Page 42 of Pucking Forbidden

We rotate out, and the next line steps in.

With the next drill, we start at the red line, dump the puck in, chase it, force a turnover along the boards, then immediately transition back the other way with pressure coming fast behind.

“Go!” Jensen calls.

I chip the puck deep and take off after it, skates digging in. The sound of blades cutting hard echoes around the rink.

Theo gets there first, pinning it against the boards.

“Here!” I call, closing the gap.

He kicks it loose, and I scoop it up just as Jensen pressures from the other side, stick jabbing in.

“Move it, move it…!” Coach roars.

I spin off the boards, barely keeping control, then snap it up ice.

“Back!” Coach yells. “Back hard!”

My legs burn as I push, forcing myself to match the pace, closing in as the play comes back toward us. I go to cut off the lane, and the shot comes anyway. It’s wide this time, hitting the boards with a loud crack.

“Good pressure!” Coach calls. “But close the gap sooner!”

I bend forward and put my hands on my knees, sucking in air for half a second as we reset.

On to the third drill. This time, Theo lines up right next to me.

“Your usual route on that second pass?” he asks.

I glance over. “Inside cut. Depends on the pressure.”

He nods once. “Alright.”

The play develops fast. Theo adjusts without hesitation, matching the cut exactly, and slipping into the space like he’s been running this drill with me for weeks.

The pass connects clean.

“Nice,” I say under my breath as we loop back.

“Thanks,” he replies, moving back to position.

Jensen skates up behind us. “Okay, that was annoying.”

“Why?” Theo asks with a small frown.

“Because you’re not supposed to be good immediately,” Jensen teases. “There’s a process, you know.”

Theo huffs out a quiet laugh. “I’ll try to be worse next time.”

Jensen chuckles. “Us old men would appreciate that.”

Zander wooshes by and chimes in, “Don’t listen to him. Keep doing that.”

“I will,” Theo assures him with a grin.

Coach is watching him closely, and my chest grows tight. I tell myself it doesn’t mean anything. Trades happen. New players come and go. Teams evolve.

Still…why do I feel like the Exit is starting to light up in front of me?