The Opportunity Has Just Begun

“Come on Cam, you can do it,” Sid encouraged me as I was hunched over trying to get my breath back.
“I will, I will,” I wiped my face before getting straight back into it.

I was about half way through my workout and drowning in my own sweat. I hadn't exactly signed up for this kind of torture when I asked Sid and Geno to help me out but I knew I needed it to impress Dan. Everything was in limbo for me and I was trying everything possible to make sure I stayed.

“If need rest can rest,” Geno stood in front of my treadmill with a frown on his face clearly directed at Sid.
“I am fine,” I puffed.

I was secretly dying but we had a game tonight and if I wanted any chance of playing I had to prove myself so I pushed on. I never knew when Dan or one of the other coaches would be around so I was having to give 110 percent ALL the time.

“Hey Cam,” and as if on cue Dan walked in and for the first time in days there was a smile on his face.
“Yeah?” I quickly switched off the treadmill and slowed down until it stopped before stepping off.
“Can we talk?”
“Yeah,” I grabbed my towel and water bottle before following him into the kitchen where thankfully for me there was no one around.

“I know you need to get something to eat so I am going to keep this short and sweet,” he placed the game sheet in front of me,
“your game last week was shit, lets just get that out there but I can't ignore how you have been doing in training as you always do.”

My eyes quickly scanned over the letters searching desperately for my names. I started with the scratched hoping to god it wasn't there. Luckily for me it wasn't, though I wasn't marked to be on the same line along with Geno and James. Another familiar name was sitting there, Jarome Ignila.

“So I am being replaced by Ignila, he hasn't even trained with us yet,” I was feeling rather helpless and honestly a little let down.
“Cam,” he sighed, “I don't want to push you from this line as much as you don't want to be but you haven't been performing. It is either I move you down to line four Adams and Glass or you get scratched.”
“Ok,” I had to stop myself from groaning like a whining teenager otherwise I knew Dan would have been more than happy to scratch me, “I guess I have to earn it right?”
“You have to earn every bit of ice time and by the end of the week you have to have earned that spot.”
“Ok.”
“And just think. If you play as well as I know you can you will have replaced Jarome Iginla, not many people can say they have done that,” Dan put his hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze before getting up to leave.

I guess I was lucky I was playing but it did annoy me that I was been replaced with a guy who hadn't even been formally introduced to the whole team. But then again if you take a look at his stats and then mine, especially over the last few games I would pick him too.

I got up to check my blood sugar when Geno appeared with questioning eyes.
“Everything ok?” he let his hand brush my back before pulling himself up to sit on the counter next to me.
“Yeah it will be fine,” I shrugged snatching a granola bar from the cupboard next to him.
“What Dan say?” I felt his eyes watching me as I moved over to sit at the bench I was sitting at.
“Well I get to play tonight,” I thought it would do but I guess I should have known because with Geno it was like 21 questions every time we talked.
“You not look happy,” he slipped down from the counter and moved over to sit across from me.
“I playing fourth line.”
“Who be my winger?” he frowned looking like he was ready to run after Dan and beat on him for it.
“Iginla.”
“Oh... is not fair, your line, your spot,” Geno shook his head.
“Yeah I know but I haven't exactly deserved the spot lately.”
“You play good, Dan just stressed, not know what to do.”
“And your just saying stuff to make me feel better,” I got up not really wanting to talk anymore.
“Am not,” but there he was following me as he always did, “Dan think he replacing, I say we letting last line borrow so they play like first line.”

As much as I acted like I didn't want Geno around me right now I couldn't help but want the exact opposite. He always gave the best hugs, he always knew what to say even if I didn't want to hear it and well he was just Geno and I couldn't stay away from him.