“Not gonna lie, I’m jealous,” Dash chuckles. “This face deserves airtime.”
I don’t respond. I just grab a towel and head for the cameras, which is far worse than the penalty box; at least I’m there for a violation.
The media line is thicker than usual. Too many lights. Too many phones. I already know why. The Savannah reel.
Me holding her during the parade, her cheek against my shoulder, my face apparently doing something the internet found fascinating. It went viral. Which means I now want to crawl out of my own skin.
The first mic comes up immediately.
The first reporter shoots out,“Killer, incredible performance tonight. Dominant on the wing and everywhere else. How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” I answer, because I am.
Then next,“Can you talk about carrying the line tonight?”
“This entire team has proven we’re all deserving of number one in the league. I don’t carry.” I say flatly. “I play.”
Another,“The parade video from yesterday has blown up online. Did you expect that kind of attention?”
“No.”
Another smiles, “A lot of comments are critical, some of them… personal. How do you deal with the hate?”
I stare at him. “I don’t read comments; I barely look at social media.”
Another nearly cuts me off.“Some fans are saying your attitude feels cold, unapproachable. Do you think that’s fair?”
“I’m not here to be warm,” I reply. “I’m here to win.”
There’s a murmur. Pens scratch faster.
Bart, a reporter known to be a dick, is next.“There’s been a noticeable uptick in negative remarks tied to your nationality. How does it feel to see anti-Russian sentiment directed at you personally?”
There it is. The real question. The one they all want to ask without owning it.
I shift my weight, towel tightening in my hands.
“I was born Russian,” I say. “I didn’t choose geopolitics. I chose hockey.”
Tim from Sports Net, another tool,“Do you think fans project global tensions onto you unfairly?”
“Think?” I scoff. “They do it loud enough to hear.”
Another jumps in because why not? “Does it affect you mentally? Hearing chants, seeing comments that tell you to go back where you came from?”
I look straight at her now.
“I came here,” I say. “I stay here. That’s not up for debate.”
Another fires, “Some people say your success makes them uncomfortable. That you don’t smile enough. That you don’t show gratitude.”
You’ve got to be kidding me. “I say that’s their problem.”
A few people chuckle. A few don’t. I don’t care either way.
Tonya from Fairfax Sports smiles politely,“What would you say to fans who dislike you specifically because you’re Russian?”
I don’t hesitate. “I’d say learn the rules of the game. Being a certain nationality isn’t one of them.”
