Page 50 of One Shot

“I’ll tell you why the Wyverns. The other part . . . it sounds dumb, but I want to wait to tell you. Can I tell you why I chose the Wyverns, and if it’s not enough for your article, maybe I’ll tell you the other part?”

“Oh, sure, I guess.”

What is he hiding from me?

“I started going to college games when I was in middle school. Being the youngest cousin by six years, I had a lot of games I could easilygo to. I never really thought much about where I wanted to play. I grew up in Illinois, so I thought I would always stay in the area. The best college hockey teams are in Michigan, Minnesota, and North Dakota, if I wanted to stay in the Midwest. Boston was calling my name though.”

Lucas’ face lights up when he mentions Boston. Does he wish he played there instead?

“It was a lot of pressure to start thinking about it young, but I knew if I wanted to play D1 hockey and have any chance at impressing NHL scouts, I needed to. “

A somber look crosses his face. He sighs as if trying to let go of the weight of growing up with the stress of always thinking about your future.

“When I was twelve, I went to my first D1 game. It was here at West. It was the first time I ever visited. The Wyverns were playing the Boston University Terriers. My cousin played on the third line his sophomore year for them. I know it sounds crazy, but I have such a vivid memory of that game. The Wyverns and Terriers were neck and neck. The Terriers ended up winning. I’ve never seen my cousin so happy before. I knew I had to chase that type of happiness, so right then I decided I would leave the Midwest and focus on trying to play for the Terriers.”

My eyebrows raise with shock. I didn’t expect Lucas to talk about playing for one of our three biggest rivals, but it is one of the top NHL recruiting schools in the country. Nick mentioned Boston University and University of Michigan way too often. At least Lucas wasn’t talking about playing for East Michigan. He lets out a quiet chuckle.

“I can tell you’re surprised by the look on your face—most people are. I was dead set on playing for Boston University. I went to a handful of their games every year after that. I got to know some of the coaches when I was just starting high school because my other cousin started playing there too. It seemed like it could be a cool family dynamic and legacy. Part of me really wanted that since I’m an only child and my dadnever played hockey. But my senior year of high school, everything changed.”

Lucas scratches his stubble, letting out another quiet chuckle.

“There was talk about this big shot player making a decision on where he went to school. You had to have lived under a rock if you didn’t know about him. Anyone who paid attention to D1 hockey prospects and NHL prospects knew about Nick Bellinger for years.”

“You came to West because of my brother?” My eyes grow wide with wonder.

“Not exactly.”

He didn’t say no . . . Lucas being at West has something to do with Nick. I didn’t realize Lucas had such a connection with my brother. I assumed he barely knew him even though they played for the same team.

“My senior year of high school I was invited to go to a game at West by Coach Andres. I had already been invited to go to games my junior year from the Terriers and from East Michigan too, but I wasn’t interested in East.”

Lucas pauses, reaching for a bottle of water on the table, and takes a long gulp.

“Honestly, I’m not sure why I went to the game West invited me to. I was set on going to play for the Terriers. Coach showed me around and introduced me to a few people. Funny enough, I ended up talking to Liam for a while. I had met him a few times before playing travel hockey. He loved playing at West. He told me he could meet up after the game if I wanted to talk about it more.”

I frantically take notes as Lucas takes another drink of water.

“The game was amazing. The Wyverns easily won. Liam and Nick both were on the third line as freshmen. Seeing them play together for the first time is ingrained in my brain. Yeah, you could see their impeccable skill, but a lot of guys and teams had something similar.”

Lucas closes his eyes briefly, grinning as he replays the memory in his head.

“It was the chemistry and team dynamic that sold me. It might not have been noticeable to anyone else, but I could see the team learn from each other, grow off each other and feed off each other's energy with every movement on the ice. They read and anticipated each other almost flawlessly. I craved being a part of a team like that. I dreamed of being a captain for a team like that. I didn’t even bother meeting up with Liam to learn more about the team. I knew in my gut I had to play at West.”

My heart flutters hearing Lucas talking about his dream that’s now a reality for him.

“The next day, I told my family West was my first choice. My cousin wasn’t happy. We could have played for BU together. He was a senior when I was a freshman in college. But I had to go with my gut feeling. I told Coach Andres about a month after that I was all in on being a Wyvern. It was the right choice. I wouldn’t be the player or person I am today if I didn’t play for the Wyverns. I wouldn’t have met you either, Laur.”

My mouth goes dry. Does he really think I could be part of the reason fate brought him to him to play for the Wyverns?

“I guess, I just like hockey. My heart’s just always been in the game. I’m lucky that I got the opportunity to come here. Is that enough for your article? I can talk more about how I practice without everyone because I’m a pompous douche if you want?” Lucas jokes.

“That’s more than enough. You can keep secret stories of freshman year to yourself, I suppose.”

I respond teasingly. I’m a little turned on by how much this man loves hockey. His passion and dedication are attractive qualities.

“I’ll save it for a rainy day,” he says. “Speaking of rainy days, are you free Tuesday?”

“Oh? Is it supposed to rain?”

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