Page 110 of Behind the Bench

I look down at my white suit, the same white suit Sadie gifted me for my first game as assistant coach for the Bobcats. Running my hands down the jacket, I look back up at Niko. “Thanks, Captain. A man could never pull this color off.”

He throws his head back and laughs. “You got that right.”

The team follows him out toward the ice and they each wait for their names to be called. Once the announcer calls their name, they go and stand on the blue line. Usually the coaches are announced first, but considering this is a historic night for the league, they’ve opted to announce us last.

Hunter and Maggie are announced first and that leaves me alone in the tunnel.

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my pounding heart. Once I exhale, I take a look to my left into the stands. As soon as I see him, I begin to breathe easier.

Lincoln.

His green eyes meet mine, and this moment is infinitely better knowing he’s here with me.

What makes it truly special?

Our beautiful one-year-old baby girl wearing hot pink headphones he’s bouncing on his knee.

The announcer’s voice breaks through our moment and that’s my cue.

“And now, for the first time in NHL history, I’d like to announce yourhead coachof the Green Bay Bobcats…Coach Ellie Scott!”

Nora is rocking her hot pink noise canceling headphones while I bounce her up and down on my knee. I’d like to say I’m doing it because it makes her happy, but the knee bouncing is all because of the excitement coursing through my body.

Tonight I get to watch Ellie make history as the first female head coach in the NHL.

My wife.

It’s been three years and I’ll never get sick of calling her that.

The players’ names are all being announced and I keep checking the bench area to try and catch a glimpse of Ellie. She’s wearing my favorite suit tonight and I can’t wait to rip it off her body later.

Hunter and Maggie are both announced and make their way onto the bench and that’s when I see her.

Her long blonde hair is pulled back into a high ponytail and her white suit looks crisp in the spotlight. She turns her head toward the bench and her icy blue eyes meet mine. The bass of the music and the roar of the crowd all fades away. In this moment, it’s just me and her.

I’d love more than anything to be next to her as she makes history, but she deserves this moment to herself. She’s earned every single accomplishment on her own. It may have taken me a while to figure that out during our first year coaching together, but Ellie Scott is a force to be reckoned with. She works harder and knows the game better than anyone I’ve ever met.

After I stepped down as head coach last season to start a nonprofit organization with Ellie’s dad, Ellie was the obvious choice as my replacement. As much as I miss being behind the bench with her, I absolutely love what I do now. I used to think I’d coach until I was old and gray, but that dream changed the day our daughter was born.

Running the nonprofit allows me more time to be a dad, but also fulfills me in a way I can’t quite explain. Our organization aims to provide resources and opportunities for children to play hockey in underprivileged communities around the country. Being able to do it with Ellie’s father is an added bonus.

After that night outside the arena five years ago, I never heard from my father again. But I’m okay with that because both Jack and my uncle make up for his absence in spades.

I’m still staring at Ellie when the announcer’s voice snaps us both back to reality as he says, “…yourhead coachof the Green Bay Bobcats…Coach Ellie Scott!”

The crowd goes absolutely insane. I have to cover my own ears with the way the arena is shaking with applause and screams.

Ellie makes her way behind the bench and I track her every movement. Nora and I are sitting right behind the bench, dead center. Ellie stops right in front of us and Nora starts to flail her body. Her little arms are waving wildly, her legs kicking like crazy, and she’s screaming “Mama!” over and over.

Someone’s excited to see her mommy. Me too, baby girl. Me too.

Ellie turns to look at us and Nora almost jumps out of my arms. She’s reaching for her mom, and if I didn’t know any better, I bet she’d try to climb the glass to get to her if I let her. Ellie’s parents are laughing next to me as they witness their granddaughter fangirl over her own mother.

I set her down on the ground so she can stand against the glass and get as close to Ellie as possible.

She holds up her little hand and starts banging the glass. The smile on Ellie’s face is the biggest I’ve ever seen. Our wedding day, winning the Stanley Cup, neither comes close to the smile on her face right now as she stares at her daughter standing behind the bench.

Ellie lifts her hand to the glass and Nora immediately holds her hand up against her mom’s.

Tears pool in my eyes as I watch the scene play out in front of me.

Two beautiful girls, standing behind the bench, witnessing history.

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