Seconds later, the buzzer went off, announcing the end of the game.Fuck yes!We’d won. And the win tasted all that much sweeter after what Willy had said.
We lined up to shake hands with the opposing team. Fortunately, Willy had returned to the locker room after the fight, likely to check if his nose was broken. I hoped it was. It was the least he deserved for everything he’d said.
I glanced up at the stands one more time before I headed into the locker room. Bryn was still standing there, brow creased with concern. I hated that I couldn’t immediately go to her, reassure her.
In the locker room, the celebration was more subdued than usual, even as the lyrics ofour celly songplayed through thespeakers. I started removing my pads, tossing my uniform into the bin to be cleaned.
After I’d showered, Coach pulled me aside. “How are you feeling?”
I clenched and unclenched my fists at my side. “Pissed.”
He nodded. “It’s not like you to fight. Can you walk me through what happened out there?”
I explained about the chirping, about what the Seattle player had said. Coach’s expression darkened with each passing moment. Finally, he said, “Thank you for telling me. I’m going to speak with management to see how they want to handle this. But you did the right thing.”
“Thanks, Coach.” I hadn’t needed his approval, but it meant a lot to me.
Coach excused himself, and I went over to Kovi and fist-bumped him. “Thanks for having my back out there, man.”
“Of course. You’re my teammate. And even if you weren’t, what he said was so fucking wrong.”
I nodded, and Gabe slung his arm around my shoulder. “You know, you’re not so bad, Kovi.”
Carson barked out a laugh. “You’re not so bad either, Goldie.”
Gabe gave Carson a playful shove, and then we resumed getting ready. The NHL may no longer require players to wear suits to and from a game, but the Hawks continued to insist on it. Coach always told us that we had to look like champions on and off the ice.
It was uncomfortable at times—having to wear a suit during a flight. But he was right. I’d sometimes see pictures of the other teams getting off their bus for a game, and they looked sloppy.
“Fizzy. Kovi,” Coach called out, beckoning us over. The rest of the guys grew quiet, and I could feel their attention on us. “Daniel and I are going to answer questions at the pressconference, but we’d like to have you join us. If you think you can answer questions calmly and factually.”
Shit.This was an even bigger deal than I’d feared if Daniel was joining the press conference. Though GMs like Daniel usually traveled with the team for away games, it was rare that they spoke at postgame press conferences.
I was going to have to find a way to be calm. So, I took a deep breath and nodded. “Yes, Coach.”
Kovi looked at me then nodded as well. We followed Coach into the media room, and the lights seemed extra bright tonight, the shutter of the cameras extra loud. I shuffled behind the table, taking a seat next to Kovi. Daniel, our GM and Georgia’s brother, was already there, and Coach took a seat beside him.
“I’m sure you all have questions about what happened tonight,” Daniel said, and the room immediately went quiet. “What happened on the ice was unfortunate, and we are grateful to the referees who saw and understood the situation for what it was.”
Daniel toyed with the cuff of his dress shirt. “One of the members of the opposing team made some inappropriate comments about a person we all care deeply about.”
“Who was it?” called out a reporter.
“It doesn’t matter.” Daniel waved a hand through the air. “What matters is that the Hawks have a zero-tolerance policy for ‘locker-room talk,’ on or off the ice. It is not part of our team culture nor the culture we want for the league.”
“Do you think Wilson from Seattle should be punished?” someone asked.
“He was given a penalty, both for fighting and for instigating the fight, which we think was fair under the circumstances.”
Fair?I clenched my jaw to keep from saying anything. It was the bare minimum.
“Yes, but do you believe he should be punished by the league?” someone else asked.
It was a good thing Daniel was doing most of the talking, because there was no way I would’ve remained as composed as he was.
“That’s up to the league to decide,” he said. “Personally, I am committed to changing the culture of our sport.”
“Frasier, this was your first-ever fight on the ice. Do you think violence was the best way to handle the situation?”
