Page 4 of Puck with Karma
Bile raises at the back of my throat at hearing his words. But they are true.
“Wrong,” Coach gives it back. “I am in control of everything that’s related to any of my players, no matter how minor of a thing. With that being said…”
He stands up from his desk and walks around it, not stopping until he gets to the door.
“I will ask you to leave. And…”
He lifts a finger when he sees that my father is about to protest.
“I only ask once. You either leave on your own, Mr. Hamilton, or I will call for security to walk you out. That option also includes you being banned from entering the arena for any future events. I’m not sure how lucrative that would be for your sports management career.”
With murder in his eyes, my father looks at me, then at my coach. In the end, he knows what’s good for all of us, so he stands up and leaves. I know that I’ll pay for this later.
I expect for Coach to slam the door closed. Instead, he pushes it in slowly until it latches closed with a soft click. He walks back to the desk and sits down, never saying a word to me.
The anxiety is threatening to cut all oxygen to my brain. I wasn’t nervous when I walked in, thinking that I knew what theoutcome would be. But now… Now I am not so sure, and I hope to get a chance to defend myself.
I clear my voice and force myself to speak.
“I apologize for my father. He…”
“He has no business being this involved in any part of your life,” Coach cuts me off. “You are an adult now,” he reminds me. “You’ve been an adult for the last three years. He has no power over you.”
I clench my teeth and nod in agreement. I don’t want to have to explain what the dynamic is between me and my father. It’s hard to understand when you’re not in the middle of it.
“The Minnesota Cats is a good organization to be a part of.” I bob my head up and down again. I don’t think he expects me to say anything at this point. “Many want to be a part of this hockey team. Even more who grew up in this state. They want to feel at home.”
That’s never been my goal, quite the opposite. But I had no control over where I’d choose to go. I signed a contract that basically put my father in charge of my professional career. He negotiated everything for me, and having me play for the home team was his dream.
“Being chosen to be a part of this team is as huge as one can imagine, especially as a rookie.”
Coach places his elbows on the desk and brings his hands together, very business like.
“A rookie starting a physical fight with a veteran player on their first day at practice does not bode well, Mr. Hamilton.”
Pressure is mounting inside of me, to the point where I think I am cracking my teeth with how hard I am clenching my jaw. I’ve always had a temper problem, but lately, it’s been out of control for sure. There were ways to handle what happened earlier, and me beating the shit out of my teammate may not have been the best solution.
“He made comments about my little sister,” I burst out. “She is only sixteen.”
The relief I feel at saying the words out loud is like a huge weight being lifted off my chest. But I am surprised at what I hear next.
“I am well aware of that,” Coach informs me. “Others heard him.”
“So you’re going to cut me off from the team knowing that he did that on purpose? He wants me gone anyway. He didn’t like me from the second I stepped into that locker room.”
I am foaming at the mouth when I point toward the wall to the side. The locker room is on the other side of it.
“The suspension would be for starting a physical altercation,” Coach explains in his even tone. “Things happen on ice. Players from the opposing teams will always have something nasty to say to you or others about anything they know would anger you. Finding your weaknesses is their job. You failed today.”
My heart is racing in my chest, unwilling to believe that this is happening to me. Facing my father when I walk out of this office will be one of the hardest things I’ll have to do.
“It was a test?” My voice is shaking when I ask, and I hate myself for it.
“Not an intentional one,” Coach assures me. “I would never ask anyone, ever, to make any inappropriate comments, especially not about minors. But this will be a good lesson for you as you start your professional hockey career.”
I resist the urge to roll my eyes, but it is strong.
“Looks like my career is already over.”
