Until Hell Freezes Over

Over training camp, the guys had really taken to me and made me feel like a superstar. Even Toews had come around eventually, though he still seemed distant. After working on new line-ups, I was going to play left wing on his line anyway so he had to get over whatever stick had been shoved up his ass.
I felt more comfortable living in Chicago since I found an apartment relitively close to the stadium so I wouldn't have to worry about traveling.

This was the first game of the season. This was no big deal to most of the guys, but to me it was my chance to shine.

Was I nervous? Heck, I felt like I was going to throw up even though I was perfectly confident in my skills. I just sat there as the dressing room buzzed with the pre-game activities that the guys participated in. I checked my jersey and my number's stiches. I had chosen '18' because it was Peyton Manning's number, it was also my Dad's number when he played for Wisconsin. I chose it to show that I was playing for him. I also just couldn't stop tying, undoing, and retying the laces of my skates. I want them to be comfortable, but tight, usually I got them how I wanted them, tonight was a whole different story.
"Jesus, Maxi, I swear it's not gonna kill you if your laces aren't tied the same way every time." Kaner chuckled as he sat down next to me. "Shut up, will you? You're breaking my concentration?" I asked him as politely as I could. He scoffed, shoving me, "Why do you have to be a bitch?" It was my turn to scoff, "I am not!" "Are too!" "AM NOT!!" I shouted, as I delivered several punches to his shoulder. "SEE YOU ARE!" Then while I was pre-occupied by glaring at him, untied my laces.
"KANER!"
.............
The chants from the fans were so loud that they echoed inside the tunnel as we waited to skate out. For my own comfort, I was placed in-between Johnny and Kaner.
"Are you ready?" I shivered as I heard Jonathan's deep voice and hot breath againist my ear. I nodded, trying to focus, "Thanks for the concern but I got this."
"I know you do. You've shown that you've got what it takes in practice, this is your time to show the world." He was actually encouraging me. I turned around to face him and gave him a hug.
"Thanks, Tazer." He stiffened, before hugging me back and replying, "You're welcome, Maxi." Then it was time to go out onto the ice.

As Jonathan took his position, after the National Anthem, for the opening face-off againist my favorite childhood team: the Detroit Redwings in the Joe Louis Arena. I went to his left and Hossa to his right.

The Redwings were too shocked to say anything which made me laugh on the inside. Then Patrick Eaves took his position in front of me on the other side of center ice. He looked me up and down, before wiggling his eyebrow in a suggestive manner. I just rolled my eyes, I swear some of these guys had never seen a normal girl play hockey before mouthing, ‘Not a chance.’

He growled in response before settling down for the opening faceoff. My gaze also shifted back to Tazer, who was at center facing Zetterberg. I, mentally, willed for John to win it but as soon as the puck dropped I could tell that that wasn't going to happen. Instead, the dirty Swede over powered him and we were forced to retreat into our defense zones. What a way to start the first game of the season defending against a team who lost in game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals last season. They definitely had something to prove to their fans tonight.

I let Eaves slip past me; I knew that one of our defenders would also be shadowing him, so it would be my job to make a play from one of the Redwings mistakes.

Mistake #1: Only one of their defenders had come up after Zetterberg won the face off leaving a whole for a breakaway.

Mistake #2: Zetterberg was allowing time for his teammates to set up a play to score. This would allow us to put pressure on them not letting them get settled so they would miss his pass.

As I watched Zetterberg out of the corner of my eye I could tell that he was trying to decided which side was weaker. He would keep looking back to mine. This gave me the hunch he would either try to take it up past me on his own of send it on to Eaves. The later of the 2 being the option he chose, bad mistake on his part. I quickly intercepted the puck and drove it down to the Redwings zone. Piercing the weakened zone of the defenders, not allowing the one to fall back to guard/ check me. Then it was just me and the goaltender, and even he wasn't going to let him stop me.
So I pulled a 'Mario Lemieux' fake out trick, that looked like it was going for the five hole but ended up going above his mitted hand before he could reach up to stop it.

The buzzer sounded along with the boos of many Redwings fans. It was funny because only a few months ago I had been in the same position with them.

"AND THE CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS SCORE!! Rookie Left Winger; Dillan Maxwell scores her first goal in her first NHL game! What a historic moment for the young lady hawk." I heard the announcer cheer over the intercom as my teammate tackled me to the ground before I even had time to celebrate on my own. After a few moments of being under the dog pile, they all got off one by one, Toews being the one to pull me to my feet.

I took note of the extremely shocked faces of the Redwings players on the bench, the last game they played they lost to the team that they beat in the Finals the year before now they just got their asses handed to them in the first 3 minutes of the next season by a girl! HA!
Coach nodded, approvingly at me as I hopped into the bench before the next play started. I nodded in return, that was all the congratulations I needed from him.

I was so engrossed by the game unfolding before me that I didn't even notice Jonathan slip in beside me until something was dropped in my lap. I looked down and it was a puck. So I look back at him with a confused expression on my face.

"I thought that you would like the puck that you scored you're first NHL goal with." He told me, the corners of his lips were turned up signaling that he was being genuine and not just giving it to me because the red handed it to him. It was a symbol of our growing friendship.
"Thanks, Jonathan." I whispered. He just nodded in return. And we both turned our attention to the rest of the game.

......

"Dil, check this out! You’ve got fan mail" Claire shouted as she ran into my room with this morning’s paper. I grabbed it from her,

“Are you serious?” As I read it over it was actually very endearing that someone would care this much as to go out of their way to send mail to me now-a-days. I mean I sure as hell would’ve. With Facebook, Twitter, and the team website, it would’ve been just as easy to post it or email there.

“There’s plenty more where that came from. They love you! The people of Chicago love you! You went from being a Zero to a Hero in 3 games and a town icon in a month of playing pro. Now they thinkthat you have the skill set to become greater than both Crosby and Ovechkin combined! That’s like Gretzky status, dude!” Claire squealed, throwing her arms around me. I

just laughed I guess I had just gotten used to the attention now. Just then I got a text. It was from Jonathan.

‘Hey, wanna let me in?’ OH SHIT! I had completely forgotten that I had invited some of the guys over to play Halo tonight. This was going to be interesting…..