The Finn says something snarky in Scandinavian. Carlsson doesn’t understand it, but he knows it’s not very nice, and he lunges at Heikkiläinen.
“Boys! Carlsson, you can have a do-over.”
“Legos!” Cookie surfaces with a Santa’s workshop kit.
Jonesy raises his hand. “Do you have any hockey kits in there?”
“Why do you care? You’re not getting anything out of the surprise bag,” Bramms shoots at him.
“There’s always next game.” Ziggy sighs.
“Can I have your prize?” Jonesy asks Zayne.
“Fuck no,” Ren says, skating up, stick in hand. “He turned over a puck in front of my net, and they almost scored. You need to have like the opposite of a surprise bag, Ellie. Like, you need a punishment bag that has roach traps and rat poison in it.”
“You didn’t want Legos?” Bramms asks Ren when he pulls out a demented-looking Santa toy.
“You can go again,” I offer.
“You kidding me?” He sets his prize on the ice and pushes a button.
“You can’t bring that thing back to the house,” Fletcher complains as the Santa sings a filthy version of “Dashing Through the Snow” while dancing on his head.
Ren smirks. “This is what Christmas is all about. Hockey, cookies, fucking, and Santa Claus.”
“Good practice,”I call to the players as they skate toward the locker rooms.
“Will the surprise bag be here next game?” Cookie asks me anxiously.
“God yes, please.” Fletcher skates past me.
“And you get a prize for every goal?” Cookie perks up.
“Oh yeah, no limits,” I promise.
“Will there be Legos? Will there be hockey Lego sets?”
“Yes.” Even if I have to fight a bunch of moms at the toy store for them, I will buy those toys to get goals out of Cookie.
“Okay!” Cookie says brightly.
“So does that mean you’re playing next game?”
Cookie nods happily and looks down at his toy, pleased. The guys all whoop and pat him on the head and back as they head to the locker room singing “We Are the Champions.”
“I like that second-to-last play we ran,” Fletcher tells me, skating with me as I pick up the cones. He scoops up several of them easily, skating backward. “It gives Cookie a path to the net. I think we need more plays like that. You cracked the code on him.”
“Bribe him with toys.” I laugh.
“Hey. Men are simple creatures.” He grins.
“Yeah, I should have just bought all Legos instead of so many stuffies.”
“You buy these yourself?” Fletcher gives me an odd look.
“I mean, yeah? I always buy my kids prizes and stuff. I use my mom’s Costco membership. You trying to exchange your prize?” I ask him. “You didn’t get a Lego set.”
“I actually don’t want a surprise bag treat.” He skates over to me.
