Just A Hockey Player

The second and third periods were similar to the first, except for the fact that there were no more goals. Carter wasn’t in the game, but there were plenty of other Devils to chirp. There were a few more fights, but none of them involved Ryan. There were some powerplays and penalty kills, but the score stayed the same. With the score tied at one a piece, the first preseason game for both teams went to overtime.

Ryan was fairly confident that she would fare well in overtime. With one less player on the ice for each team, it was a lot easier to make plays and score goals. The shootout was another matter, but Ryan figured she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.

Ryan’s first shift came one minute into the five minute overtime period. She pestered the puck carrier along the boards in the defensive zone. The puck squirted up the boards, down the ice towards Brodeur Ryan knew her shift was almost over, but she skated down the ice, planning on pressuring the defenseman. Instead, Brodeur skated out of the net to play the puck, as he was known to do. He fanned on the shot, and Ryan capitalized, neatly flicking the puck into the vacated net.

The crowd came alive, louder than they had been before. Ryan turned around to celebrate with her teammates and was knocked flat on her back. Not for the first time, she wondered why she was on the ice.

“Dammit, Davey. You alright? Bick’s apologetic face looked down at her.

“Yes, now help me up you big oaf!” was Ryan’s sharp retort. She eventually regained her feet and was able to properly receive congratulatory hugs and pats on the helmet. She saluted the Garden Faithful at center ice with the rest of the team before making her way to the locker, only to have to turn around, being informed that she was one of the stars of the game. Ryan skated back to center ice, looking for someone in the crowd to catch her eye. She wasn’t going to give the puck, after all. She finally found what she was looking for, a young girl sitting beside the penalty box, wearing a jersey with Step’s name on the back. Ryan aimed carefully knowing, knowing how crazy the fans could get, and threw the puck to the little girl. It landed neatly in her outstretched hand as she jumped up and down, pigtails bouncing up and down. The girl’s elated smile was not something she would soon forget.

The locker room was already filled with reporters and player alike, so it was a struggle for Ryan to get to her locker. As soon as she sat down, she was bombarded by questions by a horde of reporters, all wagging recorders in her face. She answered all the questions they shot at her, her excitement concerning the recent events clearly showing. It was only after the reporters were shooed out of the locker room by a PR rep for the Rangers that Ryan was able to appreciate what she had accomplished. It was then that she could finally change.

“Let’s get out of here,” suggested Bick. He had a slight bruise on his cheekbone, but seemed as if he emerged relatively unscathed from his throw down with Carter. “The guys are all going to this bar a couple blocks away. You wanna come with?”

“Sure,” Ryan said as she shrugged her shoulders. She didn’t seem excited, but she was thrilled that her first game was over as she could appreciate a night out with the guys. Ryan soon found out that the group of ‘guys’ Bick had mentioned was basically the entire team. She wasn’t that excited to see them picking up girls, but she figured she’d roll with it.

At the bar, Ryan sat down at a table with Step, Bick, Kreids, Hags, and Mac. It wasn’t long before a pretty blond waitress sauntered over to take their orders.

“What can I help you all with?” she said with a wink in Bick’s direction. Ryan caught Step’s glance and rolled her eyes. Girls were always fawning all over Bick, even more so than the others. Maybe it was because he always got in fights or whatever. Ryan didn’t really get it. Everyone ordered their drink of preference. In most cases, it was some type of beer. The waitress’ eyes soon fell on Ryan.

“I’ll have a coke, please,” she said with a smile. She may not like the blonde girl, but she was nothing if not polite. It took Ryan a moment to realize that her drink of choice earned her a looks from the guys. “What?”

“You’re at a bar and you order a coke?” asked Mac.

“What else am I going to order?” Ryan asked, feeling clueless.

“A BEER!” was the resounding reply from more than one of the guys at the table.

“I’m only eighteen. I can’t drink yet, you idiots,” Ryan explained before thanking the waitress,
who had returned with the drinks.

A chorus of ‘oh yeah’s and ‘I forgot’s sounded from around the table. Ryan found herself rolling her eyes for the second time in a five minute span.

An hour or two later, Ryan was on her way back from the bathroom when she was tapped on the shoulder. She turned around to find herself looking right into a pair of dark brown eyes.

“I couldn’t help but notice you sitting over there with all those guys,” the mysterious man said with a smile. “But they don’t seem to miss you much…” he trailed off. Ryan looked at the table and saw the man was right, the guys were talking and laughing. Well, almost all the guys. Step seemed to be staring at the man she was talking to. “Maybe I could buy you a drink?” he asked.

Ryan had to fight down a giggle. “Thanks…” she hesitated a minute and the man smiled. “But no thanks,” she continued with a smile before returning to the table. She didn’t have to look back to know the guys was probably angry, but she didn’t care.

“What a sleaze,” Ryan said as she sat down.

“Aw, Ry, you could’ve given him a chance,” said Step. He couldn’t keep a straight face though, and his smile soon turned into full out laughter when he caught the glare she shot his way.

“Looks like Davey’s popular with the guys,” teased Mac. Ryan just sighed. Nothing she could say would stop the harassment. In fact, it would probably make it worse. The waitress appeared for what Ryan hoped would be the final time to drop off the bill.

Kreids had the perfect solution to who should pay it. “How about Davey pays. You know, in honor
of her Gordie Howe hat trick.”

Ryan groaned but paid anyway. At this point, she just wanted to get some sleep. And to get away from the guys. The group had just walked out the door when the waitress came running out. Ryan expected her to talk to one of the guys, maybe to get his number, but she turned to Ryan instead. She just hoped the waitress wouldn’t ask her to get someone’s number.

The blonde slipped a piece of paper into Ryan’s hand. “Have a good night,” she practically whispered. She winked before closing the door. Ryan looked at the piece of paper and felt her face going red as she realized the waitress number was written on it. There was a moment of silence before the guys erupted into hysterics. Bick had his hands on his knees, laughing like a hyena while Mac gripped the wall of the bar for support.

Step was the first to recover enough to say something “Looks Ry isn’t just popular with the guys, huh?”

They were in tears after that. Ryan’s face just turned redder from embarrassment, but also from anger as she realized she would never live this down.