Page 1 of Across the Boards

PROLOGUE - BRODY

The Phoenix sun hit like a physical force as I stepped out of the airport terminal. September in Arizona still felt like peak summer anywhere else I’d lived.

“First time in the desert?” asked the driver the team had sent.

“That obvious?” I adjusted my sunglasses, already feeling sweat forming under my collar.

“Always is with the new guys from up north.” He loaded my bags into the SUV. “You’ll get used to it. Eventually.”

I wasn’t so sure. After four years in Boston University’s freezing winters, the scorching heat felt alien. Then again, everything about this moment was surreal—my first NHL contract, moving across the country, joining a team filled with players I’d grown up watching on TV.

The ride to the training facility passed in a blur of palm trees and stucco buildings. My mind raced with the standard rookie anxieties: Would I measure up? Could I earn a permanent roster spot? Would the veterans accept me or make my life miserable?

“Here we are,” the driver announced, pulling up to an imposing modern building. “Team offices and training complex.”

The facility was state-of-the-art—gleaming equipment, pristine ice, training rooms that looked more like a space station than a gym. I followed signs to the locker room, where a few other players were already changing.

“Carter, right? Boston University?” A friendly-looking guy about my age extended his hand. “Tommy Harrington. Michigan State.”

“Yeah, that’s me.” I shook his hand, relieved to find another rookie.

“College boys stick together,” Tommy said with a grin. “The juniors guys already have their clique.”

Before I could respond, the locker room energy shifted. Players sat straighter, conversations quieted. A man in his early thirties walked in, carrying himself with the easy confidence of someone who knew exactly how good he was.

“That’s Martinez,” Tommy whispered unnecessarily. “Team captain.”

Jason Martinez, Phoenix’s star forward and franchise player. His reputation preceded him—a brilliant scorer with a notoriously intense competitive streak and little patience for mistakes.

Martinez scanned the room, taking inventory of the new faces. When his eyes landed on me, I felt an instinctive urge to stand at attention.

“Fresh meat,” he said, nodding toward us. “College boys, right?”

“Yes, sir,” Tommy replied. “Harrington, Michigan State. This is Carter from BU.”

Martinez raised an eyebrow. “Sir? I’m not that old yet, kid.” He looked me over. “Carter. Defenseman, right? Coach says you’ve got good hands for a big guy.”

“I try to contribute offensively when I can,” I said, trying to sound confident without arrogance.

“We’ll see.” Martinez opened his locker. “First rule of Phoenix hockey: defense first, always. Second rule: what happens in the room stays in the room. Third rule: rookies earn their minutes.”

The message was clear—respect the hierarchy, prove yourself, keep quiet.

“There’s an unofficial fourth rule,” added a veteran defenseman named Reicher. “Don’t piss off Martinez if you want ice time.”

Laughter rippled through the room, but Martinez didn’t deny it.

* * *

Three monthsinto my first season, I was still trying to navigate the invisible boundaries of team culture. Which is how I found myself at Martinez’s annual Christmas party, tugging at the collar of my suit—my first custom-tailored suit, bought with my signing bonus—as I followed the stream of cars up the winding driveway toward a house that could easily fit three of the one I’d grown up in.

“You look like you’re heading to your execution, not a party,” Tommy Harrington said, falling into step beside me. “Relax. Free booze, good food, chance to network with the veterans off-ice.”

“I know. Just not big on parties.”

“Big on keeping your job though, right?” Tommy elbowed me. “Martinez hosts this every year. Team tradition. Word is he notices who shows and who doesn’t.”

The sprawling Mediterranean-style mansion opened into a soaring entryway where a woman in a black dress took our coats. Music, conversation, and the clink of glasses echoed from deeper within.

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