#sure is kraken hockey baby

[gaps-between-stories]

[againstthegrainphoto]

Clearly has never committed a crime in his life.

Absolutely perfect.

No further notes.🍣🍣🍣

[hillmon]

okay well thirty minutes to kill and not a thing to do. do we want a kraken blinkie. that actuallymight only take like 15 minutes..

[claireelle18]

Lucky Charm

Prompt: When no one knows that they’re secretly married, but after scoring in the Stanley Cup playoffs he sees her in the stands wearing his jersey and holding the kid no one knows he has…and he’s almost knocked on his ass because he can’t take his eyes off her, and the moment is featured on national TV.

The day had been a long one of keeping up with the rambunctious toddler. Of course she wouldn’t exchange it for the world. Between the two parents, she agreed to be the stay at home mom while he provided for them.

It was a last minute decision to be down there at the arena, let alone up against the glass. She wasn’t sure how her girlfriend managed to get the tickets, pretty sure she had them, but the other guests bailed on her. 

“Linds, I can’t come! I’ve got no one to watch Salem tonight.” 

“Sage, just bring her! I have enough tickets for all of us. She can sit between us. Besides I bet she would love to see her Daddy play!” Salem had just recently turned two-and-a-half, and had only seen her Daddy play on tv and during the open practices.

“Sails you wanna go watch Daddy play?” She giggled and clapped. 

“Daddy?” The toddler questioned her mama.

“Yeah, baby. Daddy is at work. Want to go see him?” She nodded, and clapped more. “Okay, fine Linds we will see you there! Text me the tickets!” 

“Yay! I promise you’ll have fun!” 

With the heavy amount of traffic, both automobiles and pedestrians, it took a little longer to get past security than originally planned. Which meant warm ups were just wrapping up when the pair met up with the friend. “Hi ya Salem!” Salem laughed and waved hi back to her Aunt Linds. “You just missed him, but he will be back out soon.” 

The two women chatted as Salem watched the lights and people all around her. He wasn’t a starting player for the game, so she observed him on the bench. He was so sucked into the game, not knowing she was there, so close. 

First intermission came in a flash. He had a few shifts during that first period, and she could see how as the game progressed he became more comfortable. Before anyone knew it, second period was under way. Now they would be scoring on the goal the three sat behind. Sage cradled Salem on her hip as she wasn’t tall enough to see over the boards the action of the game. 

Her wedding ring glittering off the arena’s obnoxiously bright lights, casting tiny rainbows across the floor, as she held onto her daughter. Her daughter’s wide cerulean blue eyes captivated by the speed of the men whizzing around the large frozen sheet.  “Daddy! Daddy!” The young girl cheered as she caught her first glimpse of him, her long dark curls bouncing as she squirmed around.

He was back across the ice, then back in front of her again. His next shift he lead the puck, finding the back of the net past the Avalanche’s Georgiev. As he comes around the back of the net in a celly, he sees both, and cannot take his eyes off of them. 

His teammates flock around him, and he almost gets his ass slammed down to the ice because he gets run into. His only savior being Yanni Gourde and Adam Larson catching him. Even then he cannot seem to break the little trace he’s in. “If you’re watching this round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you may have just witnessed Vince Dunn almost get taken out by teammates because something outside the rink, in the crowd is distracting him,” an announcer calls. 

No doubt that would be the hockey meme of the night, and for the weeks to follow. The Kraken social team was quick to use the gif made from it to post about taking the lead. 

@seattlekraken: “us when we realize we have the lead currently” 

Salem squeals again in excitement as she sees him smiling at her. She can hear the clicks of cameras sounding off around her as he smiles at them. Sage’s jersey proudly representing her last name of Dunn, and Salem’s with Daddy across the back and Vince’s number. He blows Salem a kiss and a sticking tongue out face, causing the previous reaction to repeat, before skating off. 

After winning the game, which gave the Kraken the lead in the series, the biggest question was asked during the interview, “what was that almost landing on your ass about?”

“Well, I-uh…I honestly didn’t expect to see my wife and our daughter standing there right behind the glass,” he smiled. “It definitely caught me off guard, in a good - I mean great way.” 

“So that was your daughter?” A report repeated. 

“Yes, my wife and daughter were here tonight. Now if you don’t mind, I would love to go see them, so please one final question.” He bounded off, in search of his favorite people. Adam had her outside the locker room, chatting and occasionally bouncing Sails up and down. 

“Daaadddyyy!” She screamed when she spotted him, taking off from everyone else. 

“Hey my little pumpkin!” He grabbed her kissing her cheek. “I see you came to Daddy’s work!” She nodded vigorously. 

“Come on you three, take a family picture!” Linds cheered, pushing Sage into her family. A few photos snapped of the little family.  “Glad you were able to not cause too much chaos tonight,” Sage teased Vince. “Even if you’re still leading in PIMs this season.” He jokingly goes to nip the tip of her nose in retaliation and Salem pushes his face. “Bad daddy. No bites!”

*New Instagram Post - posted photo series of Sage and Vince with Salem’s face not shown, back of her jersey is though* 

@vincedunn: “you could say I had my lucky charms in the building tonight”

Comment reply: @sagedunn: “yeah we know you mean @adamlarson 🙄” 

Reply: @vincedunn : “if I meant him then why are you sporting my last name on that jersey then? 😜😘” 

Reply: @sagedunn: “that’s because he’s forced to work with you” 

[ladylooch]

Letters in Your Last Name - Chapter 36

A/N: Ende. Konec. Avsluta. Fin. The End. In all of Kev's languages. My babies! Their whole story here for us to re-read forever 🥰

Word Count: 4.7k

Warnings: absolutely none :)

It’s a hockey filled day in the Fiala household. Luca has his first game of this season and the excitement is palpable in our little boy. The most exciting part is Kevin is in town after a week-long road trip. All of his babies missed him, but knowing Kevin gets to share in Luca’s game, is almost worth the hours of missing him. After, we will head to the Xcel Energy Center to watch Kevin and the Wild battle against the Seattle Kraken

To prepare, Luca insisted the family play some knee hockey. He is trying hard to hone his hand eye coordination. He wants to score flashy goals like his dad and he already knows what needs to be perfected for that. I am playing goalie from my butt while Luca and Kevin duke it out in the middle of the makeshift rink in our living room. The teams were decided on parents versus kids. Needless to say, the confidence in our oldest child is high. He insisted he could carry the team on his shoulders even with his younger sister’s lack of caring. She lazily swings her stick once and a while between twirls all while wearing her Rapunzle dress.

“Interference!!!” I yell as Kevin pins my arms beneath his strong hands.

“Let the kids win, baby.” Kevin laughs while he holds me down.

“No!” I whine at him, trying to wiggle out from my husband’s tight grasp. The kids giggle next to us as Luca shoots the ball into the wide open net. I go limp in defeat and narrow my eyes at my husband. “You’re the worst.” Luca dances around the living room, stick in the air and cheering loudly like his father has been known to do on the ice.

“Champion! Just like daddy!” He yells. Lacey joins him and screams too. It’s not long before the monitor is signaling an awakened baby upstairs.

“You did this. You go get her.” I insist to Kevin. He looks down at me with a wicked smile before inching forward to press our lips together. The kiss is intimate and loving. My stomach flutters in response and when he pulls away, I’m a little dazed. After all this time, he still gets to me.

“You’re right. I did all of this.” He gestures to our three kids and the house we turned into a home. “Made all your dreams come true.”

“Weird, I thought I birthed our children.” I squint at him.

“Yes, but I was there.” I let out a loud, snicker of a laugh, shaking my head at him as I stand.

“Sure. Totally the same thing.”

“We beat you mama!” Lacey sings, jumping up and down while hanging on my leg. Her fierce competitiveness, inherited from her dad, has her proud despite her lack of effort during the game.

“Look at what you’re teaching them.” I wave my arms at Kevin. “That if they cheat, they win in life.”

“Wow. I think you might hate losing more than me.” Kevin chuckles before he disappears upstairs to grab Lena.

Okay, maybe some of their competitiveness comes from me.

I run a hand over Lacey’s brown hair as she nuzzles into my thigh.

“Luca, please pick this stuff up and go get changed for your game.” I encourage him. He yelps excitedly and rushes through clean up before running up the stairs to his room. Kevin comes down a moment later with our sleepy, 9 month old. She’s all red cheeks and warm, soft skin as she clings to her father. Her tiny fist is curled into his shirt as she sucks her nook repetitively.

“Are we sure we are done with adding more of these babies? Look at how cute they turn out!” He proclaims, grabbing a banana from the bowl on the counter.

“I’m done. If you want to birth the next one, you’re more than welcome.” I reach out and rub Lena’s back a few times. She has matching brown eyes like her dad, but more of me comes out in her every day. When she sees me, her plump lips pull apart into a smile that shines beyond her nook. “Ugh, she is so cute tho.”

Thump

Kevin and I both share a concerned glance when we hear the noises that follow from upstairs.

“I better go check on that.” He hands Lena to me and goes to find our oldest.

While Kevin is gone, I set Lena in her high chair with a large bib. I’m cutting the banana into pieces while keeping a watchful eye over Lacey who has moved on to play with her dolls. She’s become so independent since Lena was born. We put her into a small, preschool afterwards as well to help with her socialization. It’s refreshing to see her reach for toys to entertain herself. Gone are the days where she used to cling desperately to Kevin and I.

Kevin and Luca descend into the kitchen a few minutes later. Luca is already dressed in his hockey stuff, which explains the thud we heard. I open my mouth to question the equipment, but Kevin holds his hands up.

“I already tried. He insisted.”

“We are raising Kevin Fiala 2.0.” I joke as Kevin comes around the island, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “Luca, what do you want for your snack before the game?” I ask our son. Kevin’s hands come to my hips and he rests his chin on my shoulder. He sways us gently. I drop the knife I’m using to cut the bananas up. I sigh and settle back into his chest.

“This is nice.” I murmur, reaching up to hold his head against mine.

“I want applesauce.” Luca says to me from where he has joined his sister in the living room. He’s opted to play with his dump truck rather than join in with the dolls.

“I got it.” Kevin places a kiss against my cheek before heading over to the fridge. He pulls out a few pouches and brings them to both of the kids. While he does that, I gather the banana and give it to our youngest. She wiggles excitedly and immediately mashes a piece between her pudgy fingers. Lena is definitely the pudgy baby her father was at this age. I brush her hair off of her forehead. Lena tilts her head up to me and gives me a grin. Her two front teeth have just popped out and I swoon at the joy glinting in her eyes.

“Just one more.” Kevin quietly begs to me when he returns to the kitchen. His brown eyes are wide and sweet.

“Three is enough.” I insist to him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. It's a moot statement considering Kevin snipped away the possibility of another pregnancy a month after Lena was born. “We did make perfect babies though.” I wrinkle my nose cutely at him.

“I love you.” He whispers against my lips. I gently wrap my arms around him and pull us closer together.

These days, it doesn’t get better than a day filled with happy babies and Kevin being home.

An hour later, we are sitting in our local sports center, clapping enthusiastically at the chaos of youth hockey below. Luca is patrolling around the ice eagerly, hustling towards the puck. I can’t help but picture him as Charlie Brown on skates. If he was a cartoon, the dirt would be kicking up all around his feet.

“Woo!” I cheer with a clap as Luca gets the puck. I cringe slightly when he’s taken down by another kid who lost his footing. They both are going so slow that they just slide around on the ice. Luca gets up and then stops, reaching down for his teammate to help him up. Luca is considerably better than the rest of the kids. We insisted this to the association, but they refused to let him move up without starting here first. Needless to say, next year will be a big jump for our boy.

The coach blows his whistle to signal the end of the period and I glance to the right. Kevin took the girls to get popcorn because Lacey insisted she was dying of hunger and couldn’t wait one more second without food. She just likes the excitement of getting a treat from the concession stand. Kevin opens the door to the arena for Lacey. She comes bouncing in with a pep in her step, pigtails flopping as she goes, pink jacket swaying in the wind around her. Lena is in Kevin’s arms and points excitedly to the ice. Kevin speaks to her and she giggles as his lips smooch her cheek. My heart swoons in my chest. Watching Kevin be a dad to our babies is so sexy.

My gaze bops around in the stands and I notice the other mom’s, even ones with their husbands, looking at mine as he walks back towards me. Kevin doesn’t even notice the stares. I bite my lip against a grin as one of them waves enthusiastically at him. He gives her a polite nod and continues on to me. I’m pretty sure he has no idea who that woman is. My laugh breaks out of my mouth as another one of the mom’s does the same thing.

“Yum.” Lacey grins at me as she hops next to me on the bench.

“You gonna make it?” I ask her. The hoodie of her sweatshirt is stuck in the collar of her jacket, so I pull it out.

“Yeah.” She sighs out happily. This girl is something else; our vivacious child for sure.

“Making friends?” I joke with Kevin as he hands me Lena when they reach me. I set her in my lap and bounce her on my knees as she watches the action below.

“I have no idea who either of those people are.” He shakes his head in confusion.

“The first one was Stacey. Her son is number 8. The second one is Janelle. Her son is number 5.” I point to the two boys out there. Kevin shrugs his shoulders with indifference. “They think you’re hot.” I point out to him with amused, pursed lips.

“Cool. I’m happily married.” He leans forward and puts his elbows on his knees. He folds his hands together and his brown eyes stare intently at our son on the ice. I keep my gaze on him, eyes dancing along his handsome features. I can’t say I blame the hockey moms. He’s the best looking thing around these parts.

“Yes, Sam?” He murmurs without taking his eyes from the ice.

“Give me a kiss.” I pucker my lips at him. He swipes his tongue across his lips and then places them against mine. I sigh into his mouth and bring my hand to rest on the side of his neck. When we separate, his brown eyes look down at my swollen lips. He leans forward again and gives me a quick peck. “Thank you.” I say as he pulls away again. He grabs my hand from his neck and laces our fingers together before resting our hands on my lap next to Lena. She reaches down and pats his with her mittened glove absentmindedly, eyes still laser focused on the players below. Lena may play hockey, but I highly doubt Lacey will. She’s interested in just about everything else except for the game below.

The game continues on into the next period. It’s more of the same- a large cluster of kids fighting for the black disc. No one ever really gets possession of the puck until Luca does. It’s on his stick and he hustles his little feet towards the net. The group is still in a cluster behind him, falling all over each other. Luca is alone and he winds up for a blistering wrister into the lower corner. The tiny goalie lays down in defeat and Luca does his dad’s one knee pump celebration.

“Oh my god.” I laugh and clap my hands together around Lena.

“Oof.” Kevin shakes his head in acknowledgement.

“This is exactly why I told you to stop running your mouth last week. He watches and mimics everything you do on the ice.” Kevin’s mouth dissolves into a cringe and he shakes his head.

“Noted.”

Luca turns to the stands and looks at us. We can see his huge grin from behind his cage and we all wave excitedly at him.

“Dad! Did you see!?” He exclaims over the glass.

“Yep! Good job, bud!” Kevin yells down to him. Luca’s smile brightens even more and then he’s off to the face off with even more determination. I give Kevin's thigh a squeeze and lean forward to press a kiss to his bicep.

The rest of the game goes by quickly and soon we are waiting for Luca outside the locker rooms. Kevin went in to help him take his stuff off, but Luca insisted he could do it all by himself. When our son comes out, he’s struggling under the weight of his hockey bag. Kevin reaches for it, but Luca pulls away defiantly.

“No. Uncle Matty told me hockey players carry their own bags.” His brown eyes set into a determined look.

“It’s a long walk to the car.” Kevin tries to take the bag again but our son is insistent. “Okay. If you need my help let me know.” Luca nods and then walks ahead of us towards the car. The entire walk, he doesn’t notice Kevin’s fingers holding the back half of his bag up.

“Luca, do you think daddy is going to score tonight too?” I ask him once we have all settled in the car and are on our way home. Lena has already fallen asleep; her little head rubs against the side of her carseat with each bump. Lacey stares out the window at the passing city, daydreaming in her own world.

“Yeah!” He shouts.

“No pressure, daddy.” I grin at my husband who’s eyes don’t leave the road. His lips pull into a dazzling grin though.

When the goal horn blasts through the Xcel Energy Center signaling Kevin’s goal against the Seattle Kraken later that night, Luca is beside himself with delight. Its Kevin’s first goal of the season on the same day his son scored his first hockey goal. The story practically writes it’s self.

“He did it!!!!!” Our son screams at me with such force I’m worried he might pop a few blood vessels in his body.

“So exciting!” I run a loving hand over his hair. He turns back to the ice and watches with absolute wonderment as Kevin heads to the bench for his glove taps. When Kevin is done going through the line, he heads to the ref and asks for the puck from the net. The ref smiles at what Kevin is telling him and hands over the puck from his goal. I know exactly what my husband is planning and I fall even more in love with him at the thought.

The clapping dies down and we all return to our seats. As I lean back into mine, I feel the nostalgia brewing within me. Our seasons are starting to become limited. What once was a guarantee has become a question at the end of each season. Does he have one more in him? What about two? His answer last year was one, but not sure about two. Actually, very few people know, but Kevin has been contemplating retirement after this season. We’ve been discussing it in depth since the end of last season and he feels the time is approaching. He’s still producing at a reasonable amount, but his body has taken a beating after almost 15 season in the NHL. He isn’t recovering like he used to. Mostly, he wants to go out on his terms, not because of an expired contract or worse, an injury.

Then there is our family to consider. Our babies are growing fast and he’s missing so much of their lives. He feels an overwhelming need to be home with us. Every goodbye for a road trip is full of tears, heartache and disappointment. Whenever the decision is made, I know our life without hockey will be strange. Maybe empty at first, but having Kevin home with us full time is something I’ll never say no to.

The Wild decisively cut down the Kraken in a 4-1 victory. By the time the game is over, the girls are tired and I have to practically drag Lacey down to the family lounge to wait for Kevin. Luca is wired from the game, but I know after he sees Kevin, he’s going to collapse into utter exhaustion from his exciting day.

“Dad!” Luca shouts when he sees him. Kevin grins and grabs him into a tight hug. The girls lift their heads to see their dad then settle back into their places- Lacey on the couch and Lena on my chest. I brush my fingers lightly over Lena’s head and watch my boys.

“I got you something.” Kevin murmurs to Luca, kneeling down to his level, He pulls the puck from his suit coat and Luca’s eyes beam in excitement. “So we can remember the night both Fialas scored.” I bite my lip as Luca wraps his little hands around the puck. He’s in awe at the special moment. He won’t forget this night. “I love you, Luca. I’m proud of you.” Kevin finishes and gives him a kiss on his head.

“Mama, look what dad got me.” He bounces back over to me, extending the puck so I can see it. Around the rim is a piece of white tape with the date and scratchy writing that spells out “Kevin and Luca Fiala: 1st goals of the season.”

“Oh, that is so sweet, Kev.” I murmur to him as he leans down to give me a smooch. “He literally almost passed out from excitement when you scored.” I whisper so only he can hear. Kevin laughs at the visual.

“Are all my babies ready to go home?” He wonders. Luca leans against Kevin’s leg and lets out a yawn. He nods his head and then looks at his puck again. “I’ll take Lace.” Kevin gather’s our oldest daughter and holds her to his chest.

We head home with our babies to the house in the suburbs that we built to fill with said babies. Bed time is easy and pain free considering all three kids are down for the count after our fun-filled day. Luca puts himself to sleep while Kevin and I tend to the younger kids. When they are settled in their places, we both enter our son’s room to find him still awake with drooping eyes.

“Goodnight, baby. We love you.” I tell him, kissing his puckered lips. “We are so proud of you. Not only did you score, but you were a good teammate today too.” I emphasize to him. We want him to know that there are more important things than goals and points.

“Love you, mama.”

“Wir lieben dich.” Kevin echos our love to our son in German. We leave the room together and keep his door slightly ajar so the light from the hall creeps into his room, just how he likes it.

“Another day of successfully keeping our kids alive.” I joke and softly high-five my husband.

“Mmm, nailed it. We should reward ourselves.” He reaches around me and gropes my boob.

“It seems like the right thing to do.” I confirm as we enter our bedroom. We both ditch our clothes from the game and re-dress ourselves with pajamas. Kevin keeps his chest bare and I appreciate the view as he walks from our closet. In our pre-kid days, we would have slept naked. We know better than to do that now.

“Ugh, I hurt more and more after every game these days. I think I’m officially old.” Kevin mutters, stretching his shoulder and doing a few circles with his left arm. “This year might need to be it.”

“I worry about you with this decision.” I tell Kevin honestly as he climbs into bed next to me. I’ve voiced this concern to him before, but it feels worth repeating again, especially after he had such an electric night on the ice. “Hockey has been your life since you were 3 years old, skating around with your dad.”

“I’m not worried about it.” Kevin shakes his head at me, pulling the comforter up his chest. I furrow my eyebrows at him.

“Seriously?” I ask him.

He pauses, contemplating his words before he opens his arms to me. I wiggle over to him and lay my head on his chest. The steady beating of his heart feels like home to me.

“I love hockey and I’ll miss it, for sure. But I know the time is approaching. I’ve been able to live a good life because of a sport I grew up playing. Competing in the NHL has been a dream come true. Winning a Stanley Cup. Representing my country. That’s all been incredible. But the only thing hockey gave to me that matters is you. The best days of my life have involve you and our babies. You four are my world. Going on the road this year has been really hard on all of us. When Lacey was sobbing on FaceTime last week because she missed me, it just about killed me.”

“I’m not complaining about having you home more. I would love that. I just want you to know without a doubt that you’re doing what’s best for you.”

“When we got married and started having babies, it was no longer about me. Still isn’t. This is what is best for our family.”

“Wow. If 18 year old Kevin could hear you now.” I murmur, dropping a kiss to his chest.

“Even he would have known better than to fuck this up.” He laughs against my hair, his lips pressing into the top of my head. I turn my face up to look into his eyes. When our gazes connect, I immediately get emotional.

“It’s going to be hard to say goodbye to this part of our life.”

“It will be. But we don’t have to yet.” He reminds me, rubbing a strong hand over the top of my back.

Movement at the door draws our eyes away from each other. The door creeks open before Lacey’s face peeks in. Her eyes immediately go to her dad. She visibly relaxes when she sees him.

“Daddy, ich habe Angst.” She’s scared. Her teeth chatter as she runs quickly across the floor and leaps into him.

“What’s wrong, baby?” He asks against her hair, holding her to his bare chest comfortingly.

“I heard a noise in my room.”

“What did it sounds like?” She makes a squeaking and creaking sound with widened green eyes. Kevin’s eyebrows go up in surprise and he gives me a faux concerned look. “I better go check that out. Will you come with me?” He asks her hopefully. Our girl bravely nods her head and they walk out of the room hand in hand.

When Kevin returns to our room ten minutes later, he is alone.

“Did you save the day?” I smile, reaching out for him to hold me again.

“Yeah. This one was easy.” He says after kissing my lips. “It was her bed moving against the wall when she was turning over. I showed her the noise and she’s content again with her stuffies.” There has to be about 20 stuffed animals on Lacey’s bed at all times, otherwise she can’t sleep. The adult in me cringes at the thought of their beady eyes starting at me in the night. But it’s brought comfort to her and I know better than to mess with Lacey’s routine.

“I’m sure something else will come up tomorrow night.” We both share a knowing look. Lacey will look for any excuse to join us in bed just so she can snuggle up tightly to Kevin. She’s a daddy’s girl through and through.

“I’ll save the day then too.” Kevin murmurs to me. His hands move down my side to my back and then grip my ass. When our lips connect, the baby monitor signals Lena is awake. “No.” Kevin whines. “She’s fine.” He insists and keeps his lips on mine. We make out for several more seconds while Lena cries before I pull away. “Babe. Leave her.”

“Kev, she’s just going to get louder. Then our bed will be full of children and not adults having sex.” I mutter, throwing the covers off and padding around the bed to grab our youngest.

When I enter Lena’s room, she’s sitting up with crocodile tears rolling down her face. I pull her up into my arms and walk over to the plush rocking chair in her room. I grab a fresh nook from the basket on her dresser as her other one has seemingly disappeared form her crib. She sucks on it gently and reaches for my necklace that has all three of our children’s birthstones on it. She fingers the jewels as her beautiful, big eyes begin to flutter shut again. I rock her steadily while patting her butt to encourage her back to sleep. In a few more moments, soft puffs come out of her lips. I hold her for another five minutes, eating up every second of her sleepy snuggles. I won’t have this for very much longer.

Then, my mind wanders to my husband in our bed. His warm body, his defined muscles, his skilled fingers. His mouth. I bite my lip and begin to pull my necklace from Lena’s tight grip. When her hand drops to her chest I stand and place her back into her crib. I rub her back through the transition. When her nook falls slightly away from her lips, I slowly tip toe out of the room. I hustle down the hall to our bedroom. My face contorts in a scowl when I see Kevin. His arm is resting on his head, his eyes are closed and his chest is steadily rising and falling. He fell asleep.

I sigh and lean against the doorframe of our room watching him. His face has certainly aged since we were 22, but in all the best ways. I think back on the first day I saw him. His features were so striking and I couldn’t look away. Then, I couldn’t stay away even when Alex asked me to. Thank God I didn’t listen to my brother.

From the very beginning with Kevin, I knew this was different. I’m thankful that I fought for this in those early days. Even when it was new and unsure- through COVID, and contract negotiations. Those days gave us a Swiss wedding, Stanley Cup celebrations, and the births of our three babies. Through it all, we were always meant to be. Always meant for this beautiful life.

“You going to keep standing in the door way or are you going to come back to bed so we can fuck?” His voice, full of desire, pulls me from my thoughts. He speaks to me without opening his eyes. Slowly, I make my way over to the bed, straddling his lap. His erection builds beneath me as my core pulses for him. I trail my fingers along his bare chest and tease him with soft touches until his gorgeous eyes open to look at me. What I see there is the same all consuming look he gave to me the first time he kissed me on Alex’s front porch.

I lean down and place my lips on Kevin’s. His hand comes to my neck and his fingers grip my face zealously to his.

“I’m so glad we fell in love.” I whisper against his lips.

“Me too. I’m going to love you forever, Samantha Fiala.”

It’s almost unbelievable to me now. How everything about our life has changed since we first met and yet, nothing really has.

Because it’s still Kevin and me choosing each other through it all.

And if that’s what we keep doing, forever will be a breeze.

[squidsquadlove]

On whether he agrees with Ron Francis that he was playing his best hockey in the series against Hershey (which he really was, he was incandescent):

"I would agree... I was just playing hockey. I was having fun. I was looking forward to coming to the rink every day and enjoying playing in the playoffs and being in that atmosphere. Going that far, making a run like we did, that's fun hockey. You enjoy playing in those games and playing in those loud buildings and having those experiences. I was really happy with the way I was playing. I'm trying to build off that, how I was playing at the end of the season, build that into this development camp, and then through training camp as well."

On how different it feels being at this development camp vs. last year:

"Definitely feel older, that's for sure. 😄 Definitely feel a little more comfortable coming to this environment-- I've obviously been here, practiced in this arena, I've been around the coaches and been around all the staff... as much as I don't want to say it, I'm kind of one of the older guys now, here, I'd say 😆 I want to be a little bit of mentor, as much as I can, towards all these younger guys. But yeah, I definitely feel more comfortable, more at ease here. It's nice to be back. It's really fun being here. Good skate today, and great crowd as well, so it's always fun to be back."

"The Kraken offered you a chance to have a rest after your last playoff run in Coachella. [Shane played 24 of the record-breaking 26 games the Firebirds played in the playoffs; the team played every one of the five series to the maximum length except one. Ryker Evans and Tye Kartye were excused from dev camp due to playing about 100 games each this year!] What made you want to come out here and be a part of this?"

"Yeah! I mean, I wanted to be a part of this. First of all, just to be around the new draftees-- it's always cool seeing some other guys get drafted. I'm only a year older, but I feel like I have a lot of experience at the pro level. Being able to be a mentor and help teach and help those guys learn as much as I can-- be a role model, be a leader here is what I really want to do. Also, just love being here 😃, love skating 🥰. They kind of gave me the option to come, but no question, I definitely wanted to be here, definitely wanted to skate at dev camp."

"How long did it take the full [and EPIC] playoff beard to come in?"

"🤣 I mean, it just kept going and going and growing! 😄 By the time it was game 7 there, it was the longest it's ever been in my life! 😄 I've never really been able to grow it out that much, and 😂 the guys on the team were saying it was one of the best on the team 🥰 so I was definitely pretty proud of that 😁."

"You look like you've put on some muscle mass in the last year-- have you? Or am I imagining it?" [It sure looked like it by the end at CV!]

"Um... maybe a little bit, yeah! I think just playing at the pro level for the amount of playoffs that I did, just naturally you have to adapt and you naturally grow stronger playing against those bigger, stronger guys. I think... 😁 I don't know if I have or not, but if you think I have 😃 that's great news! Yeah! 😆"

(Not a complete transcript, just the smiliest happiest baby squid parts! SO SMILEY.)

[workingforitallthetime]

ohhhhh could you talk more about what made matty's transition so successful?

the kraken's expansion team circumstances created a unicorn situation where they were bad enough to have a 1C opportunity available but good enough to provide that 1C with high-quality linemates. (and not just one set of them, hakstol was able to try different combos until one clicked.) then, from both a skills perspective and a personality perspective, matty was capable of seizing that opportunity.

skills-wise, i'm sure a second year of college and the other opportunities he had that year helped... he got better at hockey and a little bit more physically mature, but also he got more experience in high-pressure situations, took on a leadership role, and fought through a slump. personality-wise, he's both easy-going and self-confident, which have presumably been conducive to succeeding in the spotlight.

but another aspect of being an expansion team is that the kraken had zero prospects. everybody else on the roster is at least 4 years older than matty. this team had a giant little brother shaped hole in its heart, and thirdborn child matty was perfectly suited to fill that void. it does the rest of them good to have someone to dote on and bully, and matty gets to be the center of attention, which is exactly what he wants. it seems like a dynamic that's conducive to success.

you didn't ask, but it's worth noting that a lot of these factors were not present for shane, if one wants to ponder why his transition to the nhl was not immediately successful in the way that matty's was. the same 1C opportunity wasn't waiting for shane because matty was already there. shane didn't have the same skill level... they're only 14 months apart in age, but thanks to his late birthday and experience on the national team matty had two years of experience playing against guys in their 20s and older, and shane had none. personality-wise, shane is not at all easy-going and his experience with the draft presumably had some impact on his self-confidence. and instead of walking into a situation where everybody was so excited to get a baby brother, shane walked into a situation where there was already a golden child. this is not to say that shane won't ultimately be as successful as matty, but the conditions that were conducive to matty's immediate success were not there for him (and, really, they aren't for most prospects... matty got lucky and so did the kraken.)

[krakenshipwreck]

you wouldn’t happen to have any specific rpf-y thoughts on the kraken would you? i love your t-birds supernatural-lore post(s) and i was wondering if you have any similar thoughts about the kraken boys. or they don’t even have to be in the same vein just like. who are your Guys?

i am always alert to possibilities for the fraught dynamic of matty/shane! (one such musing here.) i think ty nelson's arrival is really going to juice this one... love for shane to be too wrapped up in his competitive/frenemies/bad-idea sex situation with matty to recognize that kid nelly is exactly what he needs.

i mourn the loss of borgs/souce as a ship for sure. big placid prairie boy and disaster gremlin is always such a great dynamic, no matter how abundant it is in hockey.

i like my boys dumb in and herds, and i am increasingly optimistic that the arrival of the baby firebirds is going to give me a delightful group dynamic in which to situate a ship. lomo and ryan winterton's obsession with each other intrigues me, particularly when it appears that tye kartye is also ready to die for wints.

i recognize that there are many lars/dunn fans, and i acknowledge that there is a lot to be said for a strong silent swede and a flashy brat with a pretty mouth. but my own tastes tend toward the prospect end of the spectrum... there's just something about the volatile emotions and terrible decisionmaking of ages 18-23 that really does it for me from a fic perspective. i'm so excited for more prospects to arrive!

[jedusaur]

that's playoff hockey, baby

for my girl @1000-directions, who just got into hockey this season, a list of ways the NHL playoffs Just Hit Different:

overtime: in the regular season, tied games go to 5 minutes of 3-on-3 then a shootout. in the postseason, overtime does not end until a goal is scored, and it is NERVE-WRACKING. if I ever have a heart attack, it will be during playoff OT.

playoff beards: in the '80s the Islanders won a bunch while bearded, and hockey players are the most superstitious motherfuckers on the planet, so now nobody shaves during the postseason. it is terrible and occasionally hilarious; not all men can or should grow facial hair.

clean slate: anybody can win in the playoffs, regular-season record really doesn't matter much after you've clinched your spot. there are underdog upsets all the time, nothing is guaranteed.

everybody is trying their hardest all the time: with an 82-game season, you can't give 100% every game and survive, you gotta pace yourself a little. in the playoffs, nobody is pacing themselves, everybody is giving it their all. it's faster, it's more intense, and players are a lot more willing to dive into the path of a 100mph shot.

physicality: the officials let players get away with a lot more shit in the postseason, so you'll see more hits and fewer penalties.

fights: there's less fighting in the postseason, because the stakes are higher, but when they do fight it tends to build up over the course of a few games and then dramatically explode.

grudges: when you play the same team 4 to 7 consecutive times, and emotions are constantly high, you really start to file shit away for later.

tailored strategy: in the regular season there's only a day or two to study up on the specifics of each opponent in advance. in the playoffs, you have time to really do your homework on the other team. players will memorize the goalie's weakest areas and aim accordingly, they'll adjust special teams (power play and penalty kill) to fit the other team's style, and coaches put a lot more effort into managing who's on the ice when, making sure their best defense is playing against the other team's top scorers etc.

importance of depth: if a team's success relies mostly on their top players and a few people are getting disproportionate ice time, then once the intensity cranks up to playoff levels, those people get EXHAUSTED. also, if one guy is scoring half your goals and that guy gets injured and can't play, you're fucked. this is a major strength for the Kraken—our scoring comes from all over the roster, so we won't have to wear out our top guys as much as some other teams will.

risk aversion: players are less likely to throw away the puck on a low-quality chance, so there's less scoring, but when they're holding out for better opportunities you get to see some really well-executed goals.

handshake lines: at the end of each playoff series, the whole team plus the coaches all line up on the ice and shake hands. sometimes people are dicks after a rough series, but there's a lot of mutual respect too, especially between the goalies.

noise: playoff crowds are L O U D

[heliads]

lisa, my darling, i come with a hockey fact of my own !!

now, you’ve been educated about the oldest teams in the league, but the youngest team currently in the league is the seattle kraken, who as you might remember are one of my four main teams. they started as an expansion team just in 2021 ( they weren’t the first team seattle had ever had, but the previous team had been disbanded in 1975 ) and have since become one of my fave teams <3 the youngest team before them was the las vegas golden knights, who formed in the wake of the vegas mass shooting in 2016 and played their first season in 2017, where they very nearly won the stanley cup in their first official season as a team.

however, next season there is set to be another baby team, as the arizona coyotes were recently disbanded ( a move that has made the fanbase hate gary bettman, the current head of the nhl, even more than most of us already did ) and are relocating to salt lake city in utah. they haven’t decided on a name or logo for the new team yet, i don’t think, but i have been praying like hell that it will be nothing related to mormonism.

HOCKEY FACTSSSSS

rly the kraken started in 2021?? omg they're babies. also LMAO the mormons on ice would be a different thing for sure. i love teams. i want to collect them like infinity stones

[remedy7411]

So it’s halfway through my first hockey playoff round one and I want to record my thoughts on each match up to see how if my feelings change/shift.

Eastern Conference

-Canes vs islanders- boring boring boring. I really want to like the Canes but BORING. Both teams do have at least one really pretty player though. But I’m five tried to watch multiple games and just can’t.

-Toronto V lightening (there is gonna be no rhyme or reason in my naming conventions… it’s just how I think of the team)… I haven’t watched any, I feel bad for Toronto bc even their fans don’t think they can win. I do t really care about this series.

-devils v. Rangers- Jack Hughes bitchiness with media makes me laugh. I think the Rangers are thrives bc they stole the Texas rangers name so therefore want the devils to win so the fake!rangers can once again disappear. Not a fan of the fake!rangers and after trade deadline day I started feeling that they are massively overrated… not sure if it’s true bc they were predicted to crush the devils and it’s a 2-2 series…. Probably gonna watch the highlights of these games but I don’t care enough for anything more.

-bruins v panthers. I think the Bruins are massively overrated. Like they are good but I don’t think they are the best thing ever and I’m not super impressed by Ullmark. He kind of completely lost game five of the series for his team and it’s both funny/sad. Also I think it’s dumb af to count the panthers out bc when I first started watching hockey/listening to hockey podcasts and just obsessing over the sport. Everyone said they were in a rebuild year and had fucked up the Tkachuck trade and weren’t even gonna make the playoffs. Then everyone said they were gonna be swept in round one, that it would maybe (maybe) go to five games… we’ll game six is Friday. So I think that they are hungry and Jane something to prove.

Western Conference

Oilers v LA kings- fingers crossed for the oilers bc I want more GIFs of Leon drasaitl (I think that’s how you spell his last name) on my dash. He’s sooo gorgeous. Like seriously unfairly hot. The kings are kind of a nothing team to me so I reall do not care abt them and I think that the announcers kiss Connor McDavid’s butt a lot… but Leon??? He’s unfair and unreal.

Jets V golden Knights- I want the knights to win bc the stars have a great record against them. I don’t really care about any of the players though Jack Eichel has a spot in my heart bc of fanfic. But not enough for me to watch his games.

Avs V Kraken- the Kraken bore me and it makes me sad bc I love their sweaters. I love their three star tradition. I like their mascot. And I feel like the avs are massively overrated bc of their win last year when this year’s team seems okay? Like a few great players but over all very meh. But the Kraken put me to sleep.

Stars (babies) v Wild- Kay this is the one series that I’ve watched the majority of… like I missed one game and im not willing to watch it (game three) but im gonna watch highlights. So I want the stars to win bc hometown team, babies, pretty hockey, love them, they deserve it, never done anything wrong (okay I disagree no penalty on the hit in Reaves last night or Suter’s everything)… oetter is amazing. Miro is phenomenal. Roope is unreal. Robo is (sucking according to podcasts but still has at least one point per game.)… I think it takes class to go out against a team that gave one of your guys a concussion with no major repercussions and still play good hockey. However, all that being said if the Wild win games six and seven I’m gonna be cheering for them to win the cup. If they were playing any other team I’d be cheering g for them right now. They play the kind of hockey that catches my attention bc I like pretty skating, good passes, unreal goalkeeping, and lots of hits. I don’t want hurt players but physical hockey is fun. It’s why I like the game. I’m gonna need to watch their games next season too bc they intrigue me sooo much. I also feel like they are kind of an overlooked team with a lot of potential. So if they weren’t playing the stars I’d be sooo much happier.

(Also I think the Avs are dumb for not throwing the last game against the predators. They have a much better regular season record against the Wild then the kraken. And would have maybe been done with their series at this point bc the wild really sucked against the Avs)

[lannister-slings-and-arrows]

In light of your post that references both hockey and soccer I must know.... Thoughts on the Seattle expansion team? Cause looking at that logo all I see is the Seagram's logo and I want to know who they are gonna start poaching to fill a roster.

Lol, funny you should ask...

https://lannister-slings-and-arrows.tumblr.com/post/624478718332698624/do-you-have-any-thoughts-about-the-seattle-kraken

I am frankly terrified, personally, for who’s going to get poached bc I am a Sabres fan and we only have like seven good players on my whole team and need to keep ALL of them lol. (I love you boys, next year. It’ll happen next year for sure, I believe in you lol)

I haven’t heard a single thing about when the draft is going to happen or how they’re doing it or how many slots each team has to protect their precious babies and I am Worried lol. I imagine it’ll work out nearly identically to how they did the Golden Knights a couple years ago, don’t you think? That worked out pretty well for everyone I thought. (Lol especially the Golden Knights)

Lol, who do you have your thoughts and prayers of protection on? (Bc I swear if we lose Eichel or Hutton or Reinhart I am probably just going to sit outside KeyBank Arena and CRY lol)

[krakenshipwreck]

meet kraken matty beniers!

first of all, please know that i am not referring to him as “matty” just to be cute. matty beniers owns the diminutive. matty is his roster name, both at the usntdp and at michigan.

born in Hingham, MA to a football player dad and an engineer/actress/lawyer mom who seems like a real badass. she applied to law school while she was in a chorus line on broadway. she made matty play piano, clarinet, and saxophone and act at the children’s theater program she ran.

has always worn number 10 because his dad did.

prep school baby for sure. spent his first year of high school at Milton Academy. matty tends to emphasize that academics are very important to his family, and therefore it was a tough decision to transfer from prep school to the USNTDP, where, as he delicately puts it, “you’re going to go to school a little less.”

during his 17 year, he played a year up with the U-18 squad, i.e. the jack hughes/trevor zegras/cole caufield team. not an easy roster to crack, and matty scored 20 points in 20 games.

committed to Harvard but transferred to Michigan when COVID canceled the ivy league hockey season

rented a house with jacob truscott (VAN) and thom bordeleau (SJS) at michigan. matty was the messy roommate because his classes were harder so he was “always doing school.” he was the cook, though.

youngest member of the gold medal Team USA at world juniors 2021, centering the second line between cole caufield and matt boldy. matty was the player trusted with defensive zone faceoffs to protect a lead.

the  other very important job that Team USA entrusted to matty was quiz show host. you can view all three episodes here (1, 2, 3), but if you’re only going to watch one, you should watch no. 3, which features matty and trevor zegras ganging up on matt boldy.

oh, hockey? you can google a million draft articles if you want to read about matty’s hockey. invariably, they all talk about his “motor” or his “engine,” which is the grown-up hockey way of saying matty is still one of those little kids who literally never stops moving. hates sitting still and cannot remember a time when he was ever tired during a hockey game. if he was an animal he’d be a cheetah.

the other thing all the draft articles talk about is his 200-foot game. the player the media most frequently compares him to is jonathan toews.

is a huge tom brady fan and has fond memories of watching the seahawks lose the superbowl while he was at a middle school birthday party. seattle will try to forgive you, matty.

he was taking premed classes at michigan (3.86 GPA!) and wants to be a dermatologist. i will leave you with this quote:

It’s kind of weird, but have you ever seen Dr. Pimple Popper? That’s what I’d like to be, to be a dermatologist. It’s kind of gross, but I just think it’s the coolest thing ever.

welcome to seattle, you nerd. we love you already.

[workingforitallthetime]

thought i’d fuck around with a verse that was entirely @bigbrotherlouis‘s idea. consider this a warm-up, a brief experiment in a new fandom, making some patty/tk shitty pots.

Patty had wandered up to the cabin a few days ago, eyes blue like the lake on the hottest day of August, damp hair hanging like seaweed over the edges of his cheekbones. He was barefoot. He had a towel that said Corona con limão! wrapped around his waist. It seemed like there might not be anything under it.

Travis doubted that serial killers are this pretty, or this naked. Still, he offered Patty a White Claw from a cooler on the porch instead of inviting him inside. You can’t be too careful with potential serial killers.

A few Claws later, Travis told Patty he could crash on the couch for a few days, just until he got his feet under him. Figuratively speaking. Literally speaking, his feet were already there, big and pale. Patty keeps looking down at them whenever they’re drinking beers out in the deck chairs, pointing his toes, rolling his ankles in circles, like he can’t quite believe them.

He’s lying on the couch now, long legs stretching from one end to the other, eyes half-closed, head propped on a cushion with an embroidered sunset that says “Life’s better at the lake.”

Travis grabs a beer from the fridge and knocks it against Patty’s foot. “Move, dumbass.”

Patty rolls his eyes, unfazed by the icy Molson pressed against his instep. He pulls his knees up just long enough for Travis to get settled, and then stretches them back out over Travis’s lap. Motherfucker has a lot of goddamned leg, and the pink jorts aren’t helping the situation any. Travis only had one pair of sweats that came anywhere close to fitting Patty, tight on his ass and leaving his hairy ankles on display. After looking at that for a couple of days he had to drag Patty to Port Stanley’s thrift shop for the sake of his own sanity.

Patty fucked up that plan by digging deep into the racks and finding the jorts, cotton candy pink and trailing threads from a cut-off hem that’s entirely too short, and now it’s all thighs all day long around here.

Travis rests his beer on Patty’s calves, just to be a dick about it. Just in case Patty’s legs can feel the cold. Travis still isn’t quite sure how real they are. Patty doesn’t flinch.

“Hey.” Travis jiggles his knee under the weight of Patty’s legs, jostling him and sending foam fizzing up the neck of his beer bottle.

“What.” Patty’s eyes are all the way closed now, hands folded over his stomach.

“Are you still fish underneath?” Travis runs his thumb along the ridge of muscle stretched along Patty’s shinbone. He bets Patty was a solid kind of fish. Like swordfish, maybe, or tuna. Something you can marinate. Not too flaky.

“What the fuck.” Patty’s eyes aren’t open yet, but Travis is committed to the cause.

“You had a fish tail, right?” He spreads his hand out just below Patty’s knee, over bone and muscle and skin. “So are your legs still fish?”

Patty opens his eyes straight into a withering glare. Amazing how he can do that.

Fortunately, Travis is already immune to it. “Like, if we fileted you, would you be fish or, or, people meat?”

“Look who’s the serial killer now.” Not for the first time, Travis regrets asking Patty if he was sure he wasn’t a serial killer. You can’t be too careful, but to be fair, he could have phrased the question better.

“Still not entirely sure about you, bud.” That’s a lie. Travis is fully 100 percent, sure that Patty’s not a serial killer. (Or if he is, at least Travis has fully accepted that this would be a good way to go.)

“What if I ate you?” Patty smirks. Travis shifts under the warm weight of Patty’s legs in his lap. “How do you know you’re not fish?”

“I’m dark meat, for sure,” Travis says confidently. He’s thought about this. “You know how chicken breast is white, but duck breast is dark because ducks fly, like, they actually use those muscles?”  He curls his bicep. “Dark meat, baby.”

Patty pokes at the tattoo spread over his muscle. “Duck breast, eh.” Travis flexes a little bit harder.

Patty’s shifted further down the couch, so the hem of his shorts rides up against the side of Travis’s thigh. Travis doesn’t know what to do with his hand when he stops flexing. Patty’s thighs are in his lap now, his ankles hanging off the far end of the couch. God, his legs are long. What if… “Are you actually a fish, or some kind of, like, eel?” There’s lamprey in Lake Ontario, Travis is pretty sure. He narrows his eyes. “Do you have something do to with the Kraken? Are they sending human eels to fuck with my game?”

“They’re not even in your division.” Patty’s picked up hockey knowledge awfully quick. To be fair, Travis can’t exactly talk fishing with him – it’s not like the ten rods on his porch don’t make it obvious how he spends his time, but he’s a little worried Patty’s going to tell him Travis has been eating his little lake friends -- so he’s been talking a lot about hockey. “If Seattle had eels, they should be siccing them on San Jose, or Vancouver or whatever.”

Which isn’t exactly a denial. But it makes Travis think of the mascots: the shark in San Jose, that weird whale thing in Vancouver with the mouthful of teeth. “Hey, was your tail a mammal?”

“Was. My tail. A mammal,” Patty repeats slowly. With disdain.

It’s not a bad theory. “Like, whales, sharks, they’re not fish but they live in the water,” Travis explains. “They have fins. You could be a marine mammal.”

“I live in a lake, dumbass, not the ocean.” Patty shoves at his ribcage.

Travis sets his beer out of the danger zone, stretching over Patty’s thighs to reach the coffee table. “You’re a mermaid, I don’t know what the rules apply anymore.” No matter how it works, Travis hasn’t had any trouble believing that part. Patty looks too good to be real, and he smells like the lake, something clean and infinite that reminds Travis of jumping out of his parents’ car and running down the sand to fling himself into the vast clear blue.

“So say you’re some kind of freshwater fish, like a big one, a catfish, or a sturgeon.” He’s just bullshitting now, talking to keep his mouth busy so he doesn’t have to explain his hands on Patty’s thighs. They could thrash away like a 15-pound walleye. He’d have a hard time netting Patty, if Patty was ever willing to bite the hook in the first place. “You’d fry up nice, right? Or would you taste better on the grill?”

Patty smiles a tiny devious bit, like Travis is the one who’s been hooked. “If you want to know what I taste like.” His hand drifts down toward the button of his jorts. “I’ve got a better idea.”