Page 154 of Slap Shot

“Yeah. I do.” I smile when I say it, rubbing the back of my neck. “We’ll see what happens.”

“It’s good to see you happy, son. You deserve to be happy.”

“It seems wrong to be happy when others don’t get that chance.”

“That’s life.” Dad shrugs, looking out at the ice. He gives a salute to Liam and Riley and shakes Maverick’s hand when he skates by while warming up. “What’s done is done. Do you really think your mother would want you to stop being happy because of her?”

“No.” I laugh. “She’d tell me to get over myself and knock it off.”

“Exactly. And you know she was never wrong.”

“Five minutes, Hayes,” Coach yells from the end of the tunnel.

“Guess I need to head out there. He sounds like he has a stick up his ass. Someone probably pissed him off,” I say, and Dad gives me a hug. “Thanks for being here, Pops.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world, Hud.”

I’m havingmy best game of the season. I break up every shot the Wasps try to sink into our net. I record two assists in the first period and cheer on Maverick and Connor when they both score on pretty wrists shots from twenty feet out.

There’s energy coursing through me. I’m excited. Eager to stay on the ice, and when Coach tries to pull me with two minutes left in the third, I straight up refuse.

“I’m not sitting,” I argue.

“Hayes.”

“Let me finish.” I wipe my forehead with my jersey during a time-out then gulp down half a bottle of Body Armor. “I’ll gladly play with the third line. Come on, Coach. It’s my hometown. My dad is here.”

“You’re fucking up my system,” Coach grumbles, but when he wipes his whiteboard clean and sighs, I know I’ve won. “Fine. But I don’t want to hear any complaining when your legs are heavy tomorrow.”

I give him a grin and jump back on the ice. We’re up by three. The game is already over, but we might as well have some fucking fun until the clock expires.

After the time-out, I line up another assist, a pass across center ice to our third right winger. The crowd groans when we score another goal, but I don’t notice.

I’m too busy grinning up at my dad, and I swear I can hear my mom cheering for me from the stands.

FORTY-FIVE

HUDSON

Puck Kings

Mavvy

Did you all see Amelia Green out in Denver got promoted from assistant head coach to associate head coach? First woman in the NHL to hold that position.

Me

Whoa. That’s awesome.

Mitchy

Took them long enough. She knows her shit.

Sully

I always liked her coaching style.

Connor

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