"Noted."
Second period starts and I'm feeling good. Shoulder's holding up. Legs feel strong. We're up three to two and the energy in the building is electric. During a TV timeout, I skate over to the section where Lucy is sitting. She leans forward against the barrier.
"You're killing it out there."
"How much have we raised?"
"Forty thousand. With the silent auction, maybe fifty."
I whistle. Triple what she was hoping for. "You did that."
"We did that."
The ref blows the whistle. I have to get back. But before I skate away I catch her eye and mouth three words: I love you.
She presses her hand to her mouth, then mouths back: I love you too.
Someone behind her definitely notices. I see phones come out. Cameras pointed our way. By tomorrow morning this moment will probably be all over social media.
Good. I want them to see.
Third period we pour it on. Cade scores. Alexei gets another. Hayes sets up a beautiful passing play that ends with me burying the puck glove side. The crowd goes insane and I can hear Lucy's voice above all of it, screaming my name.
Final buzzer sounds. We win seven to four. The team mobs each other at center ice and the announcer comes on over the PA.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thanks to today's incredible turnout and the generosity of our players and sponsors, we're thrilled to announce that we've raised over fifty thousand dollars for Pine Hollow Children's Hospital."
The crowd erupts. I skate over to the barrier near Lucy's section one more time. She's crying. Happy tears streaming down her face. I reach over the boards and she leans down, close enough that we can touch hands.
"You did it," I tell her.
"We did it."
"All you, Luce."
Then one of the organizers is waving me over for the press conference and I have to go. But I hold her gaze for one more second, memorizing the joy in her face, before I skate away.
***
The press area is set up near the locker rooms. Basic folding table with three chairs. Microphones. Handful of local reporters and one guy from ESPN who must have drawn the short straw for human interest stories.
I sit between Cade and Alexei. Answer questions about the game, about how the shoulder feels, about whether this changes my timeline for returning to Boston.
"Feels great," I tell them. "No issues today. I'll be back with the team next week for practices."
"What about contract talks?" someone asks. "Word is Boston offered you a five-year extension."
"We're in discussions. That's all I can say right now."
More questions about the game. About the money raised. About what it means to give back to the community. Standard stuff that I can handle without thinking.
Then a woman in the second row stands up. I recognize her from the Boston sports beat. She covers the Bruins but she also loves digging into personal drama.
"Ryder, your ex-girlfriend Sienna has been vocal on social media over the past few weeks. She's made some allegations about your relationship and your character. Do you have any comment?"
The room goes quiet. Cade tenses beside me.
I lean forward into the mic. Take a breath. Let it out slow.
