Oh Captain, My Captain

Chapter Nineteen
“Thank you for your patience and we’re happy to say that we’re back, and we’re ready to get this season started!” Peter Laviolette, Coach to the Philadelphia Flyers, announced over the loud speaker to get the crowd pumped up.

It was the third Saturday into January and I was happy to say that the lockout was over and the season had started. Our first game was an away game against the Philadelphia Flyers, a team I’ve never played against before, and all the guys warned me that they like to play dirty. We were on the ice warming up and ready for this game to start and man did it feel so good to be on the ice and in a uniform. I was number twenty eight and wearing my Penguins Jersey proudly.

“Hey Conners!” I heard and turned around to see some of the Flyers team gathered around and looking at me. I looked at them and then saw that they were making kissy faces towards me.

“Pathetic,” I muttered as I shook my head and saw Sidney smirking, “Bet you’re enjoying this.”

“No,” he said and then look over towards the players, “Don’t mind them.”

“I never do, I’m use to it,” I said and he nodded his head and skated away.

Warming up was over and we were called back into the locker room so that Coach could give us a speech to pump us up. Once that was over we started to get ourselves prepared for the game by making sure that our sticks were going to do their job, and last minute checks to our skates. Once we were ready and the alarm went off, we lined up in the hallway with Fleury, Sidney, #7 Paul Martin, myself, #9 Pascal Dupuis, and #44 Assistant Captain, Brooks Orpik in front because we were the first line to be played.

Once we were announced we skated onto the ice while the others went to the bench. I skated around bored waiting for this game to start.

“You nervous?”

I turned around and saw Fleury looking at me, “Excited! It feels so good to be out here.”

He laughed, “I know what you mean. I know this is your first game against these guys, so keep your eyes opened. They can be dirty.”

“I’ve been told, thanks,” I said and then skated away because the refs were coming over and it was time to start the faceoff. Sidney started the face off and I stood in the Left Wing by myself and the game started.

Throughout the first period I managed to assist James Neal with Geno Malkin in our second goal against the Flyers. I was pissed when I got a penalty for high sticking against Flyers #17 Wayne Simmonds. By the end of the period I had a total of three minutes on the ice and the score was two to zero, Penguins.

Throughout the second period I was banged into the boards a lot, but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. I almost made our third goal, but the Flyers goalie #30 Ilya Bryzgalov, blocked it. The Flyers had managed to score against Fleury, and sadly I wasn’t on the ice to help stop it. By the end of the period I had a total of forty nine seconds on the ice and the score was two to one, Penguins.

Throughout the third period I wasn’t on the ice much, but when I was, I had to face off against Flyers #28 Captain, Claude Giroux, because James got called out by the ref. He started talking smack but I ignored it and managed to win the face off. I assisted #14 Chris Kunitz with #7 Paul Martin in our third goal and winning the game. By the end of the period I had a total of two minutes sixteen seconds, with a total of six minutes five seconds on the ice, and the final score being three to one, Penguins.

We left the ice and headed back to the visitors’ locker room and sat in front of my locker. I took my helmet off and then redid my hair in a pony tail and took my jersey off. As I stripped my uniform off and was in my shorts and long sleeve under armor I looked around to see that the guys looked long in thought.

I laughed and looked at them, “Did I miss something?”

“We’re trying to figure out how this is going to work,” #27 Craig Adams said and I shook my head.

“Did you boys even look at the showers?” I asked and they shook their heads. I sighed and grabbed my flip flops, my shower bag and towel and walked into the shower room that each had newly build individual stalls.

“Oooooooooh,” I heard them all say as they look and I snorted and shook my head as I started the shower.

By the time everyone was cleaned up and changed, one by one we walked out of the locker rooms and headed outside to our bus, once we made it past the reporters. I managed to hide in-between Craig Adams and #9 Pascal Dupuis as we walked through the halls. They teased me about it, but I shook it off and jumped onto the bus. I hated talking to reporters, they always asked the same questions over and over again and I just didn’t want to deal with it.

When everyone was on the bus, it was already dark out, and we headed out on the road for our next away game against the New York Rangers the next day. Geno managed to sneak the seat next to me leaving Sidney to sit with Dustin Jeffrey behind me. I had the window seat and I made myself comfortable as I got my Iphone and put my music on, answered a few texts and relaxed for the two hour bus trip.

New York was amazing, I always get excited with it every time I come. Sadly, I’ve never come on a shopping trip and I never have enough time just to walk around the place, usually the reason I was here was for hockey. We got to our hotel and I was going to go out and explore, but it was late and I was tired. Everyone went to their room and I walked into mine to see that it was a single room with on queen size bed. The team had a whole floor to themselves, a safe zone to make sure that we weren’t bothered. I collapsed onto my bed and sighed into my pillow, right when I heard my phone going off.

“Hello.”

“Hey cuz! Congrats on winning the game!”

“Did you win?” I asked figuring out that it was Brandon.

“Of course!” he said and I smirked.

“Who’d you play?”

“Rangers.”

“Cool, we’re here now, we play them tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“Stalker much,” I said and he laughed.

“So we don’t have a game tomorrow, you wanna go out and get drink?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I do have a game tomorrow.”

“Yeah tomorrow night!” he said and I sighed.

The was true, we didn’t have to be at the arena until five because the game was at seven, “All right, where?” I asked and he told me the bar and the street and I got up because I needed to get dressed.

Once I put my jeans, t-shirt, leather jacket and converses on, I grabbed my phone and purse and headed towards the door. I made sure I had my room key and then opened the door only to be greeted by Sidney, Geno, and Pascal.

“Oh, Alex, hey,” Sidney said and I smiled, “Where are you going?”

“Out for a drink, you?”

“Same, you wanna join us?”

“Sorry, I have to meet someone,” I said and walked past them.

“Who you meeting up with?” Marc asked as he walked out of his room which was across from mine.

I smirked, “Just Brandon, he had a game today and I wanted to see him,” I said and then walked to the stairs and headed down and out the door.

-Sidney-
“Did I miss something?” I asked as I watched my girlfriend, which no one knows about yet, totally blow us off.

“I don’t know, did you?” Marc asked.

“Who’s Brandon?” Geno asked and I nodded my head.

“Her cousin, he plays for the Bruins,” Marc answered.

“Wait- How do you know that?” I asked and he smirked.

“Remember Veronique and I spent Thanksgiving with her and her cousin.”

“Oh,” Geno and I said and then shrugged our shoulders and headed towards the stairs.

By the time we got down to the lobby, Alex was gone and I was kind of hoping that she would come out with us.

-Alex-
I met up with Brandon at the bar he told me about and I gave him a hug.

“You look nice,” he said and I smirked.

“I just threw it on, you didn’t really give me a chance to get ready,” I teased and he laughed. I looked around and saw that the rest of his team was here partying and having a lot of drinks. The waitress come up and asked what I would like and I told her a Captain Coke, “So where are you guys staying?”

“Just down the street. What about you?”

“Three blocks away,” I said and he nodded his head, “So how’d you do?”

“Assisted a goal and that’s about it. I only had about four minutes on the ice,” he said sounding disappointed and I nodded my head, “What about you?”

“Assisted two goals, landed a penalty and I had six minutes five seconds on the ice.”

“Wow, a penalty, for what?”

“High sticking,” I growled and he laughed.

“You always had a problem with that!”

“Shut up I know!” I laughed and then I saw one of Brandon’s teammates walk over and hang onto him.

“Hey man, who’s the sexy lady you have here.”

“My cousin, Alex.”

“Nice to meet you, Alex,” he said as he came over towards me.

I gave an awkward smile and looked back towards Brandon, “Alex this is my teammate, Milan Lucic.”

“I know who he is,” I said and Milan’s face lit up.

“Oh you do?” he cooed and I rolled my eyes.

“Milan, I think your girl is getting ready to leave!” Brandon warned as he wanted to get him away.

“What? Oh can’t let that happen!” he said and then ran away.

The rest of the night was spent having two more Captain Cokes and then talking about practice and how the lockout was horrible. I told Brandon what happened at Christmas with Mom and he was horrified. Once it was after midnight, I knew that it was late and it was time for me to get back to the hotel and get some sleep. I said bye to my cousin and left.