Holding his respiration, Cob O’Corn anxiously walked toward his new team and their locker room inside the Philidelphia Forge’s arena. 

Having made the trip from the draft to his new city and future home, he had been way over thinking and hyperventilating about meeting the players and coaches on his new team. As Cob approached the door a great big exhale escaped his lips, or leaves, we’re still trying to figure out exactly how he talks. Cob had already rendezvoused with some of the other rookies at the air port as they had all agreed that it would be less scary to meet the new team as a unit than it would be alone.

It felt odd, walking the streets with players that Cob had spent a whole half a season playing again, now knowing that they were allies once they got to the big leagues, and it felt similarly odd to think that the people he was playing with now would be rivals in the big leagues.

Back to the door, they all stood there looking at each at each other like,” Who’s gonna open this thing?” In fact, that’s exactly what Cob said just before Marek Carda showed the part of the leadership, and part of why he was the Forge’s first pick in the draft, by stepping up and opening the door. 

Something unexpected happened then, there was a loud cheer. The team that had lost in the finals a couple weeks earlier was… celebrating? All is rookies were confused until someone spoke up and said,”We like to party every year to see what the new rookies are all about! So let’s get cracking!” And so a night of fun and meeting new people began! 

Sharing interests with and meeting talented players such as these that he had looked up to his entire life, Cob wasn’t really sure what to do at first, until some of them got all up in his business and wondered what he was all about, forcing him to open up. Didn’t hurt that at that point there was a couple fun beverages floating around the locker room too. They played some chel and other video games and gave them tours around the facilities and even the grounds with statues of famous Philly players past. It was a such a surreal evening for Cob who had spent his entire life before hockey on the small farm where he had mutated. What was even more surreal was the fact that their new team mates all offered to chip in on their tickets back home as well!

Cob had a lot to think about on the plane ride home, about all the new people he had met and friends he had made, as well as how cool the GMs and coaches had been too. Cob just can’t wait to get to the SHL to prove all their excitement right and be able to hang out with them. But first, he wants to win in Carolina, so he’ll focus on the games ahead and the prize set before him, knowing that with every game, he gets one step closer to being SHL ready.



(528 words)

           
                                                                             Team Canada | Liam Logger | Carolina Kraken Drafted 16th Overall in the SMJHL

Glad I could help with the door, looking forward to playing together in Philadelphia one day soon!

Marek Carda | LW/RW | Philadelphia Forge

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IIHF | Czechia

S73 GP:12 G:0  A:0  P:0  +/-:-1

S74 GP:12 G:0  A:5  P:5  +/-:-3

S75 In Progress

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Accolades | Career

S74 SMJHL Four Star Cup Champion

S74 Brodie Witzel Nominee

S74 WJC Bronze Medal

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