's used to keep minorities in their place.

But this rhetoric, this insistence that you must forgive and forget because criticism is so hard on these poor athletes (notably, two of these three examples are young white women, making it easier for their supporters to accuse any critics of bullying) isn't just bullshit. It's also dangerous.

Humans are a social species. It makes us uncomfortable to see exclusion play out before us. When we're told shame on you, you hurt this person, it creates an emotional response. You can logically know that this is a manipulative technique, that saying "poor Ozuna" deflects from questions about his violent behavior. But you still don't like it. You don't like being told you're a bully. You hate seeing someone be ostracized. And so you give in.

It's DARVO played out on a shallower, but wider scale. In typical DARVO practices, an abuse perpetrator denies any wrongdoing, attacks the victim for attempting to hold them accountable, and then reverses victim & offender. Not only did I not do what you're accusing me of, but to see you do so hurts my feelings. You're the real piece of shit. This traditional DARVO comes up with Ozuna quite frequently, as his wife has also been arrested for physical abuse. This ignores that he has physical and financial control over her (it's his job that keeps them in the United States. He loses that? No more visa.) and that she has stated, multiple times, she was only fighting back.

It's not quite the same on this wider scale. Those who publicly condemn Albert, Curl, or Ozuna's actions aren't labeled abusers. We're just bullies. We're just the pieces of shit who don't believe people can change. Don't ask what they've changed or why. They're all so nice. They're such team players. They've been through so much, and they're so brave waking up every day and facing such ungrateful fans. You're such a bad person, writing them off for one mistake. Haven't you ever made a mistake? Do you want someone to judge you for your worst days, or the shit you believed when you were their age? Huh?

Are your shoulders tense yet? Are you starting to wonder if you're the bad guy? Good. That's exactly why they do this. It's a way to shut down critique. You created an environment where it's easier to shut up and get over it than to keep pushing back. The person in question never has to change. How lovely for them.

So how do we stop this? Well, on a personal scale, stop giving clicks to abuse apologists like Bob Nightengale or Mark Lazerus. If you have to dunk on them, screenshots > quote tweets. They'll get less engagement. But more importantly, you have to cut out that emotion from your brain. Turn off the social animal that doesn't want to step on toes.

Sure, you have to say. People can change. But have you? And why do we owe you the privilege of forgiveness? And then they'll cry more, try to get under your skin even more. But once that stops working, they're out of moves. Adapt or die.

While I have you here, please consider giving a few dollars to Women Against Abuse or another local domestic violence organization. Last night I challenged my Twitter followers to donate $1 for every home run Ozuna hit in the Derby. Today I'm upping my pledge -- at the end of the season, I'll give $1 for every homer he hit in a game. I encourage those with the financial means to do the same.

[huuuuughes]

Chills - Chris Driedger x Reader

Pairing: Chris Driedger x Fem!Reader

Summary: You just can't seem to stay away. Good news is, neither can he.

Word count: 2.2k

Warnings: angst. this is v angsty and im so sorry!!! but its not all bad i swear

A/N: posting before he possibly isnt with the birds/kraken lololol. also i know the birds didn't win the cup this year but this is my fic and my dream so just pretend shhhh

also thank you to the lovely @knivesareout for being my beta for this and for being my bff ilysm. this is for and dedicated to you <3

also (again lol) this is lightly inspired by the song Chills by Down With Webster linked here

Chills

My hearts racing trying to catch up to you

The light that you give off is gold

I can’t shake this feeling it fills the room

These chills didn’t come from the cold, they came from you…

You told yourself you weren’t going to come after what happened. You weren’t exactly part of the WAGS anymore after your most recent breakup with ‘he who must not be named’, but you were still friends with a few. Watching hockey felt bittersweet, knowing it was your happy place but also the reason you’d experienced such a rollercoaster of emotions in your personal life.

You just couldn’t stay away. No matter how hard you tried to, the thought of him was always in the back of your mind. You were just tired of coming in 2nd place to him. Of course you knew hockey came first during the season, but you should be next in line. You were supposed to be planning your life together- the ring on your finger still stared back at you. You couldn’t get yourself to give it back. He hasn’t asked for it, but you knew it was the right thing to do. 

Staying away from the arena and the game was the smart option, but part of you, for lack of a better term, just wanted to feel something. So you packed up your stuff, and got in the car. You called Coach, knowing he knew what had transpired. He understood- you wanted to be there, just under the radar. Just because your future with him was uncertain, didn’t mean you didn’t want to be there to support your friends. Playoffs meant everything to the Firebirds, they had so much to prove and everything to gain with this series. There was a ticket waiting for you. On the glass, right behind him. You wore everything you could to disguise your face, and covered your hair. 

You didn’t want him to know you were there but you couldn’t bear to be farther away. You just wanted to matter, and be supported as much as you gave. He had the kindest heart and you felt like the intent was there, but you knew athletes weren’t the brightest in the love life department. He didn’t want to admit his wrongs and you could tell the frustration was building up in his game play. 

You took your seat among the crowd, blending in and sinking into your seat behind the goal. You watched as he did his creases into the ice, his normal pregame routine. The arena filled with chants of his name, the name you once proudly wore on your back to every game. Driedger. 

Chris Driedger. Number 60 and starting goalie for the Coachella Valley Firebirds. You’d met soon after he moved to the Valley. He accidentally picked up your drink at the coffee shop and the rest was history. You were inseparable. Your job was work from home and that allowed you almost too much freedom, letting you become immersed in the world of minor league hockey. With his gear on he looked larger than life, but underneath the goalie mask were the most beautiful eyes and stunning smile you’d ever seen. He was like a magnet, sucking you in any time you were remotely near. 

Lucky for you he didn’t spend much time turning around and hadn’t noticed you sitting in your normal spot. You couldn’t help but wonder if he had looked anyway, knowing the secret part of his routine. There were the parts everyone knew, and then there were the ones just for you. Every time he came out into the ice you made sure he saw you. You always made sure that he knew that even if he felt unsupported or alone that you were right there behind him. Sometimes all it took for athletes was knowing that at least one person in the room was there just for them. 

Transfixed on the game, you almost jumped out of your skin when an arena employee you recognized tapped you on the shoulder. 

“Sorry to bother you Miss, but he wanted you to have this.” They handed you a paper bag, and nodded their head in sympathy before walking away. It wasn’t like the breakup was very public but somehow every person who worked at Acrisure knew already. You opened up the bag, and it was his jersey. Not just a jersey from the shop with his name, but his jersey. It was his normal away game jersey which was so big it was essentially a dress on you. This told you one thing: he knew you were there. Either Coach had ratted you out, or that sixth sense he always claimed he had began working. You didn’t draw attention to yourself but yet, in your lap, the jersey sat like a weight. 

Taking it out of the bag, a note began to fall from the sleeve. 

Thank you. Meet me after, win or lose. - C.

His handwriting was instantly recognizable. He loved to leave you random love notes all over your apartment together. He wasn’t always the best at saying how he felt out loud, so the notes were his way of telling you how he felt. This one felt different- he liked to remain in the zone before and after games. This told you all bets were off. Putting the jersey on you felt a wave of relief come over you. You were the only two people in the room, or at least that’s how it felt. He was your home base and safe haven. You knew you were first in his heart but you needed him to show it. He had to fight for the two of you just as hard as he did. This jersey was his version of a white flag, so to speak. The break up was supposed to be good for the both of you. It was the worst kind of breakup. The kind where you were still in love but you were supposed to be letting them go.

My world came crashing down right under you,

These chills didn't come from the cold,

They came from you.

It was kind of incredible when you thought about it. Someone who is a stranger one day, can walk into your life and turn your world upside down. The center of your universe changes, and the feeling in your chest doesn’t want the center to change. It was never going to. You couldn’t ask someone to change overnight. 

He was playing so well. He remained one of the best goalies in the entire AHL but there was something about him today. If you didn’t know him well, one might not even notice it. His movements were a second too slow, almost too late. The game remained tied at 0-0, but that wasn’t going to be enough, something had to give. It was frustrating that they weren’t making any progress halfway through the second period. With one minute left in the period, the announcer shared with the crowd that there was such a time remaining. The buzzer sounded a minute later, and he didn’t even look back. The team made a beeline for the locker room and you didn’t even hesitate to get up. You made your way to the tunnel where you could access the facilities underneath the bleachers. Flashing your ID that you were supposed to give back, the security guard recognized you and let you pass.

You didn’t even know what your plan was. You just needed to get to him. Now was probably not a good time to try and get to him, they should all be focused on the game. You were going to have to beg Coach in front of the whole team to let you speak with him, which was going to be embarrassing enough. Except when you reached the end of the tunnel and turned the corner, there he was. Still in full gear, helmet still on. His head is bowed down, but at the sound of your shoes his head bolts in your direction. You can feel his gaze through the mask, his eyes like daggers following you as you got closer to him. 

“What are you doing out here?” You asked, after finally managing to speak. 

“I could ask the same question about you being here.” He was hiding the emotion in his voice as best he could.

“You and I both know I wouldn’t miss this game, whether we’re together or not. This team is still my family.”

“Then why did you sit in your normal seat? You could have sat anywhere else in this arena. You didn’t even need to be here. Why there, when you know I can see you?” 

“You should be watching the puck Chris, not me. You have an entire team you’re supposed to be working for.”

“How can I focus when you’re right behind me? Do you think that it’s been easy for me, being without you? I knew the moment you walked into this arena. The moment you sat down. You have been the only thing on my mind for weeks. You are the only light that I notice when you’re in the room. It is maddening to think I am not with you or have you because I can’t seem to get my shit together.” His tone had gotten louder the more he spoke, filling the empty hallway you were occupying.

“You have me! That’s what I came down here to tell you. I thought being apart was the better thing for us. I thought you needed to get it together and so did I. But all of those problems seem small now. I want you to be the best version of yourself. You have earned that cup, you and I both know that. So stop making stupid mistakes. I know you’re holding yourself back. You’re hesitating. I know you’re tired. I know it’s been a long road, but you have 20 more minutes between you and the cup. Do what you do best, please.”

“I- what?” Based on the expression on his face, he wasn’t expecting that response. 

“I will be right here at the end of this game, win or lose. Regardless of the outcome, I am proud of you and I love you. But I know your team would appreciate it if it was a win.” You smiled, and he finally took off his helmet. You could see him, truly, for the first time since you walked into the tunnel. 

“You’ll be right here? You love me?” He smiled and stepped closer to you. 

“Your team needs you now. I suspect Coach will come out here and have my head if you don’t get back in there.” He didn’t need to hear the confirmation, but you could tell in his eyes that he wanted it. He put on a protective shell for everyone else, but only you were the one who could see the little breaks where he let people in. 

“Driedger get your ass back in this damn locker room before I die of old age!” 

You were really gonna miss him next season.

“That’s my cue.” Before you could say no, he leaned in and placed his hand on the side of your face bringing you closer to him so he could place a kiss on your forehead. “See you in 20 minutes.” 

The rest of the game was absolutely electric. You could almost feel the arena vibrating beneath your feet. You wore his jersey proudly, bragging any time he made a save that he was your man. You could almost feel your heart beating out of your chest with every second that passed on the clock. 30 seconds left, a tie score, and the only thing between the Firebirds and a win was just a single goal. 

It was like the next 30 seconds passed in a blur. Hershey pulled their goalie in a desperate attempt to get an extra skater on the ice. Out of the corner of your eye you could see Chris leaving his goal like he was going to the bench but that wasn’t what he did. Shore passed him the puck from down the ice, the goal was left unattended, and the next thing you knew the arena exploded. The entire team jumped from the ice and you couldn’t see him anymore.

“ITS OVER ITS OVER, COACHELLA VALLEY IS A CITY OF CHAMPIONS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THEIR TEAMS HISTORY WITH THEIR FIRST GOALIE GOAL!” 

The scoreboard read 3-2. 

If you could have jumped the boards you would have. But you ran to the tunnel as fast as your legs would allow. You had to wait for the trophy ceremony and pictures and all of the other hockey politics before it was just the players and their families on the ice. Everyone on the team was telling him how well he did but the only person he had eyes for was you. 

“Were you saving that goal for a special occasion?” You raised an eyebrow.

“I gotta keep them on their toes.” He crossed the remaining space between you, and kissed you differently than he had before. This one said he wasn’t letting go.

“AYEEE DRIEDGS GET A ROOM MAN!”

“GOALIE GOAL’S GOT HIS GIRL!” You knew it was Stezzy just from the accent. You continued kissing Chris but also managed to give Aleš a very nice middle finger out of love of course. 

“Oh, and I love you too.” This man would be the death of you.

[naanima]

One of the interesting things about reading and listening to so much hockey media stuff is that there's a HIGH chance of them being WRONG about teams & players, or just being wrong. A list of things that I remember the hockey specialists have been wrong about in the past year or two.

Matthew Tkachuk trade & the Panthers' narrative - ALMOST everyone said it was a bad trade for Florida, that Calgary won. That they shouldn't have given up Huberdeau et al. That Tkachuk was only good bcos of the line he was playing on during his time in Calgary. Now - face of a franchise, team darling, came back from a broken sternum & now killing it now.

The Panthers are bad, they are done for, they are a wildcard, they will get swept by Boston etc 22-23. Stanley Cup Finalist 22-23, top ranking team 23-24, one of the Cup favs. And the Flames. Yeah.

The Oilers at the beginning of this season - THEY ARE DEAD, THEY ARE DONE ETC. Now - STANLEY CUP CONTENDERS!

The Flyers are gonna tank! Flyers are in a playoff spot (23-24), whether they keep it or not is another question. BUT NO one thought they would be as high as they are now.

Boston is gonna be bad in 22-23, Boston highest regular season performances 22-23. Losing their captain and some top players will mean they will slide substantially backwards. STILL one of the TOP teams 23-24.

The Devils are not ready yet 22-23, makes it to the second round of the playoffs. The Devils are HERE 23-24! Fighting for a wildcard position that's not looking too hot.

The Canucks are not great 22-23, they have so many problems. Here's hoping they make minor improvements in 23-24. The Canucks top 3 teams of the fucking league 23-24.

The Ducks are going to be a much better team! The Ducks are NOT a better team oh gods.

The Sharks will tank! OMFG the Sharks are so MUCH WORSE than tanking.

The Sens are gonna be a STANLEY CUP CONTENDING TEAM, a playoffs team at least! The Sens are not either of those things.

Duchene is bad news, a locker room cancer! Duchene fucking lighting it up in Dallas! Providing that spark for Seguin & Marchment!

Buffalo Sabres have arrived! Buffalo Sabres have NOT arrived, they have missed their appointment by years.

Red Wings - the rebuild is over! ... The rebuild is what it is.

The Blackhawks will be bad but they got Bedard and some support they will be ok-bad! The Blackhawks are the first mathematically team to be locked out of the playoffs.

The Pens will be a middling team! The Pens are shit. They are dead, there's no future for them etc etc (as a Pens fan I'm delusional in thinking we are gonna WIN the 24-25 Cup).

I feel like this is sort of the tip of the iceberg. Yeah, the hockey media gets a lot of things right. But OMFG the IMPORTANT things they fucking get wrong every season is insane. ALL the teams I mentioned could potentially have a reversal the next season. Bcos hockey is a weird and unpredictable sport a lot of the time!

When unexpected things happen hockey media try and push it into a nice thematically appealing narrative when the story shifts on them. We are all guilty of this.

For all the depressed hockey fans out there, just remember, you NEVER know, your team/player could suddenly become the story that the hockey world gets wrong!

[lonewolflink]

hi! before reading your fic I’d only ever watched one hockey match at my local mall (there’s an ice rink) and it shook me for real. after reading your fic my interest in hockey has resurfaced, but I have no idea where to start. any suggestions?

HELLO!!! i'm sorry this response is so damn late; it's been hectic af around here (here being...my life).

i am genuinely so excited that you're interested in getting into hockey. it is such a fun sport to be a fan of.

*warning*: this is a super long post, because i wanted to answer you thoroughly and make a list of useful resources in case anyone else reading wsc also wanted to get into watching hockey and wasn't sure where to start.

generally speaking, my recommendation is to familiarize yourself with the basic rules of the game, and then maybe pick a team to start following. being a fan is most fun once you start getting invested in the players on the team and know their stories, their connection to the community, etc.

—basic rules of the game—

there are some more (and less) useful guides online to getting into watching hockey. i'll link you a few; peruse at your leisure (and note that some of these posts are pretty old; they're still overall solid though).

(1) i think this short guide is might be the best place to start. it's just some guy on his own personal blog, i think, but that (weirdly) is what makes it a better take than more "official" sports journalism outlets.

(2) this is a really helpful (and fairly short) guide to the different zones of the ice and what they're called, and some other basic concepts of the game. i think it's directed at parents of kids who are starting to play hockey, but still super useful!

(3) this guide doesn't give a ton of detail but it's solid re: concrete basic steps to take to get into hockey.

(4) parts of this guide are outdated (e.g. brendan shanahan no longer runs the department of player safety and is instead the president of the toronto maple leafs) and it's a little pretentious in the way hockey fans can sometimes be, but it gives a sense of the flavor of being a fan of this sport i think.

(5) more on this below, but 2024 began with a bang, as the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL) began it's inaugural (!) season. there are some differences between the NHL and the PWHL, some of which are covered here and here. if you're interested in watching women's hockey, that'll be useful!

—picking a team and how to watch—

[note: i am assuming you live in north america. if you do not, some of this might not apply, e.g. picking a favorite team based on geographic proximity]

if you're starting at a baseline of 0 hockey knowledge, you should probably know the names of three hockey leagues: the National Hockey League (NHL, the best men's league in the world), the American Hockey League (AHL, the NHL's minor league where their young prospects usually play for a few years before transitioning to the majors), and the aforementioned Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL, literally brand new as of a month ago).

NHL Recommendations

—the NHL is a great place to start for watching hockey, largely because it has the best players in the world so the level of play is extremely high and entertaining, and it has some really great personalities in the game right now. i watch the NHL regularly. —if you live in an area that already has an NHL team (or at least one within 2 hours of driving), i'd recommend starting out as a fan of that team. this is bc part of sports culture is to support your home/local team, but also because that gives you more opportunities to see your favorite team play in person. here's a list of all the NHL teams. —watching the NHL on TV or your computer is actually kind of annoying, because the league is run by a bunch of idiots in its bureaucracy. you can watch most games (but for some reason not all of them) if you have ESPN+. here's the nhl's official guide for how/where to watch. —i am a poor grad student so i use other...completely...legal...means to stream NHL games online. they are, as i just said, completely legal (...). but um. nonetheless, if you want to know how to find and use these means...maybe just...shoot me a private message. —if you don't have geographic proximity to any of the NHL teams, there are a few ways to pick a team to follow. some classics:

1. as you learn about hockey and watch some games, you might find yourself starting to have a favorite player. you can start with their team! [message me or send another ask if you want some recs for players to look into!]

2. pick the jersey you think is coolest. it's how kids pick their favorite teams half the time, so why not us? here's a link to an article that that ranks the current home jerseys of teams. i STRONGLY disagree with these rankings, but the photos of the jerseys are high quality so you can see them well. you can also see each team's away jersey and third/alternate jersey designs here.

3. pick a fun, up and coming team to follow. some notes on this: —for example, if i were you and could pick any team, i would probably not pick my very own favs the washington capitals. they were one of the dominant teams of the last 15 or so years because our captain is the greatest goalscorer of all time. however, he is now 38 (ancient by athlete standards) and the team is on its decline. —by contrast, a team like the edmonton oilers is super exciting to watch; they're considered current championship contenders because they have by far the best player in the world, connor mcdavid (aka "McJesus"). they're kind of a heart attack to watch because they have insane offense but not amazing defense, so they score a lot and get scored on a lot. they're a team with amazing history (wayne gretzky's dynasty oilers in the 80s), but were TERRIBLE for decades until mcdavid came around. he's trying to bring the franchise back to glory from the pathetic ashes it turned into. —then there's teams like the montreal canadiens or buffalo sabres, who have been really bad the last while but drafted a ton of great young players who are on the verge of becoming superstars. they'll probably not make the playoffs this year (and maybe not next year) but they'll be on the cusp soon and getting into a journey like that with a young team early on is super fun. —in general, teams i'd stay away from being a fan of, if you have a choice:

-washington capitals/pittsburgh penguins/st. louis blues (formerly top teams in the league, now on the decline) -toronto maple leafs (the most tortured fans (and also somehow the most annoying and entitled), don't join their ranks) -arizona coyotes/columbus blue jackets (disaster franchises (sorry fans of those teams! it's true!!) traditionally have been poorly run) -chicago blackhawks (they do have the next great superstar in connor bedard, but they've had some really messed up scandals in their organization and it leaves a bad taste in my mouth) -new york rangers/islanders (unless you're from nyc...don't)

—recs for current good teams if you want to come in when they're already hot, they're all pretty fun teams tbh: -carolina hurricanes -colorado avalanche (recent champions) -new jersey devils -florida panthers -seattle kraken -vancouver canucks -vegas golden knights (recent champions) -edmonton oilers

—recs for up and coming young teams that will break out in the next 1-4 seasons, i think: -anaheim ducks -buffalo sabres -detroit red wings -montreal canadiens (would be my pick, i low key love them) -ottawa senators

AHL Recommendations

it can be super fun to follow an AHL team if you happen to live near one. tickets to AHL games are SUPER cheap, and the arenas are smaller and more intimate. you get to see some really talented players early in their career before they become superstars, and this can also help you pick a favorite player to follow (and thereby, later, a favorite nhl team) for their career! i love going to AHL games, and did that a lot in high school.

here's the list of AHL teams.

PWHL Recommendations

tragically, i have been so busy in 2024 so far that i haven't been able to get into the PWHL yet. however, i'd really like to, once i have a bit more time.

because the league is in its infancy, there are only six teams: -boston -minnesota -montreal -new york -ottawa -toronto

they don't currently have team names outside of the cities, but i think those are coming next season. for myself, i already know i'm going to be a montreal fan (i lived there for 5 years, and montreal's hockey culture is in my opinion the best in the world).

the pwhl is great for many reasons. -first of all, women athletes. let's fucking go!!! -second of all, we get things like two fiancees playing on the same team (on the same line!!) and celebrating together when they score a goal. -third of all, women's hockey has traditionally had a different ruleset from men's hockey to discourage the more...violent aspects of the sport. but the PWHL...has been honestly violent af so far, at least from the highlights i've seen. could be that hitting is still against the rules, but seems like the refs don't really give a shit, so the games are bloodthirsty lol -fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it is super easy and convenient to watch the PWHL. they stream every (!) game on their youtube channel for free!

for more info on the season schedule and how to watch, look here.

also, speaking generally, i'll probably be reblogging some pwhl content on tumblr so you can peep some of the people i'm reblogging and poke around until you find a team or player you like! :)

OK THAT'S IT SORRY FOR THIS LONG ASS POST I JUST WANTED TO ACTUALLY DO YOUR QUESTION JUSTICE, HOPEFULLY I DID AN OKAY JOB!! PLEASE ENJOY YOUR HOCKEY JOURNEY!!!!!!!!!! <3

[pierrelucdisaster]

Bumping this again bc the NHL is going backwards but these leagues aren't!

Here's a friendly reminder that the AHL and ECHL have specialty jerseys and they wear them during games! Please support those teams and their initiatives if they don't change their ways too.

[blusical]

The Adam Johnson tragedy: What you can do to help support his family, Matt Petgrave and how to protect yourself as well.

(PT: Adam Johnson: What you can do to support his family, Matt Petgrave and how to protect yourself as well. End PT) Trigger warning: Death, slightly detailed description of fatal injury, depictions of racism. Reader discretion heavily advised. Who's Adam Johnson and what's going on? Adam Johnson was an ice hockey player who originally played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and their minor league team, and last played for the Nottingham Panthers of the Britain-based EIHL. His life was tragically cut short recently, as during a game against the Sheffield Steelers, opposing player Matt Petgrave collided with Johnson, which led to Petgrave's skate striking Johnson's throat. Initially, Johnson appeared to be fine and tried to skate off, but he soon collapsed, and it was eventually clear that his neck had been cut by the skate. Despite medical efforts, he did not survive. The game was eventually left unfinished and fans were told to leave. Who is Matt Petgrave? Matt Petgrave is an ice hockey player on the Sheffield Steelers. He was the other player involved in the incident. Recently, he has been receiving hate and threats from other individuals. While it was expected, some people have taken it to the next level. Some people have used this tragedy to be racist towards Petgrave, who is black. Some of the tweets included (All but the third one were taken directly from PuckEmpire's Instragram page, so apologies if some of them look weird). Notice the references to race.

(And no. I'm not showing the tweet from the End Wokeness account. That asshole already has a big enough audience and I'm not giving that fucker the satisfaction). And that's not even the worst of it. Petgrave's Instagram page is being bombarded with hate comments, none of which I am showing. While I can't say for certain of what Petgrave did was intentional or not, I think we need to make something clear: There is NO excuse to be harassing people over a tragedy, and there is especially NO excuse to be racist. What you can do to help and how to protect yourself. Unfortunately, people have also been spreading videos of the incident. So I'll start with that first. If you see a video with any of these thumbnails or something similar, scroll as quick as you can and do not watch the video. Report it and block the poster immediately.

If you have autoplay on, turn it off if you have the option to. If you are Black, I heavily advise avoiding any posts related to Petgrave at this time. Additionally, do not engage with any posts calling Petgrave a murderer. Block any person who uses this tragedy as an excuse to be racist or otherwise antiblack. If you were at the game or you've already seen video of the incident, and is struggling with what happened, I advise looking at some of these resources. I will add more in the future. NHS England's help and support page. NIMH's page on Coping with Traumatic Events. NAMI Massachusetts Resources page. As for how you can help, I advise donating to this GoFundMe page a fan set up. There is also a Meal Train set up for his family that is also taking donations. The Nottingham Panthers are also in the process of setting up a GoFundMe of their own, which I will also add once the fundraiser is set up. UPDATE: The Panthers' fundraiser is now up and running. I also advise showing support for Matt Petgrave in any way possible, whether it be signs at games, simple social media posts, etc. I'm sure this is rough for him too, and I believe he could use the support. Lastly, I recommend contacting the NHL and other hockey leagues to demand that neckguards be mandatory. This death was something that could've easily been prevented, and neckguards can prevent any tragedy like this from happening again.

Lastly, I leave you with something else to watch instead of the video of the incident:

Rest in peace, Adam Johnson (1994-2023)

[dogwittaablog]

not only was it on my bingo card for 2024, it was there in 2023, 2022, and 2021 pre vegas trade.

here is what drives me up the wall about hockey fans. hockey rpf isn’t real. these players aren’t babygirls. they’re not himbos. they’re not pocket sized. these psychos picked the most violent sport out there (before you say anything else, find me another team sport involving foot knives). these psychos picked one where they get to ram into each other at high speed. crush the other person’s body. most of them choose not to wear added gear that prevents being sliced because guess what! hockey players are dumb enough to play through it.

do you know why they do special stories on the ones who go to college? do you know why it’s even rarer that they graduate those colleges? do you know why

yes. i did have a bingo card with “Nolan Patrick hates women and doesn’t believe rape victims” for 2024 because i saw how he responded to assault victims in the past. most of the internet did. and yet y’all are still entertaining the idea they ‘not all men’. c

how many good guys do you know call their friends f*g’s so frequently that you don’t know which tweet i’m specifically referring to? how many good guys do you know who have lived their entire life in urban areas spend that much of their free time killing animals for sport? (saying as a canadian who supports the hunting industry, spelt hunt is weak and pathetic). how many good guys do you know whose only hobby outside of hockey and hunting is watching people beat the shit out of each other?

“i’m new to the sport” ok? so your first deep dive was tumblr and not idk “anything else about hockey beyond the fictional world on AO3 and tumblr? if you’ve genuinely been able to avoid hearing about what terrible humans hockey players are while actually enjoying this sport as a fan…this is not a new issues in hockey. also consider: you are here for the players not the sport.

Imma let you go off anon, but got to address and ask some things...

To be honest I never considered or thought of hockey as a crazy violent sport, personally just because if you actually looked into sports world, there is definitely worst ones that makes hockey look quite civil.

With the whole hockey players and college thing, it depends what caliber of hockey guys you're talking about. Yes I understand the whole them being dumb. Though comparing general public non name hockey guys with no projection of going anywhere, to dude's who have been drafted, made it into the league or even the minors and didn't graduate college is a whole different story and argument.

I think some people can enjoy the sport and be a fan without being caught up on players drama, I say this because reality is a lot of people aren't caught up in tabloids or are exposed to certain depth of the internet lol. You probably get a solid handful of dudes where people know that there shit stinks and thats only because they fucked up well enough to actually gain media attention. Just because you and I are aware of things doesn't mean others are.

[ladylooch]

Letters in Your Last Name- Chapter 8

A/N: THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CHAPTERS!!!! So happy it's here for you now🥰

Word Count: 4.4k

Warnings: Swearing, sickness, Kevin is a dick, Angst.

In late October, I carefully balance fresh cupcakes in my hands as I unlock Kevin’s apartment with the extra key he gave me. I just stopped over to see Kevin after practice following a cupcake bake off with Sawyer and Serena. Truthfully, it wasn’t a bake off so much as mixing together pre-made mix, baking them, and frosting each one with bright purple or teal frosting. The kids had fun though and it passed time while Felicia was out running errands.

I walk into Kevin’s apartment and set the cupcakes on the counter. I glance at the clock on the microwave, figuring Kevin should be home from morning skate soon. I wonder briefly how it went this morning. Kevin has been struggling so far this year. He just can’t seem to gain or keep any type of momentum with his game. I’ve tried to distract him by having him hang out with the kids as they are great at providing some comedic relief in trying times. Kevin has continued to struggle though, including lashing out in frustration on the bench, at the refs, and by slamming doors or sticks. I believe things will turn around with him, but am not sure exactly how to support him through this.

I putz around his apartment, cleaning up a few things while I wait for him to return home. It’s been about 45 minutes when I hear his key turn in the lock.

“Hi!” I greet him brightly when he walks in, excited to show him the cupcakes we made. My smile slowly fades at the deep scowl gracing his handsome face. He throws his bag down on the floor and stalks passed me to the fridge. He rips the door open and grabs a beer, sucking half of it down. Kevin never drinks on game days and that’s how I know something terrible has happened. “What’s wrong?” I ask him. He wipes the back of his hand across his mouth and slams the bottle down on the island. A few bubbles of beer burst out of the bottle and I take a small step back.

“I’m scratched tonight.” He tells me in a dangerous, low voice.

“What? Are you hurt?” I ask him with concern.

“No. Apparently, I’m playing like shit and they want to give a younger guy from the minors a shot.” I take in his face and bite my lip hesitantly. Again, Kevin hasn’t been stellar by any means so far this year, but I’m a bit surprised that Coach Boudreau has resorted to healthy scratching him. It’s certainly not normal for a player of Kevin’s caliber and definitely not in the best league in the world. To me, it seems like Coach is trying to send a message.

“I’m sorry, babe.” I say to him. I reach out and place my hand on his shoulder. I try not to take it personally as he shrugs me off and stalks into the living room. He’s mad at the situation, not at me. He plops down onto the couch and pulls his phone out. I watch observantly as he scrolls silently through Instagram. “Hey, maybe this will make you feel better. The kids and I decorated cupcakes today.” I say, reaching for the container to pop it open.

“I don’t give a shit about cupcakes, Sam.” My hand pauses on the lid for the container. His tone is nasty and I feel uneasy at his words.

“I understand you’re upset about being scratched. But you’re kinda taking this out on me. This isn’t my fault.” I say calmly to him, watching as his eyes narrow in response.

“Well, I don’t think you’re completely blame free here.”

“Um, what is that supposed to mean?” I ask him, squinting as my heart begins to pound harder in my chest at the confrontation.

“We have been spending way too much time together and I’ve been losing focus. I’m running around doing things with you and Alex’s kids and I can’t keep doing that. Everything other than hockey is a distraction at this point. I need to focus on my career right now.” He blows out an angry sighs and runs a hand through his hair roughly shaking the brown locks. “We just need to cool things off for a minute.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I understand what you’re saying? We have been together for almost a year including international, long distance. But because you’re playing like shit, we have to “cool things off”? Wow.” The last word comes out flat and hangs in the air.

“I need to turn things around.”

“Yeah, both on and off the ice.” I grab the container with the cupcakes. “I’ll take these with me since you don’t give a shit about cupcakes. I’ll let Sawyer and Serena know that too.” Kevin drops his head into his hands when I say that. He looks remorsefully at me.

“Shit, Babe. I’m sorry.” Kevin says as he gets off the couch, watching as I gather the rest of my things from the counter. His cheeks are bit pink and I can tell he’s embarrassed, but I’m beyond the point of caring. “Don’t go.” He is sheepish as he shoves his hands in the pockets of his Adidas sweatpants.

“Enjoy the view from the press box tonight.” I respond snidely as I turn on my heel and stalk out of his apartment. I don’t look back as I walk towards the elevator.

Kevin doesn’t bother to come after me.

_ _ _

It’s a suite life tonight.

Because Alex is starting in net, Felicia, the kids and I are in the Wild Family Suite for the game. It’s hard to sit with the general populous when Alex is starting. The comments can be too much at times. When a team is winning, it’s because of every other player. When they’re losing, it always comes back to the guy between the pipes.

Tonight is no exception. The Wild are currently down in the 2nd intermission 3-0 to the St. Louis Blues. Al is struggling tonight but our defense is struggling more. I watch anxiously as the team skates off the ice. A few boos greet the boys as they head to the locker room to try and turn it around for the final period. I sigh, glancing down at my phone and seeing another message pop up from Kevin. I look up and across the rink at the press box while scowling. He’s been calling and texting all day since I left his apartment. I’m extremely uninterested in hearing what he has to say at this point. His words were uncalled for and he can sit in the discomfort of that for awhile.

“I’m hungry.” Serena tells me, taking her thumb briefly out of her mouth. It’s been a tough habit to break with her, but I’m too tired to correct her tonight. She’s sitting beside me with her Stalock jersey and pigtails secured with green, red and white pom-poms.

“Okay, what do you want?” I ask her.

“Pretzel!” She yells excitedly. I laugh and give her a squeeze.

“Okay.” I walk to the bar in the suite where the food is set up. I grab her a pretzel and begin tearing it into smaller pieces. I know she won’t want any of the fake cheese, but give her a bit of ranch to dip it into if she’s interested. “Here you are, my dear.” I hand the plate to her. “Careful of your jersey.” I hand her a napkin.

A hush seems to fall over the suite as I watch Serena take the first few bites of her pretzel. I glance up at what everyone seems to be taking note of. It’s Kevin. My eyes meet Felicia’s and she looks wide-eyed back at me. It’s pretty much unheard of for a player to visit the family suite during the game. It’s almost universally taboo across the league, not to mention that Kevin was a healthy scratch to send a message. His coach would go ballistic if he knew Kevin was in here.

“What are you doing here?” I hiss at him as he approaches me, hands in his pockets. His hair is perfectly styled into place and he looks so good that my stomach drops in response. I set a calming hand on my abdomen. “Bruce is not going to be happy if hears about this.”

“I don’t care. I want to talk and you won’t answer any of my messages.”

“Yeah, so take a hint.” I tell him, crossing my arms over my chest.

“Sam, I’m very sorry.” His brown eyes look sincerely into mine. “I was out of line this morning. I said things I didn’t mean and it wasn’t right for me to take this out on you.”

“Agreed.” I shrug my shoulders at him. “Anything else?” A hurt look crosses his face and he shifts his weight from leg to leg briefly.

“Well.. I mean… I… guess not.�� He stammers. Whatever he expected from me when he came down here, this certainly wasn’t it.

“M’kay, Well, have a good night.” I say to him, turning my back to him and falling into my seat next to Serena. I am feeling incredibly anxious that he came down here and the feeling is building the longer I can sense him standing behind me, not moving to leave. He steps forward and sits on the stair next to me. “Kevin, oh my god. The cameras can pick you up from here. Please go back to the press box.” I hide my face behind my hand.

“No, you’re still mad at me.”

“Yeah? And it’s warranted. Sorry doesn’t always fix things.”

“Kevin, do you want some of my pretzel?” Serena asks, innocently interrupting.

“No, thanks, bug.”

“Did auntie give you our cupcakes!?” She squeaks out to him, setting her pretzel down and lifting to her knees next to me. She places her hands on me for balance, trying to get over to Kevin. He reaches for her and lifts her over me, pulling her into his lap.

“You know, she brought them but I wasn’t hungry enough to eat them today.” He lies to her. She nods understandingly and begins playing with his tie. I glower at his response.

“Come see me tomorrow and we can make more together. Daddy ate a lot of the cupcakes today.” Serena smooths out his tie then bats her baby blue eyes at him.

“That must be why he’s slow today.” Kevin is teasing but I find myself getting angry at him.

“At least he is on the ice tonight.” I give him a wicked smile and am met with an equally dark expression. I roll my eyes and look back at the ice where spotlights in the Wild colors bounce across the slick surface.

“Serena, come here please.” Felicia calls to her daughter.

“Bye Kevin.” Serena pats his face gently then crawls off of him to join her mom.

“I’m holding me back.” Kevin speaks quietly so only I can hear. “This has nothing to do with you. I’m sorry I took it out on you. You were just there and it was shitty of me to try and deflect blame.” I nod in response, but continue looking out on the ice. “I don’t want to slow anything down. I’d rather it speed up, honestly. I was thinking maybe you could move in with me.” Everything in me stills. My eyes narrow and my mouth leaps into a snarl.

“Are you serious?” I ask incredulously. “God, you’re such a dick.” I shake my head at him, my mouth open in awe. One minute it’s my fault and we need to slow things down. The next he’s asking me to move in with him. The nerve of him right now to bring up something I’ve been wanting as a way to deflect from his shitty behavior.

“I just mean if we live together that can cut down on some of the other distractions. Then I can focus more.”

“You should put more focus into pulling your head out of your ass.” I hiss at him. “ I can’t believe you right now. You’re down here self-sabotaging yourself by visiting the family suite. You’re throwing out things like moving in together and speeding things up. But your next breath is that my family is the distraction? These are choices YOU are making. God, Kevin, take some ownership for your decisions.” I cross my arms tightly across my chest. “There is four minutes left in this intermission. You need to go.”

“Sam-“

“Kevin. Go. Now.” Something in my voice connects with him and he nods his head in defeat.

“Can I call you later?” He asks as he stands.

“You sure can, but I won’t answer.”

“Okay.” He tells me sullenly as he steps up the stairs. He pauses again, briefly. “I’m sorry. I love you.”

I close my eyes and shake my head in response. He stands there for another few seconds before he sulks back to the press box.

_ _ _

Days later, I shiver as I step into the late Fall wind. I’m shuddering more so because of my fever and less so because of the weather. Pneumonia. That’s what the doctors told me has been ailing me for the past few days. I’ve never felt this sick before. It started with a tickle in my throat and escalated into a full blown illness that has knocked me on my ass. I was almost relieved when the doctor told me it was a treatable with antibiotics. At least now I have something that can help me instead of riding it out like a virus. A cough racks my body and I cover my mouth, trying to breathe through the sleeve of my jacket to protect my lungs from the frigid air.

“This can’t be helping.” I mutter to myself while sluggishly navigating to the entrance of Kevin’s building.

I feel bad for showing up here unannounced after avoiding Kevin for five days. To be fair, four of those days he was out of town in St. Louis and Chicago. But still, I was keeping my distance. First because I was hurt and second because I was petty. He thought I was what made him start the season slow? Fine. Let’s see how well he plays without me. Not surprising at all, his game has gone even further into the toilet. Ha. Except now I need to stay with Kevin until I can get well enough where I’m not contagious. When I called Alex and Felicia, we all mutually agreed that I should not come back to the house. Pneumonia for adults is serious enough; kids would be unimaginable. Luckily, I had been keeping my distance from everyone since I first began to feel sick days ago.

I reach into my purse and pull out the key fob, hearing the tell tale click before pulling the door open. I welcome the warm air of the lobby and slowly make my way to the elevators.

“Hi Sam.” Dave, the front desk manager, calls to me with a small wave.

“Hey.” I smile weakly and raise my hand in acknowledgement. I continue to the elevators, pressing the up button and trying to suck a full breath of air into my lungs. I cough in response to the attempt. When the door dings, I gratefully enter, slumping against the wall after selecting the button for the 15th floor.

I knock softly on the door of Kevin’s apartment as a cough wracks my body. Normally, I would just walk in, but after our last interaction, it feels wrong. I cover my mouth with the sleeve of one of my sweatshirts as the coughing attack takes over. Kevin opens the door with a concerned look on his face. Part of avoiding Kevin included not telling him I haven’t been feeling well the last few days. I’m sure this is a bit of a shock on multiple levels.

“Baby, come here.” He reaches for me and pulls me into his arms.

“I’m sorry to come over this sick… but I don’t want to give this to the kids.” My breathing is labored from the cool walk into the building.

“Geez, you are burning up.” He tells me after placing his hand against my forehead. “Have you been to a doctor?”

“Yeah, I have pneumonia.” He lets out a large sigh. “I have medicine.” I hold up the Walgreens bag containing the antibiotics I was prescribed from the clinic. “I just need to be here for 48 hours until I’m not contagious. I’ll stay in the other bedroom.”

“No, you’re going to stay in our bed.” He says to me, unzipping my jacket and beginning to pull it off my body.

“No. I’m so cold.” I whine to him.

“You’ll overheat if you stay like this.” He shakes his head at the multiple sweatshirts I am wearing under my jacket. He pulls layer after layer off of me as I groan in protest. By the time he has unwrapped me to a reasonable amount of clothing, my teeth are chattering. I’m worried they might chatter right out of my mouth if I don’t get into bed soon.

“Kev, I can’t stand anymore.” I tell him, reaching out for him as my knees buckle slightly. He catches me against his chest. “I have no energy left after driving here.” I whisper.

“Let’s get you to bed.” He scoops me into his arms and I settle into him willingly. I can feel the warmth of his chest on my hot cheek and I grimace as the chills shake me in his arms.

Kevin walks into the bedroom and sets me on the edge. He pulls off my Uggs and tugs at the comforter so I can crawl underneath it. He grabs the bag of medicine that is still in my hand. He rips the package open, reading the instructions and giving me enough for my first dose. He leaves the room briefly to grab a glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. He gives me two. I take them willingly.

When medication hour is done, I fall back into the plush pillows. Kevin tucks the blankets in around me like I’m a burrito. I instantly feel the exhaustion consuming me. I watch through lowered lids as he moves about the room to prepare for sleep. Kevin has seemingly forgotten about our fight and has turned into full on caretaker mode. The guilt pierces at my chest at his sweetness and I burrow deeper into the pillows to shield myself before I speak.

“Kev.” I whisper to him as he turns to pull the blackout curtains slightly more closed.

“Yeah?”

“I’m sorry.. for how I acted the other night.. but mostly for not saying I love you too. You know I do.”

“I know, babe. We will talk later. Go to sleep.” He leans down and places a kiss against my hot forehead. His lips feel cool against my skin. I’m glad I came to be with him. I know he will take care of me. Kevin slides into bed next to me as I roll over so my back is towards him. His hand reaches for me and he begins rubbing soft, slow circles into my back to help lull me asleep. Within seconds, I drift into a feverish and restless sleep.

Hours later, I slowly awaken to the soft sound of Netflix on the TV. I open my eyes and see Kevin, sitting up against the headboard, watching The Ranch. His hand is absentmindedly stroking against the stubble darkening his jaw. A grin breaks out on his face at something Colt Bennet says, then a soft laugh escapes his lips in sync with the laugh track. I begin to stir, stretching out my legs to give my sore muscles some relief. Kevin glances over to me and smiles softly.

“Hi.” He says as his hand comes to my hair, pulling a few loose strands from where they are sticking to my cheek.

“Ugh, don’t touch me. I’m all clammy.” My voice is rough with sickness and sleep.

“Doesn’t bother me.” He responds. “How are you feeling?”

“Honestly, not great.” I begin to cough as if on command. Kevin frowns as my body shakes in response. A shiver of the chills run down my spine and I can tell the fever reliever has worn off. “I think I need some more Tylenol.” I tell him. He looks at his Apple watch and nods.

“Yeah, it’s been about 4 hours.” He reaches for the bottle on the nightstand next to him. He hands me two and a glass of water. I sit up to accept them both, swallowing the pills in two sips.

“Should you be in here?” I ask him, worried about how close and long he has been with me while I’m this sick. “I don’t want to give this to you.”

“It’s probably a little late for that.” He chuckles.

“I’m sorry. I panicked when the doctor said pneumonia. This is kicking my butt. I can’t imagine what it would do to Sawyer and Serena.”

“I’m glad you came here. I want to take care of you.” He assures me. A coughing attack grabs ahold of my lungs again. I cover my mouth, trying not to gag at how hard my lungs are spasming. Kevin pulls me up into a sitting position and that seems to help. I groan and slump my shoulders, wincing at the tightness in my chest.

“Come lay against my chest.” He spreads his legs for me to sit between them. I crawl into his lap as he grabs all the pillows on the bed to prop himself up at an angle. “This should help.” He assures me, letting me lay back against the solidness of him. I can feel the pressure relieving in my chest and sigh happily. “Better?” He whispers, brushing my hair back from my face. I nod in response, closing my eyes again.

For the next few hours, I drift in and out of a deep sleep. It’s much more restful now that I’m propped at an angle that relieves my lungs. When I awaken again, the sky is dark and the city lights shine into Kevin’s bedroom from the large windows. However, Kevin is not with me. I slowly sit up all the way so I’m not leaning against the pillows anymore. I can tell that I’m feeling a little better. My fever is on the edge of returning, but the chills aren’t suffocating me like they were earlier in the day. Slowly, I rise from the bed, careful of the dizziness and waiting until I adjust to the change in position.

I stop at the bathroom before I pad out of the bedroom gingerly, observing the light is on in the kitchen. I find Kevin there, ladling some sort of hot liquid into bowls. He glances up at me, smiling cutely when he takes in my bed head look.

“Hi sleeping beauty.”

“Hi.” I murmur, sitting at the bar stool next to him on the island. “What’s that?” I ask, peering over his shoulder.

“It’s pho.” He tells me as he ladles the steaming liquid into the second bowl. In the bottom is thinly sliced beef, jalapeños, bean sprouts, onions, and cilantro. “This should help you feel better.” He insists, sliding a bowl over to me.

“I love pho.” I sigh as I inhale the steam from the bowl. I can’t smell much, but the warmth feels nice against my face. “Thank you.” I say as I grab a spoon, taking my first bite and savoring the warm liquid sliding down my throat. My throat aches from the coughing fits earlier, but this helps to coat the raw skin.

“How are you feeling?” He asks me after we eat a few bites.

“Um, a little better, I think. I’m just so tired.” I admit, stifling a yawn as I do so.

“Yeah, you need to get back to bed when you’re done with this. Your color looks a little better.” He reaches for my cheek and gives it a brief stroke with his thumb. “You were pretty pale and ashy this morning. Some color has returned, but it’s probably your fever coming back.” He notes as a chill shakes my body.

“It’s going to be a rough night.” I acknowledge, moving the vegetables around in my Pho. My energy is waning quickly. I can barely keep my head upright as the exhaustion returns. I sway slightly in the chair and Kevin’s hand reaches for my arm to steady me. “I think I need to go lay down.” I push away from the island as Kevin rises with me. He wraps a secure arm around me and we head back to bed together. Once my next round of meds are down and we are settled back into a slightly upright position, I look back at Kevin.

“Did you mean what you said the other day?” I wonder.

“No, I was being an ass, Sam. My play is my fault and only mine. I don’t want anything to change between us.”

“Not that…” I trail off, fidgeting with the edge of the comforter. “I mean about moving in together.”

“Oh… Well, yeah.”

“I might like that.” I admit to him. He goes still beneath me before his hands encircle mine to give me a squeeze.

“Yeah?” He questions.

“Yeah, if that’s still okay.” I nod.

“Of course it is. I can’t think of anything better than waking up next to you in the morning and falling asleep with you in my arms.”

“I don’t want to throw off your routine though.” I tell him truthfully. “I know how important that is in the deep months of the season.”

“Honestly, maybe a change is what will get me out of this rut.” He teases me.

“First I’m the problem, now I’m the solution.” I joke with him, smiling so he knows I’m kidding.

“You’re neither of those things. You’re the love of my life.”

I settle back into his chest as his arms tighten around me, holding us as close together as possible. I feel safe and content with him. It isn’t long before I’m gently lulled to sleep by the steady rise and fall of his chest.

In my feverish state, I dream of Kevin and forever.

[therpdirectory]

Needed on Sideways

a real life 25+ public jcink rp set in Aspen Colorado

Spirit Animal - looking for a sweet hippie/free spirit/indie - boho girl vibes fellow influencer for Henley. These girls have been friends for a while now. They are each others constant support and cheerleader. They are tied at the hip and constantly featured in each others content. Henley’s world is not being turned upside down because her dad has randomly gotten married and she doesn't know how to handle it as it has always just been the two of them. Henley very much needs her friend to be that shoulder of support for her as she navigates through all of these crazy emotions. And look out when Henley finds out the new wife is pregnant and she is suddenly no longer an only child! Henley isn’t gonna handle this change well at all and really needs a support system in her corner. Gigi Hadid suggested/open. - HIGHLY NEEDED!

Make the whole place shimmer - Looking for an ex/eventual again boyfriend for Henley. They had a situationship before, but he caught feelings. She is slow to come around to catching feelings herself however they still stayed in each others lives. They were still there for one another. Still showed up for each other. You know basically dating but Henley sure didn't realize that is what was going on. Once she realizes it he will get to be 'well finally you've figured it out'. They are each other’s biggest cheerleaders and fully support one another. He plays minor league hockey and she is an influencer who’s whole life is being shaken and boy does she need him and his calming stability right now. They can’t seem to let one another out of their lives. Tom Holland/Cody Christian suggested. - HIGHLY NEEDED!

Friends in Low Places - Chris Hemsworth/Tom Hardy/Tom Hiddleston/Garrett Hedlund/open wanted for a group of rowdy and rambunctious fellas (Chris Evans, Jensen Ackles, and Andrew Garfield) who have never fully grown up from their high school antics days - blue collar salt of the Earth type guys who never turn down a cold one or hanging out with their buddies. Expect lots of fun shenanigan posts, plotting, and group posts! (ability to combine with other ads!)

[chanelfunnell]

A mail bag

Not too much no drama (yes in message box but not puckbunny type)

A)anon I don't think Ovechkin will even with his empty netters reach Howe's record. Not like he is not good enough but the rules were different then and Ovi is ,veteran, player

B) his first name is Kris not Alex letang. No osing together nonstop does not mean The Letangs are not together lol. Crosby Interesting runs Toews Kane Interesting and so similar bs about Amanda and Kaner . Amanda is pregnant . I still miss to see BrinCat in Chicago. Goals and fun Not certain wags.

C) Marketa was an ice hockey boss of Tomas Hertl, in her tender age back in Prague years back. 15 years back and so. The man with a winning goal against Canada in Nagano was a coach of her team HC Slavia Prague. They tanked financially when she has left for UK and so any other ice hockey club with that ice hockey coach later on. If not bankrupt so at the bottom with no results , say Filip Hronek's home team where the coach's 2nd wife a pole dancer and 25 years his junior has sent her naked photos to the ice hockey players and cheated on him. The coach wanted a money from the parents for minor players to be on the roster and it is apparently typical for young Czech ice hockey. Nepotism, destroyed potential talents with serfdom and bad campaigns, stops and methods and tactics stuck in Stone age, big wigs in their association shopping with their wives in designer boutiques of Czech Madison Avenue. No shock Markle has found her soundboard. The other coach who was young and promoted as a modern expert sucked all enthusiasm fromCzech star NHL team but problems with anybody from their national League and a scoring Czech player. With Canadian scoring player, young players were lazy and not training enough like Jagr with his squats, older players were not in touch with his modern methods, Czech NHLers too primadonnas. They knew M and her development, tips, strategy. It's her ice hockey idea frame what they play now even she has no input in. Marketa was a sport journo as a teenager, keen to write anything and so any small feature or cover female basketball players in Brno. She got up to the ladder gradually, so other female sport journos. I don't mean this one in this outfit but yes she is beautiful and so other girls.

M was always very strict and she is very strict with taming David J now and his ventures how she calls it from New Foundland and Ohio to Florida to have stupid manners of communist pensioners about little helpers when he is not good with his puck handling and no cupped blade of stock or two hands on during scoring. Compared to old structures she supports their brain and play intelligence learning from mistakes . Their national teams were not obedient to listen to their coach unless it was a former star ice hockey player, even voracek has a problem to do it in 2019. All their junior teams were arguing cliques and so with Zacha. Then a lot of things changed. They became a great team despite having not an ice hockey player coach who trolled them on the top. Not good with quick dangles, dekes on the way to the net or quick puck handling for scoring so the goal keeper is able to prepare for the shot but their ice hockey is 3D and very attractive, modern ice hockey. Hertl was a top scorer not ages ago. I would type the last post with M's photos today and I close this topic for next and following year(s). How get an entry to army and be relevant female biz leader lol

D) Brown shoes of Jonathan Toews on New Year day.!!!!! I analyzed them.

[roscoenstella]

Dog Friendly Hockey Games – 2024 / 2025 Season

Who doesn’t love finding fun new things to do with their furry best friend? Mark your calendar now for this truly unique experience — taking your pup to a dog friendly hockey game! Not only will you be supporting your local minor league or college hockey team, but you’ll be making memories at these “Pucks and Paws” games!   We love sharing new and creative experiences for you and your pet to…