Page 23 of The Callahan Effect

A chorus of acknowledgments answered him.

Coach glanced toward the assistants gathered near the benches before beginning the formal introductions I'd been expecting since arriving on campus. "You have met most of the staff you'll be working with every day. Pay attention to what they say because these people are every bit as important to your development as the players standing beside you."

He gestured toward the imposing man standing nearest the whiteboard.

"Assistant Coach Viktor Sokolov spent fourteen seasons playing professional hockey in Russia before finishing his career in the American Hockey League. He was a goaltender and one of the smartest I've ever worked with. Viktor is responsible for our goaltenders training."

Sokolov acknowledged the group with a brief nod, his weathered face remaining expressionless.

"If you're one of our goalies, you'll spend a great deal of time with Viktor learning how to recognize the body language and subtle tells attackers give away long before they release the puck. He'll also work with our forwards so they understand exactly what a goaltender reads when a shooter approaches the net."

"Roman, Harvey..." Coach's attention settled on the two new goaltenders. The program's two senior goaltenders had graduated the previous year, leaving Oscar to step into the starting role.

"You'll be working closely with Viktor and Oscar on recognizing the silent communication between opposing forwards. The best shooters advertise their intentions without realizing it. Viktor's job is teaching you how to see those signals before anyone else does."

"I'm looking forward to that, Coach," the two men responded in unison.

"One of you will be stepping into Oscar's skates full time when he graduates next year so take notice."

Roman and Harvey nodded in acknowledgement.

Coach motioned toward another assistant standing nearby, a lean man in his early forties with close-cropped dark hair and an athletic build that suggested he still trained every day.

"Assistant Coach Damien Carol oversees our offense. Damien spent nine years in the NHL before moving into coaching. Everything involving puck movement, offensive zone entries, power plays and forward combinations eventually runs through him."

Carol smiled easily.

"If you're a forward, expect me to become your biggest headache."

"I'm already looking forward to it," Ethan called.

"I doubt that very much."

The arena filled with soft laughter again.

Coach continued down the line.

"Assistant Coach Nolan Pierce works exclusively with our defensemen. Nolan played professionally for twelve years before shoulder injuries forced him into retirement. "If you're playing the blue line, you'll spend as much time with him as you do working within our defensive systems."

Pierce folded his arms across his chest.

"My job is making sure nobody reaches our net without paying a price."

Ryan muttered, "He enjoys that part."

"I heard that."

Nobody doubted he had.

Coach smiled faintly before introducing the next member of staff.

"Our strength and conditioning program is directed by Connor Hayes. Connor represented the United States in international hockey before moving into sports performance. He'll be responsible for keeping you strong enough to survive an entire season."

The broad-shouldered trainer lifted a hand in greeting.

Standing beside him was a blonde woman whose confident posture caught my attention.

"This is Lauren McKenna, our assistant conditioning coach. Lauren played professional women's hockey for eleven years before completing her master's degree in exercise science. She specializes in skating efficiency, recovery and injury prevention."