Page 59 of Slap Shot
"Your analogies need work," Kane laughed, bumping gloves with both his linemates.
The next group came up. Mateo, Ethan, and Jax tried the same drill against Noah and Marcus on defense. Mateo tried to get too fancy, attempting some kind of between-the-legs pass that sailed wide of its target and into the corner.
"Save the highlight reel shit for warm-ups," Vicky barked. "Make the simple play first, then get creative."
They ran it again. This time Mateo kept it basic, drawing the defensemen toward him before hitting Ethan with a clean pass. The rookie buried it five-hole, then immediately looked toward the bench for approval.
"Better," Vicky nodded. "Trust your linemates. The fancy stuff comes after you master the fundamentals."
Oliver's line was up again. This time the defensemen adjusted, with Noah cheating toward Dmitri's side to take away the cross-ice pass. Oliver read it immediately, keeping the puck longer to draw Noah out of position before hitting Kane, who had snuck behind Marcus.
Kane's shot was labeled for the far corner, but Liam made a spectacular glove save, snatching it out of the air with a mitt that seemed to appear from nowhere.
"Fucking beautiful save!" Kane called, tapping his stick on the ice in appreciation.
"As always," Liam shot back.
The drill continued with increasing intensity. Players were getting comfortable with each other again, taking chances they wouldn't have attempted during the toxic atmosphere of the salary leak fallout. Passes were crisper, movements more confident, communication clearer.
They moved into full scrimmage mode, splitting into two teams for some competitive hockey. Oliver found himself on whites with Kane, Dmitri, Noah, and Liam. Reds countered with Mateo, Ethan, Jax, Marcus, and Sven in net.
The pace was immediately intense. No mercy for teammates, no pulling punches because it was just practice. This was hockey the way it was meant to be played—fast, physical, and with enough skill to make every shift exciting.
Oliver carried the puck through the neutral zone, reading the defensive coverage. Jax was backing up, trying to force him to the outside while Marcus pinched from the weak side. Oliver saw the trap developing and made his decision.
Instead of trying to beat Jax one-on-one, he dropped the puck back to Noah, who had followed the play up from the point. The defenseman had time and space to pick his spot, rifling a shot that Sven never saw coming.
"Screen shot!" Noah called, pumping his fist as the puck found twine.
"Bullshit," Sven protested. "Dmitri was standing in my kitchen like he owns the place."
"Is called positioning," Dmitri replied innocently. "Maybe you should be taller."
The reds answered back immediately. Mateo won the ensuing faceoff, sliding it back to Marcus, who immediately looked for the stretch pass. Ethan was flying down the rightwing, calling for the puck with the enthusiasm of a rookie trying to prove himself.
Marcus threaded the pass perfectly, hitting Ethan in stride just as he crossed the blue line. The kid had a step on Noah, enough space to get a clean shot off. But Liam was ready, dropping into his butterfly and absorbing the shot with his chest.
"Nice try, rookie," Liam called. "But you're gonna have to do better than that."
"Just warming up, old man," Ethan shot back.
The competitive edge was exactly what the team needed. Players were chirping each other with affection instead of malice, pushing each other to be better without the underlying resentment that had poisoned everything during the leaks.
Oliver's next shift was pure chaos. A loose puck in the corner led to a board battle between him and Marcus that quickly escalated into a full-line brawl for possession. Bodies crashed into the glass, sticks got tangled, and somehow the puck squirted loose toward Kane, who was lurking near the slot.
Kane didn't hesitate. One-timer, bar down, the kind of shot that would have brought twenty thousand people to their feet in a real game.
"Fucking snipe!" Dmitri hollered, celebrating like they'd just won the Stanley Cup.
"Try it again," Marcus challenged.
The scrimmage continued with increasing intensity. Sven made a series of spectacular saves that reminded everyone why he'd been signed as the backup. Mateo finally connected on one of his highlight-reel passes, finding Jax for a goal that had the entire bench appreciating the skill involved.
During a brief stoppage, Oliver noticed Coach Vicky watching from behind the bench with obvious satisfaction. The team chemistry was back, the competitive fire was healthyinstead of destructive, and players were pushing each other in all the right ways.
As the scrimmage wound down, Oliver found himself thinking about Heather, about last night, about how different everything was now that they'd admitted they loved each other. But underneath the happiness was a growing anxiety about how to navigate their relationship without destroying either of their careers.
In the locker room, the post-practice atmosphere was relaxed and positive. Players took their time changing, continuing conversations and planning weekend activities. For the first time in weeks, it was like a real team instead of a collection of individuals worried about their own situations.
