Page 27 of Puck You Both

It also looks irritatingly good on him.

He catches me deciding that. His jaw ticks.

"Goalies together," the photographer says, arranging us in front of the banner. "Give me the bad blood."

We turn toward each other.

"Closer."

Neither of us moves.

"Guys, come on. You're both enormous. I’m losing half the banner. Closer, please."

We step in.

The photographer peers over her camera. "Great. Now really glare at him."

Wall looks down at me by three inches. I look up at him by the same three.

Familiar territory. We have done versions of this at center ice and across interview tables for years. His stare has always sharpened me. Tonight, it lands differently.

His nostrils flare.

Mine answer.

The shutter goes rapid-fire. "Perfect chemistry!"

Neither of us looks away. Looking away would be worse.

Eventually she lowers the camera. "Maybe one where you shake hands?"

"No," we say, in unison.

She blinks, then decides she has what she needs, and releases us. Wall walks off to study the raffle board. I give the sponsor wall my complete attention.

"Mr. Gresh—"

I turn. A reporter in a brown blazer approaches, microphone ready. Regional broadcast; he's interviewed me twice this season.

"Mr. Grish... Gurzess—" Confidence abandons him one consonant at a time. "Mr..." He clears his throat. "Could we get a quick comment?"

"Patrick's fine."

Relief softens his face. For twenty seconds I recite the campaign formula—shelters, community, both organizations proud to be involved—nothing he can sharpen into a headline. Then he asks whether working with my "longtime adversary Wallace" has created tension behind the scenes.

Across the room, Wall is holding a paper donation thermometer six feet up the wall while Mama Paws directs from below and Theo argues that the red line should start above the printed goal, for motivational reasons.

"We're both committed to the campaign," I say.

The reporter waits for more.

I smile.

He tries another route. "Fans online are loving the back-and-forth. Any chance this partnership turns the rivalry friendly?"

Over his shoulder, Wall glances up. Our eyes catch for half a second.

"No."