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Alex Reed · 09-28-2016, 12:20 AM

One Hour Before Puck Drop - Game Seven "Preparations"

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The shot opened up to the dying seconds of game seven in the recent Four-Star cup championships, where the Halifax Raiders led the Prince George Firebirds, three to two. Both teams had just come off a television time-out, and were lining up in the Halifax defensive zone for the likely final faceoff of the game.

Three seconds left to go in the third … Watkins to square off against Ryan. Score is three to two Raiders, but only one shot away from going to overtime for the fourth time in this even series. You can cut the tension with a knife here in Prince George; I truly think you could hear a pin drop here right now. Watkins skates away from the circle and discusses something quickly with Monkey – both teams are standing up at the benches … the pressure is palpable … three seconds left on the clock.

The draw is scrambled – NO! Watkins pulled it back to Monkey who lines up for a shot … NO! He can’t get it away! That’s it! The game is over! The Halifax Raiders have won the Four-Star Cup! Halifax can pop the champagne, throw the streamers because this one is in the books, the Halifax Raiders have stormed back from a three to two series deficit to win the series and the cup!

The Raiders stormed off the bench, throwing their sticks, gloves and helmets frantically as they bum-rushed their goalie Dick C. Hocolate, who had shed his mask, stick and blocker as well. They piled in on each other, toppling the net backwards, in a cacophony of flailing limbs as they all squealed in joy. As the Prince George Firebirds slunk off in fatigue and disbelief, you could see by the exacerbated looks on their faces that the realization was sinking in. The paradox of coming so close but yet being so far from the ultimate prize was written all over their visages as the Raiders continued to celebrate.

Finally, several groups broke off from the pile of pirates, and you could see Reed Laing, Greta Iversen and Pietra Volkova hug each other tightly, not before a flying Georgette Pel drove on top them and caused them to crash to the ice in a heap.

You could see Isaac Kaiser and Kip O’Callahan back away from the group with Isaac waving his arms in adulation at the clutchness of Kip’s goal earlier in the third that tied the game up. The same could be said for Taro Tsujimoto, Victor Lindstrom and Cleo Green, who were busy tousling each other’s hair having combined to score one of the biggest goals in team history only two minutes earlier.

Finally, we saw captain Colin Banning and Alex Reed break off from the pack, and come together in a deep bro-hug. As it lingered, you could clearly see Banning saying something to the rookie center, causing Reed to push back abruptly and shake his head. Finally, Banning smirked, rubbed Reed on the head while patting him on the back, then turned back to the team and screamed “WE DID IT YOU GLORIOUS BASTARDS!!!”

The cameras caught a split second of Reed’s face in clear distress, before he joined the group in screaming too.

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The next scene was in the Raiders locker-room, where the corks were indeed popping and cigars were being lit. Hocolate puffed away on a stogie as he sipped away from a bottle of Dom, as Kaiser bounced around him shouting “Where the hell did the Dom come from?!? We have Dom??”. Toivo Kosonen and Blake Battle were in the middle of an epic champagne spray fight, while Pel handed out snicker-doodle cookies from her secret stash, causing Laing to blush as she passed her one.

Joey Ryan was busy sorting out his Four-Star cup champions hat and shirt, while Jean-Luc Reflieux and Casper Jakobsson, the veterans of the locker-room, sat smiling as they smoked the biggest cigars you had ever seen, while joking about the franticness of all the rookies bouncing around the room around them. Others were being called out for the first wave of interviews, with Solaire Azarov and Niklas Flower doing their best to contain their emotion as they spoke to the cameras. But it was Green who was getting the most interview time of all, as the unlikely hero basked in the unexpected sunlight of attention and reverence.

But off in one corner of the locker-room were Banning and Reed in full conversation, their faces not lit up with the type of excitement you would think you’d see in a championship celebration. Reed continued to shake his head at Banning, betraying a look of disgust at the captain. Finally Banning shook his own head, threw up his hands in a ‘whatever’ motion, and backed away. At the same moment, Kaiser bounced into the frame holding Hocolate’s Dom (most likely stolen from him), slapped Reed hard on the back and offered Reed a drink. Alex accepted gladly, took a deep, long drink from the bottle, and then grabbed his one-time rival but now good friend around the shoulder and gave him a nougie. Kaiser fought back and sprayed Reed with the champagne, causing the entire room to break out into a spray battle once again, dousing everyone in a cool but messy mist, especially those reporters wearing the nicest clothing.

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With the 12th pick of the Season 31 draft…the Calgary Dragons are pleased to select…forward Joe Kurczewski!

We opened up to a dark room, with the only light emanating from the 50” plasma television affixed to the wall on the far side. Sitting on a large sectional couch, alone, was Alex Reed, in the condo he shared with teammate Colin Banning in the downtown corridor of Halifax. Reed intently stared at the screen as a cavalcade of talking heads presented themselves to offer their opinions on the matters of the SHL entry draft. A much more negligible light discharge was from his phone that rested beside on the cushion – blowing up with alerts to texts, tweets, snaps and all the social media garbage that causes one’s phone to light up. He didn’t pay much attention to it, however, instead reaching more frequently for the glass on the end table that sat beside a half empty bottle of JD. He took an oversized sip as the television spoke.

With the 13th pick in the SHL draft…the Admirals select the defenseman from the Detroit Falcons…Alexis Meltzer!

More talking heads bounced on the screen as Reed placed his empty glass down and filled it back up immediately. The heads then disappeared, and the graphic of the Toronto North Stars and their recent draft picks emerged. One name stood out, Colin Banning’s, having been selected at the last entry draft with pick number eleven. Sure enough, in the room you could see hanging on the wall next to a framed Raider’s jersey was a framed North Stars entry draft jersey with the name ‘Banning’ on it. Reed smirked as fate knocked.

With the 14th overall pick, the Toronto North Stars are proud to select…from the Halifax Raiders…Alex Reed!

He blinked several times and refocused, as the laundry list of statistics on Reed flashed on the screen. His face did not betray a hint of emotion as he reached down for his glass again and took yet another gigantic sip. His phone was now vibrating, with calls coming in, and he picked it up and swiped over the call display list.

But none seemed to interest him, and he dropped the phone back down to the couch. As the television continued to prattle on with its typical gamut of statistics and projections, Reed softly exclaimed to himself.

Congratulations Alex. You did it.

He looked around the empty room, and then back to his glass, and raised it in a half-hearted toasting fashion.

To me. Yay.

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[color= brown]And sign here, here, initial here, and sign here. [/color]

Alex Reed followed the instructions carefully and signed the large booklet of papers exactly where he was told to.

[color= brown]And here, and here. [/color]

Flipping several pages forward, Reed continued to scrawl.

[color= brown]And finally here…and initial here – and here. [/color]

A bit perturbed, Reed shot a telling glance up at his newly hired super-agent, world renowned Pat Brisson, who grinned back at him.

[color= brown]And here and here. Just kidding.[/color]

Reed dropped the pen and leaned back on his chair in the large conference room within Brisson’s Toronto location.

[color= brown]Lighten up a bit, kid? This is supposed to be an exciting time for you! Fresh off a junior’s championship and being a first rounder to boot, we put together a solid deal for you here. Two years is the perfect length to prove yourself before your next contract. Training camp starts tomorrow, and that’s the best way to put your best foot forward. [/color]

He shuffled the papers and bound them back together in the booklet.

[color= brown]How many copies shall I run off? An extra one for the family to mull over? [/color]

Reed shook his head immediately.

No. No need.

[color= brown]Oh. Well sometimes mothers like to have these as keepsakes and mementos. Scrapbooking etcetera. Or maybe your father? Didn’t he play- [/color]

Shouting now, Reed cut him off.

I said no need.

Brisson held his hands up apologetically.

[color= brown]Alright, alright. I’ll finish up here and courier them out this afternoon to the team, and I’ll send a couple over to your hotel. Like I said before, it’s been a pleasure to meet you in person and thank you for the business. Melissa will see you out. [/color]

Thank you for your quick help.

[color= brown]Not a thing. Sometimes the transition from family management to private comes when you least expect it. [/color]

They shook hands, and Brisson ushered Reed out of the conference room, and left him with his assistant, Melissa, at the front desk. The twenty-something aspiring business-woman’s raven hair was tied back elegantly in a bun and her perfect facial lines only accentuated when she smiled brightly at Reed.

Congratulations on your first contract…that must be very exciting. The North Stars are lucky to have you.

She blushed and playfully twirled a hanging strand of her hair that had escaped the bun.

May I call you a cab?

Reed hesitated for a moment, and then finally cracked a smile for the obviously attractive woman.

Actually…I think I need to celebrate. Care to grab a drink?

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Good work out there kid. Keep up with the hand drills alright? You can do them anywhere, at home, in a hallway, anywhere. Just remember…don’t break the egg or you’ll wear it.

Alright, I will. Thanks for the help today.

Suddenly we were backstage in the locker-room of the Toronto North Stars training facility in Scarborough, where an assistant coach patted Alex Reed on the shoulder and then shuffled away from him. Drenched in sweat, Reed began pulling his equipment off.

So…what do you think?

Knowing exactly who the voice belonged to, Reed didn’t even look up.

Think of what?

Fellow North Stars potential rookie and current Raiders captain, Colin Banning, walked into the frame.

Everything…the camp…the city…the team…what do you think?

It’s fine.

Banning furrowed his brow and shook his head slightly.

Ah, still the silent treatment? I don’t think you’ll win this game in the end…we have seven days here together.

Actually, you have five.

The D-man laughed.

Haha, I can never keep track. Anyways…you’re not still sore about what happened back then are you? You know I did it for a reason.

Reed angrily pulled off his elbow pads and tossed them into the ‘for wash’ basket.

Sure Colin. Whatever. Great timing.

Oh and your pre-gamer was great timing too? You act as if you did nothing wrong. All I did was call you out on your shit. And I didn’t bring anyone else into it when I could have.

Suddenly Reed stood up, and came face to face with Banning, who didn’t budge an inch.

Jesus man, you’re not-

The word wanted to escape his mouth, but Reed restrained it with everything he had.

-Forget it.

He sat back down and began attacking his shin guards.

What? What am I not??

Banning shook his head and scoffed incredulously.

I’m not your Dad?? I know that, because I actually give a shit about you and answer when you phone me.

He knew it before he said it, and immediately brought his hands up in apologetic fashion. Reed didn’t shift at all and stayed affixed to the bench.

I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Fuck…I was just worried about you.

He sat down on the bench next to Reed, and sighed deeply. Reed forced out a few emotionless words.

Not your problem anymore. After camp, I go back to Halifax and you stay here with Toronto. I can take care of myself.

That’s not set in stone. You could be here too, who knows. Plus…I want to make this team but they’re heavy on my defense si-

Reed cut him off.

-Regardless…I’m moving out. I signed my contract yesterday ... I have money … I’m good. Thanks for putting up with all my crap for a season.

Banning slapped his knees and stood up, nodding intently at Reed’s last words.

Whatever you want man. Just do whatever you need to do to … uh … get good.

Once again, Reed didn’t even look up.

I really am good, Colin. I really am.

Colin shrugged his shoulders faintly, and then walked away, half-defeated.

Alright. See you at the team dinner I guess.

He left the locker-room, leaving Reed alone once again. He took a second to rub his head and eyes and then rested for a few moments with his elbows on his knees. Finally, he looked up and around the room, and when satisfied he was alone, he produced that damn ‘Reeder’ water-bottle from an inside hidden compartment of his personal hockey bag, and took yet another large medicating sip from it.

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Word Count = 2375 (Ready for Grading)