29. Liam
LIAM
At the beginning of the season, I had hoped that the team would be able to get through its woes and maybe make it past the first round of playoffs.
That’s all that I wanted.
We were good and even with rumors of ownership change, we were going to play the best damn season that we could to get to the top.
As the season started and we played game after game, I started feeling it in my bones that this year was going to be our year. That we were going to pull out all the stops and show the NHL world that the Knights were worthy of the cup once again.
We had a few setbacks with an injury or two, a suspension mixed in, but our season turned out to be better than anyone could have hoped.
We’ve been able to stay at the top of our division all season long. We’ve been in the top two of our conference since January. And when April hit, we were able to make it to the playoffs.
First round was a fucking breeze, as we beat Arizona four games to one, and for the first time in years we made it to round two.
The team was electric, and the fans were optimistic that we would be able to beat out Dallas.
We got our asses kicked in games one and two but somehow were able to get our momentum back and take the series in four games.
It took us almost the whole damn existence of the franchise but the Chicago Dark Knights were finally able to make it to conference finals.
Was beating out Los Angeles easy? Fuck no. Those assholes made us sweat, cry and bleed. They tried taking everything that we had, but we hit them harder.
One key point was that Los Angeles lost one of their goalies in game three so they were functioning with one player in that position and it hurt them.
We took the series in game seven and it felt so damn good.
Our next stop was the finals against Florida and we were fucking ready.
Like LA, those fuckers have not made it easy. Every single game has been a back and forth and has ended in a handful of penalties and injuries.
During game four, Blake ended up with a broken nose and Christian ejected from the game for going after the player that punched Blake.
It was a fucking shit show and somehow, we still came out with the win.
But Florida forced game seven, and now we are minutes away from playing the last game of the season.
82 games and 25 playoff games, have all come down to this.
And the best thing about it is, we’re playing on home ice. We just have to make sure we go through every single superstition like we depend on it, and play like this is the last game we will ever play.
Are the Knights going to win? I don’t but I’m doing everything in my power to make it happen. But I’m not going to say the words until I know for sure it’s going to happen.
But playing at home is a good thing.
Another good thing about being in Chicago for game seven is Chloe.
Her date was two days ago, and the baby is still not here.
A part of me was worried that I would miss the birth but it seems like my baby girl is going to continue to torture her mom until all of this is over.
Chloe has been in the arena for every home playoff game, and while she’s not behind the glass in the first row like she was during the regular season, she’s still here and it means the absolute world to me.
She’s been very much my good luck charm this season. Hopefully her good luck stays with me throughout tonight because I’m gonna really need it.
The whole damn team is going to need it.
“One more game.” Christian says coming over and slapping me against the shoulder. He’s been doing it all playoff season and once a hockey player start something and it continues to go good, he will do it till the day he dies.
“One more game.” I say, giving my best friend a nod before he walks away.
“Hey, Cap?” Blake calls out, catching me as I go grab my stick.
“Yeah?” I ask, turning slightly.
“I just talked to my brother. He says Chloe, her parents and yours made it up to the box.” Blake informs me, giving me a nod.
Since Chloe is so close to her due, I want her to be around as many people as possible. I don’t want anything to happen while she’s alone.
It’s why she moved in with me in the first place, so she can have someone there in case something happened.
Her parents arrived earlier this week and they will be here for about a month, something that I arranged without Chloe knowing, so that has been helpful especially since I’ve been gone a lot these last few weeks.
These last few games, I’ve made sure that the box I put them in was filled with people that would take care of her if something happened.
Family, friends, anybody that she can go to if her water broke, or she had to go to the restroom.
So hearing that Blake’s family is also in there it helps bring my nerves about her tonight down a notch.
“Thanks, man,” I say, clapping him on the back.
“Thank me by kicking panther ass.” He says, that stupid as grin on his full display.
“You already know it. Gotta get payment for that busted up nose and messing up your pretty face.” I say nodding toward his face guard.
“Fucking assholes. We gotta let Logan loose or something tonight.” he says through his teeth, lifting his hand to his busted nose.
“We’ll see what we can do.” I tap him with my stick and head over to the door to get in the zone.
I try to clear my head as best as I can. For a minute, I close my eyes and clear my head of all outside noises. The only thoughts that I let myself have are those that include my stick and the puck.
For a short minute, it's just me on the ice with nothing stopping me from shooting the puck into the net. Just me and the sport that made me the man that I am today.
My team built me and I will do everything that I can to make sure they end up top. I owe them that much.
Tonight doesn’t have importance. Tonight is just any other game and should be treated as such.
We’re going to go out there and kick panther ass.
One minute is all I need and I’m fucking ready.
The voice behind me quiets down, just like it has done every playoff game before this one. My teammates are aware of my little ritual, so they know that as soon as I’m ready, off to the ice we go.
“Alright boys,” I start, “We have three periods, twenty minutes each. There’s something out there that we want. Let’s go get it. There’s only one team that’s getting their name added to it and it sure as hell isn’t going to be a team from Florida. So, let's. Fucking. Go.”
Every single person in the room erupts, the vibration can be felt on the floor.
One by one we start filing out of the looking room and making our way to the ice.
The crowd was electric during warm up and the second our blades hit the ice for the second time tonight is a whole different level.
It feels as if no time is wasted from the second, we skate onto the ice to when the puck is dropped.
Everything becomes a total blur.
One second we are in the first period trying to get the puck from the Florida forward and the next were in the third period with twenty seconds on the clock with a tied game.
Coach yells out a call and we start putting it in motion.
One more goal. That is all we need.
I bring my stick back and pass it over to Blake who then passes it to Logan.
Volkov handles it for a few while I skate across the ice and get into position.
I make eye contact with him and as soon as he winds back and slaps the puck to me, I’m already feeling it in my bones what my next move is going to be.
The black disk hits my stick and not a second later I’m already moving towards the net.
The only sound that registers is the sound of my stick hitting the ice. It’s just me and the goalie.
He thinks he knows what way I’m going to shoot but he has no idea. He hasn’t had a clue all night.
With nobody around to stop me, I wind and slap the blade of my stick against the puck and I see it fly.
Fly and fly until it goes over the goalies left shoulder and into the net for goal number four.
The buzzer blares through the stadium quickly followed by the horn calling it.
Four to three.
Four to fucking three.
Holy shit .
Holy fucking shit.
We won.
The Dark Knights just fucking won the cup.
Bodies slam against me and yells and cheers fill my ears and all I’m trying to do is comprehend what just happened.
I just scored the final goal in game seven of the Stanley Cup Final. Who the fuck even does that?
Me. I fucking do that.
The cup is coming to Chicago.
The whole team crowds together at the boards, everyone with huge ass smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes.
They can’t believe what we just did either.
I have no clue how long the pill up goes for but we eventually pull apart to hug the other people on the ice.
Skating over to center ice, I look up at the box where I know Chloe is supposed to be, expecting her to be cheering and yelling and possibly jumping up and down as much as her bump would let her.
But she’s not there.
The box is completely empty.
Not a single person in sight.
Almost immediately, my heart starts to race and everything else starts to panic. All at once, I want nothing to do with the celebration that is currently happening on the ice.
I need to find her.
I need to go to her.
A hand lands on my shoulder and I’m getting turned toward something.
“It’s time, dude. She’s on the way to the hospital. Jacobi’s brother called the team doctor. Let’s go.” I hear Christians voice through all the noise and it takes me a second to comprehend everything.
It’s time.
She’s on her way to the hospital.
It’s happening, it’s fucking happening.
And on top of all that, my team just won the cup.
Holy fucking shit.
Christian must see the panic on my face because he gives me a rare smile.
“Looks like your little girl was waiting for her daddy to finish the season on top. Now let’s fucking go.”
Nine months ago, I was wanting to stab my eyes out to get myself from going to the ballet.
Who would have known that that night would have changed everything.
One night at the ballet, one where I would tell myself that I would make sure my team makes it to the Cup Finals, but also where I meet Chloe. One night is all it took to change every single thing.
I’m a part of a Stanley Cup championship team.
I’m about to be a dad and even if it’s not the right time, I’m going to make Chloe mine.
Once and for all.