Once Again
Prologue
Chicago was a giant city and far from home. She'd lived in cities miles and miles away from her home, but this was a whole other level. This was a different continent and in a country that didn't speak her language. Coming in at 19 was supposed to be some big, spectacular show. People had expected a lot from her. They had pictured her sweeping in and putting everyone in their place in the league.
But that wasn't how things happened.
Lina walked in with her shy, yet confident smile and had tried her best. There had been hundreds of players that had played in the league, but didn't speak English. By Christmas, she had scored one goal and assisted on another, but she wasn't shining like everyone had wanted.
She'd started out on the third line and ended just barely hanging onto her forth line position. She'd spent countless nights unable to sleep after playing terrible games and barely being able to get seven minutes in ice time. She knew she could do better. She had it in her. But Chicago... it was so hard. She was all alone there. She'd barely made any friends and definitely not any close ones. Chicago had been slacking on finding her an English tutor. A couple of the guys taught her a few words here an there, but it wasn't nearly enough to make her comfortable there.
The Swedes were nice enough to her. They talked to her when she asked questions and checked in on her every now and then. The French guys mostly forgot about her. She had never regretted not taking English in school until then. She'd always moved back and forth between Sweden and France between her parents, so she had decided to take German and Spanish in school. A lot of good that did her.
She'd talked a little more to one of the other younger guys on the team, Jon. He'd been pretty nice to her, but he was nice to everyone. He let her come over some nights to talk. She didn't get much social interaction and she was pretty sure he knew that. She'd sit on his bed while he cleaned his room or did his laundry and just let out everything she'd been thinking of. He'd quietly listen and comment whenever it was needed. But it wasn't enough. None of it was enough.
So she'd made an appointment with the GM and sat down with a translator. She'd told him how it was and how she was feeling on the team. It was like a black hole that she was sinking further and further into. They discussed lower league possibilities, but he'd insisted that she could easily stay up in the NHL. So she'd mumbled out something about the Canadiens being a good possibility since their organization was French. Then she'd at least be able to communicate with a lot of the people in the city and the staff.
The trade was official the next day. She left that day with only a handful of goodbyes.
The Canadiens had welcomed her with open arms and words that she understood. She'd never felt so relieved as she had her first week with the team. Many of the players spoke French and she could actually talk to people regularly.
The team not only trained her on the ice, they worked with her off the ice on her English. They found her a tutor as soon as possible and by that summer, she could introduce herself. Her production on the ice steadily grew over the years with them. She'd even made a quick appearance on the top scorers list for about a week.
Things seemed nearly perfect for her. She had a home in Montreal, a good group of friends, and a team she loved. But of course that couldn't last.
But that wasn't how things happened.
Lina walked in with her shy, yet confident smile and had tried her best. There had been hundreds of players that had played in the league, but didn't speak English. By Christmas, she had scored one goal and assisted on another, but she wasn't shining like everyone had wanted.
She'd started out on the third line and ended just barely hanging onto her forth line position. She'd spent countless nights unable to sleep after playing terrible games and barely being able to get seven minutes in ice time. She knew she could do better. She had it in her. But Chicago... it was so hard. She was all alone there. She'd barely made any friends and definitely not any close ones. Chicago had been slacking on finding her an English tutor. A couple of the guys taught her a few words here an there, but it wasn't nearly enough to make her comfortable there.
The Swedes were nice enough to her. They talked to her when she asked questions and checked in on her every now and then. The French guys mostly forgot about her. She had never regretted not taking English in school until then. She'd always moved back and forth between Sweden and France between her parents, so she had decided to take German and Spanish in school. A lot of good that did her.
She'd talked a little more to one of the other younger guys on the team, Jon. He'd been pretty nice to her, but he was nice to everyone. He let her come over some nights to talk. She didn't get much social interaction and she was pretty sure he knew that. She'd sit on his bed while he cleaned his room or did his laundry and just let out everything she'd been thinking of. He'd quietly listen and comment whenever it was needed. But it wasn't enough. None of it was enough.
So she'd made an appointment with the GM and sat down with a translator. She'd told him how it was and how she was feeling on the team. It was like a black hole that she was sinking further and further into. They discussed lower league possibilities, but he'd insisted that she could easily stay up in the NHL. So she'd mumbled out something about the Canadiens being a good possibility since their organization was French. Then she'd at least be able to communicate with a lot of the people in the city and the staff.
The trade was official the next day. She left that day with only a handful of goodbyes.
The Canadiens had welcomed her with open arms and words that she understood. She'd never felt so relieved as she had her first week with the team. Many of the players spoke French and she could actually talk to people regularly.
The team not only trained her on the ice, they worked with her off the ice on her English. They found her a tutor as soon as possible and by that summer, she could introduce herself. Her production on the ice steadily grew over the years with them. She'd even made a quick appearance on the top scorers list for about a week.
Things seemed nearly perfect for her. She had a home in Montreal, a good group of friends, and a team she loved. But of course that couldn't last.