Again, I wonder if I’ve entered the Twilight Zone. Who’d have thought Ethan Tremblay would be asking me mytype?
“Honestly, I’m starting to think I can’t be picky. I haven’t gotten laid since Los Angeles.”
He bites his lower lip.
“Wait…do youactuallyknow a guy? If so, hook me up.”
He stares at me for a long moment, the smell of bourbon hanging in the air between us. It looks like he’s trying to come to a decision – whether to trust me with his buddy’s name?
Then, before I know what’s happening, he’s in my space, his lips on mine. For a second I enjoy their lingering warmth before I think about what’s happening and pull away.
What just happened? Did my homophobic captain just…kiss me?Propositionme?
“Jesus, Tremblay. What the fuck was that?”
At this, he quickly sobers up.
“That…was nothing. It didn’t happen.”
And with that, he’s gone.
MINNESOTA’S MOST WANTED
SARAH GENTRY FORMINNEAPOLIS MONTHLY
[Image 1 Description: A tall, dark haired man stands next to a floor-to-ceiling window with a view of downtown Minneapolis. In the distance, we see the Mississippi River. He is wearing a dark suit and has a thick layer of stubble on his jawline. His expression is serious.]
[Image 2 Description: The same man is now depicted in a close up, looking out the window. The photograph is in shades of gray, though the photographer has allowed the subject’s hazel eyes to show through.]
In the Twin Cities, it often feels like we walk among the gods. With seven professional sports teams, it is hard to move around the city without becoming aware of a famous face here and there.
Of course, not all faces are created equal, and neither are all sports. With the crisp winds of autumn beginning to blow, our Northern minds turn once again to that greatest sport of all – hockey. And there’s one face I never hate to see on Huskies home ice.
Ethan Tremblay is entering his ninth full year with the organization, having come up through the Ontario Hockey League and the team’s AHL affiliate, the Iowa Pack. Drafted in the fifth round, Tremblay was viewed as something of a grinder for the first years of his career. Considered a late bloomer, he didn’t really hit his stride until his mid-twenties. Since then, he’s proved an essential part of the Huskies’ play on the blue line. Six years ago, he was named captain and proceeded to lead the team to two Stanley Cups.
Yet, you’d never know his successes to meet him. Tremblay is a quiet man, humble to the core. Deeply private, he prefers to talk hockey – especially Huskies hockey. He speaks highly of his teammates, especially goalie Alexei Kovalenko. The feeling is mutual, with teammates we contacted calling him a “strong leader” with a real “team mentality”.
Hockey comes naturally to Tremblay, whose father, Marty Tremblay, played for New York for three seasons. Still, when asked if he’s ever considered a trade to his hometown team, Tremblay is insistent: the Twin Cities are home.
As he shows us around his downtown penthouse, I can’t help but marvel at the fact that Tremblay has not yet found someone to share it with. His love for the city is clear, as he talks about his favorite restaurants and parks. Still, in all the years he’s lived here, he’s never found the right woman.
It certainly isn’t due to lack of appeal – his handsome face is in demand for sponsorships across the city while his recent contract extension (five years, $52.5 million) is handsome in its own right. That leaves only one question: what lucky lady will lock him down?
CHAPTER SIX
ETHAN
I makeit as far as the bathroom before losing the contents of my stomach. Hunched over the toilet with sweat on my brow, I clench my eyes shut.
Thiscan'tbe happening. After fifteen years, itcannotend like this. I consider whether a call to Jack is necessary – I'm sure he'd like to get ahead of my idiocy before it breaks inThe Neutral Zone.
Gay Kiss Shakes Huskies
Closeted Captain Caught
Nope. No. I am not going to tell Jack Kinkaid that I kissed a teammate. For one thing, I'm pretty sure it would get back to my dad. And for another – what the fuck is he going to do? Either Carter will tell someone or he won't; someone saw or they didn't. If either of those things happen, I am fucked.
I splash water on my face and, checking to make sure the coast is clear, head downstairs. I sneak out before anyone can see me and go around the corner. I pull out my cell phone to call an Uber, then shoot Alexei a text.
