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"I like my burgers with a side of beer the night before a game," Waller added. "But maybe I should consider switching to water."
Laughter roared from the team. It was soon a domino effect; everyone had something to admit.
"I double-knot my laces because I can't keep them tied," I said, the words surprising even me. "Crazy, right? But maybe we should all double-knot our lives and ensure everything's secure and tight, you know?"
Quite a few players nodded, and Pete suddenly took charge. “Enough of this group therapy. Let's save some of that honesty for the ice. But remember, we're a team, and a team looks out for each other. No exceptions. Now, get suited up. We've got a tough practice ahead.”
Eddie looked relieved, a weight lifted off his shoulders as he headed to his locker. I caught his eye and gave him a thumbs-up.
"So, double-knotting our lives, huh?" Pete knocked his shoulder against mine.
"Better safe than sorry," I said.
"Spoken like a true risk-taker.”
I laughed. "Guess you've got me all figured out."
"Far from it, Hoss. Far from it."
Chapter14
Pete
All good things must come to an end, right? We lost. Two in a row. Even Eddie’s return couldn’t light up the ice for us. The buzzer sounded, sealing another defeat and chipping away at our playoff dreams.
I guess things often came in streaks during sports, but we were riding so high. The downward dip was hard to take. I could almost hear our chances for postseason play flushing down the drain.
We even triedOperation Thunderboltagain. No dice.
The next day after practice, the locker room was dead quiet. Even the rookies, who usually needed to be reminded to tone it down, got the memo after the latest loss.
It felt like we’d gathered in a tomb, the air stale and stifling with the heaviness of defeat. I rounded up the team. Every face in the room was a mirror of my disappointment.
“Listen up," I said, doing my best to sound like the authority in the room. "We lost. It happens. What matters is what we do next. Shake it off; tomorrow's a brand new opportunity.”
Blank stares. Empty nods. It was like trying to light a match in a rainstorm. I could feel Hoss, my rock, standing next to me. He looked just as tense, his eyes scanning the room, probably calculating what drills might kick us back into gear.
As the team dispersed, shoving pads into duffel bags with unspoken frustration, Hoss leaned in. "What's the game plan, Coach? Is it time to consult the hockey gods?”
"If the hockey gods existed, they've clearly ghosted us. No, we're reviewing those plays from the second period," I said, feeling the weight of the season more than ever. "Let's hit it hard tomorrow morning."
"Roger that," Hoss replied. His voice was steady, but I saw the concern in his eyes.
We were the last to leave the arena. Not that I was in any rush to go home. I climbed into my car and waited for Hoss to join me. When he did, he was silent, not even offering a greeting as he buckled his seatbelt.
"Home?" I muttered, keeping my eyes on the road.
"Yeah, thanks," Hoss replied. His usual spark was missing.
The ride was quiet, far too quiet for comfort. We both knew the stakes, and the mounting losses were taking their toll. I failed at leading us to a win against one of the worst teams in our league.
"I'm gonna stick around a bit later tomorrow,” I said. “I want to dig deeper and see if I can sort things out.”
“Need a sidekick for your efforts?” Hoss asked.
"Nah. I need to focus. Alone might be better.”
It didn’t matter, as it turned out.
