Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
JAMIE
Later that day, we leave for our first preseason game. We’re playing Chicago, so at least the flight isn’t very long. As if by some silent understanding, Tremblay and I stay as far apart as possible — on the plane, on the bus, in the locker room.
On the ice, the pieces continue to come together.
Matthews, one of the guys from Des Moines who the team has taken to calling Matty, is also turning out to be a solid forward, jumping between the second and third lines at center.
Lindholm and I are centered by Nate Sutter on the first line, and ten minutes into the first period, he manages a wraparound goal on a pass from me, getting me my first NHL assist. Of course, right about then, I catch Tremblay out of the corner of my eye, staring — glaring? — at me.
The Chicago players are…fine, surprisingly.
There’s chirping, but none of it is particularly pointed at me.
For just a bit, I’m able to just play the sport I love.
The pace of the game is quick, and I'm grateful for my last four years of college hockey, honing my mind and body to play this game at its peak.
At the end of the first, we're still up 1-0.
I lean my head back in the stall, taking the chance to catch my breath and rub a towel through my sweat-soaked hair.
Chicago comes out of their locker room with a fresh sense of purpose, making harder checks and putting more pressure on Alexei in goal.
Matty draws an absolutely ridiculous tripping call.
As he heads to the penalty box, I see Tremblay talking to the ref, pleading our case to no avail.
He and Mac stay out for the penalty kill, joined by Price and Koskinen.
The play is brutal as they try to keep the puck away from our goal.
As the time ticks down on the power play, it seems like they'll be successful.
Then, at the last second, Chicago's star forward Tyler Rourke manages a one-timer that sneaks over Alexei's blocker.
The locker room is much quieter during the second intermission, and I can tell my fellow rookies in particular are feeling the pressure to make something happen in the third.
I wish I could say I'm above that, but I'm suddenly intensely aware that the only reason I'm playing an NHL game tonight instead of searching for a job is my ability to see a play and make it.
In that moment, I can't help but feel gratitude to the team for taking a risk on me – and determined to make everyone else wish they had.
We come out strong in the third, but Chicago meets us right where we are.
The play is aggressive and before long the ice turns sloppy.
I watch from the bench as Price takes a header as he loses his edge, sending the puck directly to Chicago.
It looks like they'll have an easy shot on goal, but Tremblay appears out of nowhere, aggressively checking Rourke.
Even though he ends up with a two minute call for roughing, it's worth it not to have Chicago up with so little time left in the game.
I'm surprised when Ramsey sends me and Matty out on the PK – Price and Koskinen are certainly tired by now, but I assumed he'd use Lindy or Sutter.
We've done absolutely no practice with me on the kill, but even as my mind revolts, I think back to the locker room.
What if I can show him - show everyone - that I can do this, can be what they need?
The penalty kill is hard at first – I'm not used to spending this much time on the blue line, and the physicality of the play is certainly better-suited to players the size of Tremblay and MacKenzie.
As the second minute of the penalty starts, I start to get the rhythm of it, the pace of Chicago's players as they pass the puck around, looking for a gap.
Then, I see it – a gap of our own. A pass between two players that keeps hanging just a second too long.
The next time I see it, I act, bolting for the puck and making a breakaway for the other end of the ice.
I don't think about the players chasing behind me, or the score on the board.
I think only about my legs, pressing them harder and faster.
I pull away and have my chance, a one-on-one with Chicago's goalie.
I dangle the puck right, then see Lindy approaching out of the corner of my eye.
I drop the puck back to him and he scores it in the low left corner.
I hear the goal horn sound loud in the stadium and before I know what's happening, Matty collides in a hug with me, with the rest of the PK unit colliding with us a moment later.
As we face off again, Tremblay's penalty expires.
Now, we just have to keep Chicago from scoring with the thirty seconds remaining.
The wind is out of Chicago's sails, and they don't put nearly the pressure on that I expect.
We keep the puck on our side of the ice, and with just a few passes, we count down to the end of the game, the 2-1 score still on the board.
The game ends late, past ten o’clock, but we still fly home that night. Given the short flight it makes sense, but I’m frankly exhausted by the time I roll into the hotel around two. Luckily our practice the next day is late, so I’m still able to sleep in before I head to the arena.
Our next game is the home opener and a matinee. Alexei announces in the group chat that there will be a party at his place after, win or lose. Usually that sort of large-group event would be the captain’s responsibility, but clearly Tremblay doesn’t feel up to that task.
The lines seem to firm up even more, with Nate Sutter mostly centering Lindholm and me while Finn gets some minutes on Matthews’ line.
The kid is green — but he’s also fast and creative.
He misses a few obvious plays, but makes up for it by finding new ones no one else sees coming.
My guess is he’ll head down to Des Moines this season — the veteran winger Zach Price is probably still a better bet.
But I’d be surprised if he doesn’t end up back here in the next year or two as part of the Huskies’ rebuilding efforts.
In the third, Winnipeg is pushing hard in our zone when Tremblay is able to clear the puck.
I see the play starting to form and race down the ice, wrapping around the goal to receive the pass.
For a second, I think it will play out like in camp — that he’ll see only me and be unable to make the pass.
But instead, he fakes like he’ll pass it back to Lindy, then gets it to me.
I one-touch it into the back of the net and hear the goal horn sound.
Before I know it, I am mobbed by Lindy and Mac and even Tremblay.
Just seconds later, the game is over and we meet at center ice to shake hands.
When I get back to the locker room, the puck is sitting in my stall — my first NHL goal.
Around it is tape, with the date and a note reading “A: Tremblay”.
We hit the showers and get dressed. I’m glad to see that most of the guys are dressing a little nicer than usual post-game for Alexei’s party.
It’s just a house party, but it’ll be the first time I meet the guys’ families.
I’ve opted for a green Henley and a nicer pair of jeans, with a pair of black and green Air Force Ones.
The notable outlier is, of course, Tremblay. He’s in a pair of sweatpants and a Huskies hoodie, looking for all the world like he’s heading to a pickup basketball game.
As we leave the locker room, many of the guys are met in the friends and families area by their wives. Lindy’s wife, Astrid, is there alongside Mac’s girlfriend Hailey. Both are blonde and beautiful, although Astrid has almost a foot on Hailey.
“You must be Jamie! So good to meet you,” Astrid introduces herself to me, opening her arms to hug me.
“Do you need a ride, Jamie? Mac and I have plenty of room.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t want to put you out — I have to come all the way back to the arena after. I'm still at the Courtyard down the road.”
“Oh, that’s no problem! We’re in a condo downtown, so we'll go right by there.”
I end up tagging along with them, as Astrid and Lindy grab Finn and Matty. The drive isn’t short — I’m surprised to find that Alexei lives on what might reasonably be called a compound near Lake Minnetonka. The house has a gate, a pool, and an absolutely enormous living room.
As we enter, Hailey catches me staring.
“The place is awesome, isn’t it? It’s so nice of Alexei to let us all hang out here.”
“Isn't that a little unusual? I thought it was usually up to the captain to host team events.”
“Oh, sure. But Ethan's place is small, and Alexei doesn't mind. Besides, if they allowed goalies to be captain, Alexei would totally have the job.”
I think back to his welcome at camp and have to agree with her. He has a way of making people feel welcome – it makes sense he'd live in a house built for entertaining.
As I walk to the back of the house, I see some of the guys are already jumping into the pool. Alexei is off to the side, manning the grill. The smell of hamburgers and barbecue chicken makes my stomach growl.
“Hailey! Best cook of all time! Tell me you brought something with you?” Alexei has abandoned the grill, coming toward us with arms open.
I don’t remember the invite saying anything about a potluck, but it turns out Hailey has in fact brought two sides and a huge tray of desserts.
“Ah, you have outdone yourself. Could not throw party without you.”
Hailey blushes as Johnny comes up behind her. If he’s put off by Alexei’s affection for his girlfriend, he doesn’t show it.
“Isn’t she the best? What would I do without her?”
I walk out to the back, looking around the spacious rooms as I go. I grab a beer out of the coolers off to one side and grab a seat on one of the pool loungers.
“Jamie! You should come in!” Lindy yells from his spot in the heated pool.
“In what? My jeans?” I laugh at the suggestion.