Page 134 of Rookie Rules

Luca had called the trigger and cut behind the practice defense. The opening existed. Finn recognized it. Rowan was already moving underneath to support it. His pass arrived late, struck Luca's skate, and rolled harmlessly toward the corner.

"The turn was there," Luca said.

"The support wasn't."

"You were under it."

"Not enough."

The sharpness carried farther than Rowan intended.

Practice slowed around them. Finn circled back. Vale lowered his whistle without blowing it.

Luca faced Rowan across twelve feet of ice. Weeks earlier he would have challenged the correction and forced Rowan to prove it belonged to hockey.

Today he nodded. "Okay."

The lack of resistance disturbed Rowan more than an argument would have.

"Reset," Vale called.

They ran the route again. Luca held his lane. The defense stayed organized. Rowan moved the puck to Finn, who managed a low shot from outside the dots. The goalie swallowed it without a rebound.

Clean execution. Poor chance.

The drill continued. On the next entry, Luca delayed after the weak-side defenseman turned his feet. The opening closed before he committed. Two shifts later he gave up a clear shooting lane and sent the puck backward to Nolan.

"Take that," Rowan called.

Luca retrieved the next puck. "You said hold the route."

"That was a different read."

"Right."

No joke. No argument. Luca made the conservative choice again.

Finn caught the pass at a bad angle and was forced below the goal line. He stopped the drill himself.

"Which version are we running?" he asked.

"The read determines the route," Rowan said.

"His first read was good."

"My support was not set."

Finn planted both gloves on top of his stick. "You were under the puck."

"Not enough."

"You already said that. It didn't become video evidence."

Vale's whistle cut through the exchange.

"Mercer, second group. Jace, take his route. Bennett, rotate out. Hale, stay."

The temporary reassignment drew attention from every player close enough to hear. Luca crossed to the second group without acknowledging Rowan. Jace tapped Finn's pads as they changed places, making the movement seem ordinary. It was not.