Page 100 of Puck Fest
According to Masterson, his connection with Enver developed during the two-month probation period following his assault on a fan at Puck Fest. While the official statement claimed the relationship began after probation concluded, Masterson’s account suggests otherwise.
Asked whether the relationship had personal undertones during the probationary period, Masterson said the team’s compliance officer “cleared the relationship before we made it official” and emphasized that “Coach knew” before any public disclosure. The casual mention of Coach Enver’s awareness raises new questions about how high the knowledge of the relationship extended within the organization, and when.
I slap a hand against my forehead. No. Danny wouldn’t have said it like that. He couldn’t have.
But there’s his name. His quotes. His fucking words twisted into something that makes us both look guilty.
I keep reading.
Multiple team sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, corroborate that Enver gave Masterson unusual levels of personal attention during the probation period. “Most PR directors would have delegated community service supervision to junior staff,” one sourcesaid. “Noah insisted on handling everything personally. He was at every clinic, every media training session. People noticed.”
Another source noted that Enver and Masterson were frequently seen in private conversations, often with Enver’s office door closed. “It raised eyebrows,” the source said. “But no one wanted to say anything because Noah’s the coach’s son.”
My stomach roils.
The article goes on. And on.
Alex details every interaction he tracked. Every time Danny and I left the arena separately. Every clinic. Every meeting. He frames it all as evidence of an inappropriate relationship that started during supervision.
Then comes the kill shot.
When asked directly about physical contact during probation, Masterson confirmed, “We kissed once during probation. He pulled away.”
Masterson maintains the relationship did not become physical until after his probationary period concluded. However, the admission of physical contact during a period in which Enver was responsible for supervising Masterson’s compliance with league discipline raises substantive questions about the line between professional supervision and personal involvement, questions made sharper by Enver’s official statement last Saturday, which made no mention of the earlier incident.
I close the laptop. My hands are shaking.
Then I do what I’m supposed to do. What every PR director in a crisis does. I work the problem.
I call my contact at the league office first. Tom Reardon, head of communications. We’ve worked together on three crisis statements over the past year. He’s a friend. Or close to one.
He picks up on the second ring. “Noah.”
“Tom. I need five minutes.”
“I can’t talk to you right now. You know I can’t talk to you.”
“TheTribunepiece is wrong. The relationship started after probation. There was one kiss during, but nothing else, and I pushed him away. I’ve got dates. I’ve got my own statement. I can corroborate?—”
“Noah.” He cuts me off. “I believe you. That’s not the problem. The problem is you put out an official statement on Saturday saying it began after, and now there’s a contradiction in print. The league doesn’t care which version is true. We care that there’s a contradiction.”
“So I issue a clarification?—”
“You can’t issue a clarification. You’re the subject. Anything you say at this point reads as self-defense. Marshall has to issue it. And Marshall’s not going to issue it because then he’s the one publicly defending you, and he can’t afford to do that either.” He pauses. “I’m sorry. I really am. But this isn’t a PR problem you can spin out of. The clock ran out the second the article posted.”
I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling.
“What would you do?” I ask.
“If I were you?”
“Yeah.”
“I’d get ahead of Marshall. Resign before he asks. Better optics. Easier to find work after.”
“Thanks, Tom.”
“Take care of yourself, Noah.”
