LEONORA
The arena is overwhelming.
I arrive early - earlier than anyone - slipping through a staff entrance Tara arranged. The corridors are quiet, just the hum of machinery and distant sounds of preparation.
The locker room they’ve assigned us is small. Shared with another team on opposite days.
I find the physio room tucked away near the back of the building.
Perfect.
I change quickly.
Lee Shaw steps onto the ice.
ZANE
From the moment I step through the tunnel, something feels different.
The boards here have more spring. The lights are brighter.
And Shaw is already here.
He’s skating slow circles in the neutral zone, alone, like he’sbeen here for hours.
I watch him for a moment.
Then I skate over. We skate together for a few minutes, not talking, just moving.
Then I say, “This is it.”
“Yep.”
“You ready?”
“Yeah. I think I am.”
We’re seeded fourth.
Which means our opening game is against the top seed.
The Wolves.
Fantastic.
Everyone in the league knows the Wolves. They’re good - fast and disciplined - but they’ve also built a reputation for playing right up to the edge of the rule-book.
And occasionally a few inches past it.
Coach calls it “competitive enthusiasm.” Everyone else calls it dirty.
I stop near the blue line, tapping my stick lightly against the ice while the rest of the team finishes warm-ups.
Three games in the round robin - one this evening and two more tomorrow.
Then the top two teams play the final on Sunday.
It’s almost like an exhibition tournament. Everyone playing everyone, scouts watching every shift and comparing notes in the stands.
