Page 3 of Edging Coach
And now we were here.
Fuck my liiife.
In the interest of not losing my brand-new job, I forcedmyself to focus. I laced up my skates, grabbed my stick and gloves, and headed out to the ice. By the time I skated onto the sheet, about half the team was out there warming up. Was Devon among them? I didn’t know, and I didn’t try to confirm either way. Instead, I glided around the ice, watching the way the various players moved.
Most of the Grizzlies were young prospects. From what I’d seen already in videos of games and practices, there were a lot of raw talent and high hockey IQs. A ton of potential that just needed developing before they made the jump to Vancouver. Typical of a farm team, but according to Emil and one of the assistant coaches (one who’d survived the recent firings), they hadn’t had the guidance they needed.
So… that was where I came in. Along with the newly hired coaching staff and the older, more skilled veteran players, it was my job to get this team back on the rails.
I’d done it before, so I was confident I could do it again.
At least, I had been until last night’s hookup had come strolling into the locker room.
I shook that thought away, grabbed a puck on my stick, and did some light puck-handling around the rink just to hold my focus. Last night was last night. Today—and going forward—was all about hockey and keeping this job.
And after today, I’d make absolutely sure I vetted my hookups a bit better before the pants came off. Lesson learned the way I learned most of them—the hard way.
A whistle blew, and I turned to see Amy Vincent, one of the assistant head coaches, summoning everyone to where a whiteboard hung on the glass. The team skated over to her, and everyone took a knee. I stood at the back.
“We’re going to get started in a minute,” she told everyone. “First things first, I’d like to introduce your new head coach”—she gestured past them—“Jack Showalter.” She apparentlydidn’t realize Emil had already made introductions but that was okay.
Heads turned, and the guys tapped their sticks on the ice. I smiled and offered a nod, pretending not to notice when I absolutely zeroed in on Devon. Or what a juxtaposition it was, seeing him kneeling while I stood.
Get a grip, Showalter. Fuck.
Amy continued, “We’re going to run a practice as normal so Coach can have a look at how we operate. Tomorrow’s morning skate, he’ll take over.”
More stick taps. The vibe among the guys felt optimistic and upbeat—they exchanged smiles, and no one seemed to be scowling, rolling their eyes, or otherwise telegraphing that they weren’t happy. From the sound of it, they echoed the sentiments of their captain and alternates—they’d been as frustrated as their GM, and they were ready for change.
I just hoped like hell I could focus enough to bring them that change.
CHAPTER 2
DEVON
Holy fuck.
Just…holy fuck.
Practice flew by in a blur. When Amy said that the team would run the practiceas normal, that had already thrown me for a loop. This was my first time on the ice with this team. Fortunately, Gards had sort of taken me under his wing as both my D partner and our alternate captain. He made certain I was in the right place at the right time, and the rest, I could pick up thanks to years of experience with different coaches.
The actual drills were pretty straightforward, and it all flew by. I quickly found my groove with Gards; we were going to be unstoppable together. Though the forwards were kind of a mixed bag—some belonged in the big leagues, others probably didn’t even belong at this level—I could work with anything, and we made it through our drills. Some were a bit choppy and clumsy. As a team, our timing would take, well, time to develop. There was a ton of raw potential here, and I could already tell that with some solid coaching, we could be contenders.
My heart ached for the team I’d left behind, Toronto’sminor league affiliate in Brampton. I’d be eternally grateful I’d been traded to the Abbotsford Grizzlies, though. At least I got to stay in Canada. Even though British Columbia was practically on the other side of the country. Toronto felt a million miles away, and I longed to call my old D partner. He was moving on, though. Literally. He’d given up hockey a long time ago and he’d met a girl, and they were planning a life together. Old teammates sometimes couldn’t compete with new love.
“We’re going for a beer at The Trading Post.” Claus nudged my shoulder, pulling me out of my reverie and into the present. “It’s not far from here. You want to ride with me or bring your car?”
At least you weren’t thinking about the best lay you’d ever had.
Right. That thought brought me right back to fuuuuuck.
“My car’s not here yet. If you don’t mind giving me a lift and bringing me back? I’m still figuring Abbotsford out. Shouldn’t be tough, eh?” Practically minuscule in comparison to Toronto’s millions of residents.
“Sure.” Claus grinned with a boyishness I found endearing. “When does your car arrive?”
“Uh, soon? I got the call for the trade and was on the move immediately. I still need to find a place to live.”
“Yeah. Rental market’s tight out here, but someone from the team will help you out. Nice hotel you’re staying in, eh?”
