Page 11 of Playing Her Game

A woman from the league's media relations team steps forward. “Thank you for joining us. We'll start with opening statements, then take questions.”

Hayes leans toward his microphone. “Obviously, we're disappointed with tonight's result. Brooklyn played a strong game, and they earned the win. We'll review the tape, learn from our mistakes, and be ready for the next one.”

Professional. Calm. Everything a captain should sound like.

Smith goes next. “Great game tonight. Chicago brought their best, and we had to fight for every shift. Credit to them for pushing us into overtime.”

Polite. Gracious. Not a word about the fight.

Rivera follows with more of the same, praising Chicago's effort while carefully avoiding the altercation everyone in this room actually wants to discuss.

Then it's my turn.

I lean toward the microphone. “We had opportunities. Didn't capitalize. That's on us.”

Short. Honest. Nothing they can twist into a headline.

The questions start immediately.

“Hayes, can you walk us through what happened in overtime?”

Hayes handles it smoothly, describing the breakdown without throwing anyone under the bus.

“Evan, what was the team's mindset going into the third period?”

Smith talks about momentum and staying focused. Everyone nods along like he's delivering profound wisdom instead of the same hockey clichés we've all heard a thousand times.

Then the reporter turns to me.

“Reznik, the altercation in the second period. Talk us through your decision to engage Kilovac.”

Here we go.

“He took a cheap shot. I responded.”

“Do you regret fighting instead of staying on the ice?”

“I regret losing.”

A few reporters glance at one another. There it is. The opening they're looking for.

“But your penalty contributed to Chicago's struggles in the second. Looking back, would you handle it differently?”

I feel Hayes shift beside me. A warning.

“Kilovac plays a certain way. Everyone knows it. Someone needed to make it clear that's not acceptable.”

“Even if it cost your team momentum?”

My jaw tightens. “We had opportunities after that. Didn't execute. That's not on one penalty.”

Another reporter jumps in. “Coach Donovan said discipline was an issue tonight. Do you acknowledge that your actions were part of the problem?”

I want to point out that Kilovac started it, that the refs missed three different infractions before I dropped the gloves, that someone had to stand up for the guys getting targeted.

Instead, I say, “We all could've played smarter.”

“Theo, from Brooklyn's perspective, how did you manage to stay composed when Chicago was trying to get under your skin?”