#pregame skate | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

drysdalesworld · 5 months

Text

them with a highly energetic child

headcanons of the boys with a highly energetic child (& x fem!reader)

the boys who have a highly energetic daughter:

QUINN HUGHES

— poor man’s trying his best fr. his patience is always tested with his daughter

— he’s always tired before the day ends due to how energetic she is but he doesn’t complain as he tries to soak up as much time as he can with her as he’s usually gone due to hockey

— poor dude gets all blushy & awkward whenever she waved to strangers & talks to them. quinn mumbles an apology to them before whisking her away, telling her how careful she needs to be to those she does not know as some people aren’t that friendly

— loves loves seeing his wife/reader interact with their daughter. she looks so much like you

— ^ like she got all of your good qualities & he’s just in awe every time he sees the reader & their daughter interact. nearly brings him to tears every time

— accidentally falls asleep sometimes during playtime but his little girl honestly doesn’t mind! she always ends up joining him & reader finds them both passed out on the couch, cuddled together

— baby girl is NOT afraid to speak her mind so she always ends up saying lovely things to the tv or the refs during quinns games. very passionate about the game & her fathers safety on the ice

NICO HISCHIER

— he’s able to switch from being soft & gentle to highly energetic within seconds

— his face always lights up when he sees her it’s the sweetest thing ever

— loves picking her up in his arms & just kinda tossle her around as he knows she loves it. her high shrieked giggles is what always wakes you up in the morning

— is quite literally the only person that’s able to calm her down enough to get her ready in the morning. does her hair & gets her dressed for you before he has to leave for morning skate

— also got her a backpack leash. it’s a pink poodle & she ALWAYS has that thing on (she loves bolting)

— the devils absolutely love her & nico always ask if she can tag along for a practice & the answer is always yes

— nico wanted to put her in dance bc he secretly wants to be that dad that dances with his daughter on the stage for her first recital

— makes “parkour” obstacles for her during playtime to get her energy out

— randomly throws her over his shoulder sometimes & just runs around the house

— he always asks if the three of you could take his pregame nap with him just so he could have the reader & his daughter close to him before he has to leave

— he goes all out on halloween & all three of you have matching costumes. your daughter is so excited about it that she can’t shut up about it

KIRBY DACH

— he’s such a gentle giant w/ her & lets her climb him like a monkey without complaint

— ^ eventually he’ll take her into his arms & just dangle her by her legs & gently shake her as she laughs or blow raspberries into her stomach/neck

— she always runs through or around his legs so he’s always on the lookout for her whenever he’s home just so he doesn’t topple over her on accident

— he skates up to the glass wherever you two are sitting & puts his hand + forehead on it. she copies him before smacking the glass, letting him skate off before blowing reader & their daughter a kiss

— likes to take her wherever he goes, especially if it’s a new city she hasn’t been to yet while they’re traveling ( & when they’re allowed to attend the away game). he likes showing her his favorite places & her face is so cute when she sees all the pretty lights

— dances with her while the both of you make breakfast, lunch, or dinner. sometimes throws her up in the air & catches her

— they both have matching bracelets that she made. he never takes it off

— likes to take her energy out through painting/arts & crafts. she likes to get messy so she’ll be covered in paint with a gummy smile. kirby joins in at times so both of them are covered in paint (there’s too many pictures on your instagram of the two of them like that lol)

— she literally gets whatever she wants w/ just one look & kirby’s already putty & taking out his card 😭

JAMIE DRYSDALE

— poor man is a struggling first time father & having a highly energetic child on top of that as an extreme introvert is something he’s working on

— he absolutely loves her to death don’t get him wrong but there’s a reason why everyone chirps him for being so shy & quiet

— whenever he’s home, she demands for jamie to play w/ her & he’s immediately following her into the corner of the living room where all of her toys are

— always playing tea time with her & he loves loves it

— he’s always tired after playing with her & he gets tired super easily but he’s def getting better at it!

— jamie’s managed to convince his daughter that she needs naps throughout the day to maintain her energy & to play so she always has him whisk her off for naps. he gently tucks her in & lightly sings her a lullaby to sleep (something he does during bedtime too). these are probably the only times reader & jamie has some peace & quiet so they definitely take advantage of it by relaxing or catching up

— is so gentle with her when he brings her along for morning skate. the entire team is, they adore her fr

— when he gets traded, he was a bit nervous to introduce her to the flyers but baby girl was so excited she practically wiggled out of his arms & introduced herself to every one on the team. he could only sit back & admire how friendly his child was

— super proud & thankful to have a child who is a splitting image of reader. he loves reader so much that he’s glad their daughter looks just like her. like, you both made that person? he feels like the luckiest man on earth

— doesn’t hesitate to let trevor babysit (when he’s proven himself worthy lol). trevor is ever more energetic than his daughter so she’s always passed out in her bed when jamie & his love get back from their date

COLE CAUFIELD

— his daughter may look like reader but she’s 100% coles kid with her attitude & personality

— literally bolts anytime she gets. she thinks it’s a game & always giggles when cole or you chase her around the house trying to catch her

— she climbs cole like a tree. climbs anything like a tree really

— the only time she is calm is when reader reads her a bedtime story. baby girl is literally silent as she grips onto every word you speak to her. it’s kinda eerie to see her like this as she usually speaks hundred miles per hour to you & cole

— cole always takes her to morning skate with him when granted permission. he slaps some skates on her & she immediately takes off. she’s not super well balanced on skates yet but she still has so much fun nonetheless. more often than not, she falls asleep in the car on the ride home

— cole attempts to dress her most days but it always ends up in a disaster as she most likely will look like she herself dressed herself lol

— always gets her a piece of jewelry for her birthdays. it was his signature with reader & now it’s also his tradition/signature with their daughter as well. it was usually small things when she was little & then he began to get her things like necklaces or rings when she got older & could keep more track of them

— holds her at any chance he gets

the boys who have a highly energetic son:

JACK HUGHES

— is 100% delighted to have a son that is literally a splitting image of himself

— ^ they’re partners in crime fr

— always takes him places during roadies when reader & their son join him. he loves showing him all of the places he’s visited & getting him cute little souvenirs for memory’s sake

— neither of them know how or when to shut the fuck up sometimes

— jack signed him up for hockey lessons when he was super young & started to show signs of being highly energetic but reader pushed back a bit bc she wanted their son to explore other sports than just hockey

— ^ he was a little heart broken when he found out you signed him up for soccer & that your son seemed more interested in that than hockey but little dude is such a menace on the field just like his dad so he can’t really complain about that

— poor reader is always tired out by both of her boys that they always catch her asleep on the couch or in their bed. the two join her in her naps & it’s one of the rare & peaceful moments they have where jack & his son are willingly quiet & calm as they join reader in her slumber

— he always makes new friends wherever he goes & always has a great time no matter the weather

— reader & jack’s son is so much like his father in the way that he’s protective over his mother & respects her

— ^ once at jack’s games, their son had noticed some rando trying to pick up on reader & boy was he having none of it. their little boy glared at the stranger & pulled reader closer to him before saying “my mommy” & shooing the dude away. jack literally high fived his son once he was told the story from reader (“that’s my little man! good job buddy!”)

— the summers at the lake house are always interesting. jack loves scaring the shit of you by holding your son in his arms as he wake boards. reader yells at him to not drop their son & has a heart attack when he “pretends” to drop him only to tighten his grip on their boys body. the two of them always go off & have their own fun during the summer while the reader enjoys her break talking & laughing w/ ellen

— jack puts your son to bed by 8pm bc he’s always hella tired by that time due to how much he’s running around & playing w/ his dad

LUKE HUGHES

— everyone should be concerned for this man bc his child does not give a single fuck

— ^ his son always wakes up in the wee hours of the morning just to run around & play. it’s lukes job to wrangle him back into bed

— luke bought his son a backpack leash so he doesn’t go running off when something else catches his attention (it’s a monkey one too)

— always has time for his son though so he’ll literally drop ANYTHING just for him

— is the one to put him to bed & read him a bedtime story. you always catch luke fast asleep on your sons tiny bed, his hand unconsciously rubbing the boys small back

— luke may not be the first person to wake up in the morning but he’s usually the one to keep your son busy while the reader makes breakfast or takes care of herself in the morning

— sometimes he just tossles him & carries him like a bag (yknow those tiktoks where they carry their kids by their jackets when they don’t want to walk) & he absolutely loves it. his son giggled so loudly as he just hangs or is getting thrown on the couch pillows

— during the summer, your son tends to burn more than you or luke so luke kind of goes overboard on the sunscreen & makes sure that he has a rash guard on for extra protection. puts a towel over him too on the boat if luke notices that his son is even a little red

— ^ throws his son into the lake all the time. he always asks for it too, practically climbing up luke as he begs for him to throw him into the water. his giggles always bring a smile to both of your faces as he shouts “again! again!”

— luke likes to gather the both of you into his arms & guide you guys into bed for his pregame naps. it’s usually luke, your son, & then you all cuddled together but sometimes it’s luke spooning you while you hold your son. it’s a cute sight

TREVOR ZEGRAS

— off the walls ecstatic to have a son that can match his energy

— this man is so happy to have a mini him it’s crazy

— loves running around with his & creating games for him to play

— def gets him into sports very early on & not just hockey. trev signs him up for soccer, basketball, baseball, golf, etc.

— he also sometimes just carries him or dangle him by his legs to “shake” out all the energy his son has before bedtime. it’s something that his parents used to do to him when he was younger & it seemed to work & help him so now he does it to his son too

— loves to post on his instagram story about their play times & adventures. it’s so sickeningly cute

— if his son were to scream out of nowhere randomly, then so will trevor. if his son just gets up & starts running out of nowhere, trevor will follow right after

— these two love to have cereal for dinner all the time it actually upsets reader sometimes lol

— you three are obviously invited to the lake house during the summertime by the hughes family & it’s always such a blast for trev & his son

— ^ yknow the picture of chris hemsworth w/ one of his children? the one where he has them by their feet at the beach? yeah that gives me major trevor vibes w/ his son at the lake house

— ^^ your son does not burn at all. he only tans, just like his father. but trevor still makes sure to put sunscreen on him just to be sure

LUCA FANTILLI

— also off the walls ecstatic to have a kid just like him

— his son looks & acts just like him (praying for reader)

— the entire umich team loves your son so often not, luca always brings him to practices, games, & other team related events

— he always informs either you or luca whenever he needs to get his “jitters” out. so when he gets the green light, he always just ends up violently shaking or running in circles around luca

— uncle adam is definitely his favorite person but dude purposely gets his brothers son all riled up just for the fun of it & it’s something you always scold adam for

— luca always deals with his son whenever he’s overstimulated or reader needs a break & he’s always happy to do so

— he’s the one to wake up your son in order to let you sleep in. luca holds him close to his chest & squeezes him tight before gently “shaking” out his morning jitters. they then have a race to the kitchen where luca gets started on breakfast

— ^ always gets him dressed too. he lets his kid choose his own clothing of choice for the day & always tells him how handsome he is, no matter how weird the outfit looks. then they’re both off to the nearest park to spend some time together before heading back home to wake reader up with a dog pile & breakfast in bed

— always give him a puck during warm ups before a game. he literally screeches in delight when it happens

— loves showing off his son & reader so much. his instagram is full of just you & your son

— on the days he’s allowed to bring him to practice he brings in his son to monday questions & have him also answer the question

— always spins him around when he picks up up after a game

— so so gentle & patient with his son too

925 notes · View notes

kitnita · 1 month

Text

wyatt johnston & jake oettinger postgame — VGK vs DAL; game 7 — 05.05.24

[wyatt, barry sanders is one of the best running backs of all time, and you did some stuff on skates tonight that i hadn’t seen him do on cleats. what’d you eat for dinner?] (laughs) um … thank you (laughs) um, i mean, my pregame meal is, uh, is chicken and pasta, um, you know, i had al biernat's, a couple of the boys go there, so … um, yeah, i mean, it’s the same, same meal before every home game. um, but yeah, thank you. [that chicken and pasta didn’t make you move like that, brother.]

#hockey #stars #dallas stars #wyatt johnston #jake oettinger #this same reporter posed the same barry sanders comparison re: wyatt to pete while saying he needed to switch sports aslkdjfh #saad officially took 'stars' out of his twitter bio this week & at the same time some local news station sent their football guy to game 7 #which is just such a fun inverse!! he seemed so hyped!!!!#also i love jake laughing at all this. i loved them pairing the two of them together for joint interviews last playoffs too #an underrated combo if we're being honest #z:edit

313 notes · View notes

angelkissiies · 1 year

Note

hii can you do jock abby x cheerleader reader?

be aggressive

hockey player!abby anderson x cheerleader!reader

cw : modern!au, hockey!au, fluff, confrontation, abby stands up for the reader, cursing, college bitches being bitches.

“Fuck!” You huffed, attempting to find a parking space in the crowded rink parking lot. Game days definitely had begun to test your patience, today more so as you’d already been running late but now with how it was going- you’d be coming in seconds before call time, which gave you a heart attack to even think about.

By some grace of god (or whoever was listening at that point), you found a spot nestled between a black jeep you recognized as Abby’s and some Nissan that was missing a bumper. Trying to waste no time, you hustled out with your hefty bag thrown over your shoulder and skates dangling from your hand as you held them by the laces. The lot was mainly empty as you sprinted towards the entrance, dodging random gaggles of people who you assumed were waiting for the game to start, but were conveniently in the way.

You pushed through the main doors glancing around to find your team, before breaking through a group of away players that hoarded the doorway leading into the changing rooms (that weren’t even for them, you’d think they’d move considering the fact but no). “Sorry, excuse me.” You whispered harshly, giving them a half hearted dirty look as they barely moved to allow you through. It was so unnecessary, you almost let it get to you but for the sake of time you dropped it.

The scent of hairspray hit you first as you rushed into the cheerleaders quarters making you cough before throwing your bag down before making a b-line for the staging door. This led you down the hallway under the rink to the otherside, where your teammates were waiting patiently to begin. You turned the corner before running smack into someone else, their sheer presence sending you stumbling back a bit. Fucking hockey players and their massive bodies.

“Oh baby, shit, I’m sorry.” You heard your girlfriend curse, a tinge of a laugh in her voice as she reached out to you. Oh, it's your hockey player, nevermind. She was headed to the opposite side of the rink to sit with the other players, as the puck drop didn’t take place until the pregame festivities ended. If you weren’t so stressed, you’d probably have made a joke about breaking the ice but the time didn’t come.

You shook your head, focused on getting to your spot in time (and not pissing off your coach- again), brushing your hair down with your free hand to tame the strays that had ventured from their previous tight curls.. “I’m late, I'm so late, Abby.” You breathed, motioning towards the door that now seemed much farther away than you thought. “Do I look okay? I gotta go on.”

She nodded quickly, understanding in half a second as the first announcement rang out, muffled from where the two of you stood. She hooked a finger under your chin, pulling your face to look towards her instead of the rink before she gave you a smile. “You look perfect, now get out there.” She hummed, giving you a light shove towards the door, watching as you didn’t hesitate to take off down the remainder of the hall.

You practically ran to the door- skates clacking wildly as you barely made it before the second announcement came on the intercom. Its main purpose was to draw the ticket holders back into the building, signaling the entertainment was about to begin. You shoved your skates on, finishing tying them just as your coach called for the team to make their way to the door leading onto the ice. You released a breath you didn’t know you were holding as you followed behind your team, skates hitting the ice hard as you followed the outline of the routine you’d been practicing for the past couple weeks. Smile and skate, easy enough.

Abby had made her way back to the other players, taking a seat as she double checked the laces on her skates. A habit she’d picked up after breaking her ankle a couple seasons ago due to her lace coming loose. She heard the music begin and dragged her attention to the ice, waiting to see you- just like she did every game. She always loved seeing you skate, even just as background but today you were front so she didn’t have to worry about not getting a good view.

You came into view, your bejeweled uniform catching light from the overhead spotlights, shining gracefully as you did some precise turn that Abby couldn’t even name. She’d always be thankful for the convincing that had taken place to get you both here, as you almost passed up the idea of cheerleading due to annoying stereotypes from American football cheerleaders. She knew you didn’t see her in the haze of light, as the ice made it much too bright to see much outside of the rink, so she usually took the chance to brag to her teammates. Though, as she began to turn to a player she knew quite well, Nora, she caught the tail end of a conversation between two benched cheerleaders.

“She only got in because her girlfriend is on the team, they totally played favorites.” The one on the left hissed, rolling her eyes at the number you were doing. It was virtually flawless, leading Abby to lean into the conversation more.

The girl on the right laughed, yawning dramatically. “I think it’s kinda weird, Abby is definitely a good player but like why do they have to be gay? Gives us a bad rep.” She proclaimed, attempting to hush her voice down to a level nobody would hear.

Abby caught it though, letting out a chuckle of disbelief as she turned around on the bench to face the girls. It seemed like they didn’t realize who they were sitting in front of, or, they knew and just felt brave enough to keep talking shit. “Fucking excuse me?” She stated, tilting her head at the duo. Angry was an understatement, furious would be a better descriptor as she watched the girls freeze. They could talk shit about her, sure, but she drew the line when it came to you or better yet your relationship as queer women.

“I don’t know what you heard bu-,”

“Shut the fuck up,” Abby growled, cutting the girl off. “Keep my girlfriends name and our relationship out of your fucking mouth. I know for a fact you wouldn’t want this getting back to Coach Mckillen, right? Your little homophobic comments about a girl who’s ten times as talented out there than you are wouldn’t go over so smoothly, huh?”

Knowing fully she planned to report them to the coach, she raised an eyebrow at the duo, watching them scramble to attempt to apologize. Her heart hammered in her chest, never having dealt with such outspoken bigotry- especially from a team composed of mostly queer women. She didn’t let it show, only turning back to the ice, shaking off the stares she’d gathered from her tiny outburst.

“Damn, Anderson. That was rough.” Nora laughed, nudging the girl gently, having overheard the entire ordeal. “You’re a mean bitch.”

Abby bit back a smile at the comment, knowing it was 100% true. “Can’t have anyone out here bad mouthing my girl, that’s all.” She mumbled back, searching the skaters until her eyes landed on you again. From the distance she was at, she could see the healthy blush on your skin from the exhausting choreo she’d watched you practice solo multiple times in the past week, all accompanied by a blissful smile you reserved for crowd work only.

Nora shook her head, eyes glancing over to see the way Abby watched you as you finished up the last of your performance, turning to skate towards the door that led into the players seating. She had seen firsthand how much Abby cared for you, knowing the girl's plans for your birthday made the moment even more special, seeing as soon there would be a crystalline addition to your relationship. “God help any motherfuckers who try.” She chuckled, standing up to give the cheerleaders room to sit as the groups traded places on the ice.

You pulled the door open, allowing your mates to go in before entering yourself, coming up to Abby before even considering capping your skates. “Good luck, Abs.” You smiled, face glowing in a sheen of sweat and pure joy as you looked up at her. “You’re gonna do great.”

Abby smiled down at you, cupping your face in her gloved hands as she pressed a deep kiss to your lips, intentionally drawing it out to annoy the girls who now sat sulking on the second row of benches. Her lips tasted like cinnamon and honey, something you’d grown to love about the woman, her unusual taste in chapstick- and how you never knew what you’d get. “Thank you, pretty girl.” She hummed, pressing another short kiss to your lips before Nora practically dragged her out onto the ice- throwing her helmet to her blindly.

“Don’t forget!” You called after her, your stupid tradition drawing a smile onto her lips as you recited the beginning of an age old cheer usually reserved for football- but with the force your girl brought to the ice, it felt fitting “Be aggressive.”

Abby shook her head at you gingerly, mouthing it back before pushing her mouth guard into place and throwing her braid over her shoulder. A slight laugh bubbled in her chest as she got into position, awaiting the face-off.

B-E aggressive.

1K notes · View notes

teethkick · 5 months

Text

so i went into a fugue state for 9 hours and came out on the other side with this: 🌟 a comprehensive primer for the 23-24 carolina hurricanes !!!! 🌟

(videos included at the end of the ppt)

for your viewing pleasure, videos from this szn:

INCREDIBLE svech & pyotr mini interview

storm surge after marty's 600th game

a closer look at the surge for marty :)

what a teuvo teravainen "celly" looks like

who DON'T you wanna sit next to

bunts on one for marty wearing a bucket

"we got a lot of old people on this team"

aho & teuvo try to make e/o laugh!!!!!

seth jarvis lie detector << REQUIRED VIEWING

pregame sewer ball

a look at rod in the locker room after a win

svech says "fuck you" to marty pregame (ft. drury barking)

practice asmr

marty talking about him & jordy fighting for seth

"sorry i can skate. sorry i'm fast as fuck boi"

kid masterpiece > teuvo actually laughing!!!!

svech scores his first back after ltir <3

marty's classic "mista svechnikov"

if you have any questions or just wanna talk canes, hmu 🌟🥰💯

#im not posting as much bc it's the beginning of the sem and im busy w prep #but the need for this actually consumed me #sorry about all the incoming tags!!!#canes lb #carolina hurricanes #canes #andrei svechnikov #seth jarvis #martin necas #sebastian aho #brady skjei #michael bunting #jack drury #nhl #hockey

225 notes · View notes

obaex · 11 hours

Text

four - hockey player!ex!rafe cameron (pt. 2)

summary: with the stakes of your relationship on the line, can rafe pull off the impossible to win you back?

word count: 6k 🫣

a/n: i love you all for the love on this lil' series!! ♡ toxic hockey rafe has me in a chokehold, so i promise this will not be the last you see of him!! apologies in advance, you will basically be attending a full hockey game here, i tried my best to explain all the lingo!

(part one)

The arena was packed even though you were there early, arriving alone because the other girlfriends and wives were always late, which simply wasn't in your DNA.

Your dad was a coach growing up, so you spent countless hours in empty rinks, arenas and stands; his rule for games was that you were in your seat early enough to see the starting lineup and the national anthem, no exceptions. Truth be told you liked being there when the lights went down, when the music amped up, you loved the anticipation of a new game.

You didn't mind sitting in the cold seat, hands wrapped around a cup of hot chocolate that you got from the same concession stand every time. Hockey players were notoriously superstitious and by extension now you were too; just like they had their pregame rituals, so did you: same parking spot in the VIP lot, same hot chocolate from the same concession stand, same seat in section 106. You were in the lower bowl of the arena, a few rows back from the ice, facing the bench, nearly eye-level with the team.

You let your mind wander and tried not to think about Rafe but it was impossible, this place was Rafe to you; from the feeling of the cold air on your cheeks and fingers, to the damp and crisp smell of the ice and the sounds of the fans and ambient pregame music, all of it was a part of your love story, all of it was him. Surprisingly, it didn't hurt like you thought it would, rather it felt like coming home after a semester at college, foreign but familiar.

You swiped at your phone, a nervous tick, even though you knew there wouldn't be anything there, which was a good thing, Rafe needed to be focused on the game, so you slid your phone into the cupholder next to you and resorted to tapping your heeled foot nervously.

The seats around you filled quickly and sure enough the other girlfriends and wives arrived just as the lights were dimming, offering cheek kisses and sympathetic hugs, well aware of your situation. Your best friend Morgan slid in next to you, pulling you into her side.

"It's selfish, but I'm glad you're here" she said, loud enough to be heard over the music and the announcer as her brown eyes traced your face sympathetically.

"I'm fine" you lied with a forced smile. Totally fine you thought. Not the love of my life who broke my heart then skated over it trying to win me back in the middle of the semifinals.

You decided to keep all of that to yourself, because truthfully it was ridiculous. It was juvenile. And it was never going to happen. And you didn't want it to happen anyway, you reassured yourself. Right?

You shook your head as you turned your attention to the starting lineup as Rafe's name boomed over the loudspeaker, the cheering noticeably louder from the crowd. He was a fan favorite, beloved for his fast and aggressive style of play. He wasn't afraid to two-hand someone when the referee wasn't looking, to stand up for his team, to battle for the puck. He was chippy, gritty, and he's on the first line tonight you thought to yourself, a spot reserved for the very best players, putting them in the best scoring position. But surely that's not in any way related to our deal... you mused.

You stood on your tiptoes to see him over the crowd in front of you. He was standing at center ice under the spotlight, his helmet tucked under his arm as he shuffled side to side on his skates, face unsmiling, focused as he looked between his feet and the empty ice in front of him. Your heart leapt uncontrollably at the sight of him; God he's beautiful you thought as your body hummed in recognition and longing, completely betraying you.

The tension and animosity in the arena were thick. You had faced the opposing team a few times in the regular season and it did not end well.

As in, you'd lost every time.

As in, Rafe left the last game with a five-minute major penalty and a black eye after an all-out brawl.

Now the fans were itching for a rematch and you were simply hoping for everyone to leave in one piece. That was the difference between being a fan and being someone who cared deeply for the boys on the ice, it wasn't a spectacle to you anymore. You watched as Rafe's wingers Nick and Andrew stood beside him, followed by two defensemen and your goalie as the national anthem wrapped up.

Everyone took their seats as the lights came back on and the music came on again too, urging the fans around you to cheer, and for you to resume the incessant tapping of your foot as you leaned forward in your seat, laser focused on the guys lining up for the faceoff.

"Girl, you good?" Morgan asked, taking in your nervous energy.

"Hmm?" you responded distractedly, barely glancing at her. "Yeah, yeah m'fine" you said.

You were always more into the game than the other girls, but that didn't account for the clear tension and anxiety rolling off of you in waves, nor the way you were immaculately dressed, which didn't go unnoticed either.

Rafe skated to center ice, equally sized with the opponent at faceoff as the referee dropped the puck. It had barely clattered to the ice before Rafe had gained possession, shouldering his opponent out of the way and barreling towards the offensive zone with a burst of energy like a gunshot that had the crowd almost immediately back on their feet, pulling you along with them.

"OK, I'm sorry, what is happening here?" Morgan said as she watched him.

He was a man possessed, head down, focused, ignoring his teammates as they called for the puck to set up a play, like he was trying to do it all himself. Like he was trying to score. He flipped the puck towards the goalie, who blocked it and possession shifted as he skated backwards on defense, your heart settling in your chest.

Rafe always played with intensity, but with the way he was playing now, he wouldn't make it through the first period. You thought there would be a reprieve on defense, but he was diving for the puck, playing to steal rather than defending his zone. He looked like a maniac.

Until it worked.

The crowd was back on their feet as he and Nick had a breakaway two-on-one, both of them racing towards the net together with only one defender standing between them and the goalie, the rest of their teammates striding to catch up with them. Nick called for the puck, slapping his stick on the ice, but Rafe deked the defender, faking him out before approaching the goalie and tipping the puck into the small pocket over his shoulder, swishing it effortlessly into the net.

The arena erupted as the goal horn blared and you found yourself jumping up and down, overcome with excitement and emotion. You could physically feel your heart beating. This is totally normal you thought. It's totally fine to score a goal in the first two minutes of the game, on his first shift, against the toughest team in the league.

You watched players pile on him in celebration before they all skated back to the bench, bumping fists with their team before taking a seat on the bench. Your eyes were glued to him, and his were on the jumbotron above center ice, watching his own replay before the coach approached him, grasping his shoulder angrily, and you could imagine why. He had been reckless, he had been lucky. Rafe nodded, but ultimately shook him off and refocused on the resumed play. Players zoomed in front of you and your eyes zipped to follow them before you glanced ever so briefly back at Rafe, who was unmistakably looking at you and smiling.

You swallowed to hide the emotions on your face, not giving him a single inch as you focused on the play.

You loved watching hockey, but it felt different when Rafe was on the ice, like he was a magnet, the only thing you could focus on, and his next shift was no different. He was playing like a madman and within seconds you could hear the coach shouting. Rafe turned up emptyhanded this time and the coach was visibly angry as Rafe skated to the bench, going so far as to yell back at him, which had you holding your breath; you had never seen him do that before.

Nick reached for Rafe's shoulder to calm him down and then they started bickering back and forth. Your attention was now split between the two of them and the action on the ice when you saw Nick physically rear back at something Rafe had said, the motion grabbing your full focus. Nick covered his face with his gloved hands, looking back at Rafe and then repeating the motion before he glanced up at the stands, at you, and shook his head, resigned. Were they talking about you!?! you thought. Had Rafe just told him what's going on?

You were so caught up that you missed the play as the other team scored. The game was tied 1-1. The arena echoed with boos as their bench erupted in cheers. You looked up at the clock: 2 minutes left in the first period.

Rafe and Nick got onto the ice for their last shift and the second the puck dropped, they were off as a duo, Nick's intensity now matching Rafe's own; they were bodying guys, tag-teaming as they raced into the offensive zone. Nick had the puck and passed to Rafe, and almost immediately Rafe was cornered by two extremely large defensemen who pinned him to the boards as they tried to steal the puck. But he wouldn't relent, throwing his elbows and trying to wiggle free, desperate and angry as the buzzer sounded for the end of the period.

And yet they didn't let him go. The crowd started shouting and everyone was on their feet as Rafe dropped his stick, turned and grabbed them both by the front of their jerseys, shoving them as the benches emptied and other players joined in, piling on top of one another until you lost sight of Rafe in a mess of limbs, equipment and jerseys. You were craning to see over the ecstatic fans, egging on the fight as the referees raced to break it up, pulling bodies off of one another until they reached Rafe.

His helmet had come off and as the referees skated him towards the locker room, he was shouting at the opposing team who skated after him, riling each other up before he yanked himself out of the ref's grasp and marched off the ice through the tunnel.

Period 1: Game Tied. 1-1.

You let out a deep sigh before collapsing back in your seat. You took a shaky inhale before exhaling and you felt a set of eyes on you.

You turned to see Morgan looking at you with an eyebrow arched.

"You're really going to sit here and act like you don't know what's going on? I know that boy texts you his every thought."

You opened your mouth, an excuse, a lie ready before she interrupted you.

"-- And I KNOW you didn't block him like you said you were going to, so don't try me. What the hell is going on?"

You bit your lip at that, glancing between her and the ice where the zamboni was running clean lines across the cold surface.

You gave a halfhearted shrug, "You know how much he wants to win, how much this means to him."

She doubled down her glare.

You sighed, avoiding her gaze before looking back to her.

"I made a deal with him" you nearly whispered.

A few of the other girls snuck by you both, causing you to shift in your seats as she leaned in and whisper-shouted at you:

"I'm sorry what!"

"If he scores four goals tonight, I said I'd get back together with him."

"You're joking" she said flatly. "Please tell me you're joking."

You pursed your lips with a small shake of your head.

"The two of you" she said as she let out an exasperated laugh. "Unbelievable. You can't stay away from each other and yet you’re willing to bet the stakes of your relationship on a game. I can't" she said, throwing her hands up in defeat.

She paused, getting serious for a moment.

"Are you sure you even want to get back with him, is that really such a good idea hun?"

"Morgan, he's never going to score four goals, it's like, impossible."

"Are you watching the same game I am?" she said emphatically. "Cause your mans sure is gonna try and you better ask yourself what you're going to do if he does."

There was a whisper of truth to what she was saying. It was probably impossible, but not completely out of reach. And what would you do? Your heart trilled. You would be ecstatic the devil on your shoulder said. You would be screwed said the angel.

Your phone buzzed in the cupholder next to you and swiped it open.

You grasped at your phone. Rafe never had his phone between periods, none of the players did, it was basically sacrilegious. They had just enough time to get treatment, catch their breath, hydrate and listen to their coach and he was on his phone!? You put yours down and tried to rearrange the smile creeping onto your face as you saw the teams rejoining the ice for the second period.

Just like before, Rafe was off like a rocket, but the other team was on to him this time, doubling his defensive coverage, making it nearly impossible for him to skate, let alone make a play. He had put a target on his back with the fight at the end of the first period, so even when he didn't have the puck, you could see the other players go after him, a stick in his skates, a slash at his side, heads turning to chirp at him as they lined up for faceoffs. But he didn't slow down for a moment, battling twice as hard now, coming back to the bench after each shift uncharacteristically exhausted, heaving with his elbows on his knees.

You watched him and felt overcome with emotions as the realization hit you: Rafe wasn't good at expressing himself, he wasn't a 'feelings' person, he didn't always know what to say, which is why sometimes words came better to him over texts when he had more time to think about it. But hockey? Hockey was his language. He couldn't tell you how sorry he was, how much he wanted to fight for this, but he could show you. He could play for you, he was playing for you, putting his body on the line, trying his all-out hardest, not a single person in the arena could deny that as they watched him tonight. He wanted this. Badly. Which meant he wanted you, badly. You felt a flush of warmth in your cheeks that had nothing to do with your lukewarm hot chocolate as you watched him slide up the bench for his next shift.

You looked up at the jumbotron. There were only 12 minutes left in the second period, and the game was still tied at 1-1.

What were you going to do if he scored four goals?

What were you going to do if he didn't? felt like the more pressing question. He was running out of time. If something didn't happen now, he would have one period left to score 3 goals, and that was simply not going to happen. I shouldn't have made the number so high you thought guiltily.

Your eyes glanced back to the ice as he clambered over the boards in the midst of a shift change. He was skating methodically, not slower, but maybe more strategically and you were sure his energy was waning even if it didn't look like it.

Suddenly, Nick picked the puck off an opponent and Rafe raced to skate with him, crossing into the offensive zone with several of their teammates. Nick had a wide open shot, and he brought his stick back for a slapshot before turning at the very last moment and passing to Rafe who had positioned himself near the goalie. The puck banked off his stick and ricocheted into the goal.

You were on your feet again, jumping up and down in Morgan's arms as the boys piled onto each other. The crowd was alive again as the team took a 2-1 lead, 5 minutes left now in the second period.

Morgan looked at you, shaking her head before shouting something you couldn't hear over the crowd. You shook your head back before she leaned in closer.

"Is Nick in on this shit?" she yelled.

You looked at her, confused.

"Why else wouldn't he take that shot? It was wide open."

The idea of Rafe recruiting his best friend and linemate into this made you lightheaded and giddy. As you looked back at the bench, the two of them were shoulder to shoulder, looking right at you and Nick waved, a goofy little smile on his face for the briefest of seconds before his attention returned to the game.

Period 2: Eagles winning. 2-1.

The period ended and you spent the last intermission glued to your seat as everyone around you got up to get food and drinks, your mind spinning.

One period. Twenty minutes left for Rafe to score 2 goals. It was still nearly impossible, but didn't feel as insurmountable as before and you still weren't sure what you wanted the outcome to be. You were staring into middle space, questioning your entire relationship when your phone buzzed again in your cupholder. You swiped it open.

Two hearts.

Two goals.

You smiled widely, rolling your eyes before giggling like a little girl. You wanted to respond, and your fingers lingered over your screen, but he still had no business being on his phone, and what could you possibly say anyway?? "Nevermind!! Let's get back together despite all the shit you put me through!"

Ugh.

The third period was simultaneously the slowest and quickest 20 minutes of your life.

Rafe was battling, and the other team battled back, getting chippier and chippier as the teams exchanged penalties and breakaways, but the score stayed the same. You could feel the crowd's excitement at the prospect of scraping through this game with a one-goal lead; a good enough result to make them happy, but you couldn't deny the disappointment you felt as you were playing an entirely different game.

As time whittled down you felt yourself getting emotional as the odds were stacked against Rafe, stacked against both of you. Ten minutes. Eight. Five. Three. You could feel the familiar burn of tears behind your eyes as your foot continued to tap, eyes glancing anxiously between Rafe, the bench, the players and the jumbotron that counted down the time unceasingly.

Morgan reached for you, winding her arm around yours and grabbing your hand, a sad smile on her lips. You both knew this wasn't going to happen. There was just no way. You could sense that Rafe could feel it too, he was getting more and more desperate, scrambling after the puck, making sloppy mistakes that made you feel guilty, the most so when the other team scored… tying the game.

And then what felt like the final twist of the knife: with less than 1 minute left, they scored again, capitalizing on the dashed morale of the Eagles to take the lead 3-2. It was like someone sucked the air out of the arena. Rafe was on the ice, on his knees and all of the players looked so defeated.

Fuck fuck fuck was all you could think as they regrouped with their coach to come up with their last play, their last chance to tie the game. You leaned forward, desperately trying to read lips as if you could somehow decipher the plan. The ref blew the whistle and the coach sent guys on the ice, leaving Rafe behind, and your stomach dropped: he wasn't even going to get a chance.

Rafe argued and you could see him yelling and gesturing wildly as the coach yelled back. The ref blew the whistle again and you knew they were dangerously close to getting a delay of game penalty. A ripple of confusion went through the crowd as they watched the argument unfold and you wished you could sink into your seat and disappear.

The coach shouted something that seemed final before Rafe took one look at him, ignored him and skated onto the ice, swapping with Nick who slid onto the bench, head bowed, ashamed, as the coach berated him.

At this point, Rafe had been on the ice way longer than he should have, he was making mistakes, and now he was putting his career, his contract on the line as he stepped up to take the faceoff.

The puck dropped and the battle ensued as the teams fought back and forth. Their team took a shot on goal that had you holding your breath as the time ticked down.

There were less than 20 seconds left as the puck rebounded towards Rafe and he guided it with his stick, taking off down the ice faster than you'd ever seen him skate; in just three strides he had nearly covered the length of the rink, leaving all of the other players trailing behind him as he squared off with the goalie.

"Ten! Nine! Eight!" the crowd shouted.

You were on your feet, grasping Morgan's arm for dear life, certain you were leaving a mark as you continued to hold your breath.

Rafe shot the puck and it hit the goalie's leg pad, but bounded right back to him.

"Three! Two!"

He shot again and the goalie fell forward, but the crowd behind the goalie erupted and the official lit the lamp behind the goal - he had scored.

The puck had slid between the goalie's legs and Rafe exploded with energy, ripping down the ice and jumping into the glass in front of you as his team piled on top of him and the crowd went ballistic as fans threw their hats onto the ice to celebrate his hat trick - three goals scored.

You were jumping and screaming with the other girls, a few tears escaping your eyes in relief and excitement, overwhelmed at the entire situation.

Three goals.

He'd scored three damn goals, a new career record for him. And now they were in overtime.

Period 3: Game tied 3-3. End of regulation play.

"Wait! Wait! What the hell happens now!?" Morgan asked breathless, looking to you as the only girl that knew a thing about the rules.

"Overtime" you huffed, trying to calm yourself. "Another 20 minutes, first team to score wins."

"Was that part of the deal?" she asked.

"It wasn't not part of the deal?" you said. "We didn't really get into specifics" you laughed, rolling your eyes.

You glanced at the bench as both teams hydrated and listened to the coaches. Rafe's teammates were still all over him, smacking his helmet, arms slung around him. The coach said something to him and he put his hands up in surrender as he sat on the bench and his teammates took the ice.

Your eyes were glued to Rafe but unlike before his didn't meet yours and for a second, you didn't know how to take that. You craved that acknowledgement from him, but you also recognized the look on his face; he was totally 100% focused, eyes fixed on the action on the ice. He wants to win you thought. Or maybe his focus was for something else.

Within a few minutes, his line was up and they jumped on the ice. He was playing smart now, conservative, concentrated and gathered, a stark difference from before. He was strong on defense, backing his team up as they played perfectly off of each other, which paid off when Nick stole the puck and shouted as he passed the puck up the boards to Rafe who sprinted after it, just a stride in front of a defender.

"Oh my god" you heard Morgan mutter as everyone stood to their feet and even though the roar of the crowd was deafening, you swore you could hear every scrape of Rafe's skate against the ice, the clatter of the puck as the play moved in slow motion to the beat of your heart.

Another stride and Rafe was alone in the offensive zone, the defender just a hair behind him.

Was this really happening? Was he about to end the game, to score a fourth goal?

Another stride and he was eyeing the goalie, lining up his shot.

He maneuvered his stick and just as he was about to shoot, the defender dove, thrusting his stick in Rafe's path, causing them both to tumble onto the ice and into the goalie, the puck sliding away, abandoned as the refs blew their whistles. No goal.

Rafe was down for only a second before he stood up, grabbed his stick and swung it with full force, snapping it in half over the boards in front of him in rage and frustration, causing the fans behind the glass to jump and spill their beer on each other.

Two of the refs were frantically skating towards him, waving their arms and blowing their whistles, but your eyes drifted to the head referee who was standing next to the officials box, watching a small computer screen, a replay. Almost immediately he nodded, handed back the screen and raised his fisted hands over his head and crossed them and you let out an uncontrollable shout of excitement as you grabbed for Morgan.

"What! Oh my god! What is going on!!?" she shouted back, and all you could do was laugh and shout as you jumped up and down and pointed to the referee.

"You are the ONLY ONE HERE who knows what that means!" she shouted. "What does it mean!!!?"

"A PENALTY SHOT!" you shouted back.

Your eyes shot back to Rafe who had clocked the same thing and was skating back to the bench. The equipment manager handed him a new stick and now the arena was abuzz with the same information as the announcer explained that Rafe would have the chance to score one on one against the goalie, with all of the other players off the ice. A golden opportunity.

The fans were ballistic. You could barely hear yourself think, could barely process your emotions as you struggled onto your tiptoes again to see over the raised hands and jumping fans as Rafe skated methodically to center ice, alone.

He skated back and forth, side to side with crisp turns like a predatory shark before he stopped at center ice, hands on his stick on his knees, eyeing the goalie before his head turned slowly and he looked right at you. Even amidst the chaos, you could see his signature smirk before he refocused and gathered the puck in his stick.

He was going to score.

You just knew it. You knew by the look on his face, by the stride of his skates, by the confidence in his gait.

"He's going to score" you said out loud, quietly, to yourself, a revelation before you turned to Morgan who was solely focused on the scene unfolding on the ice. You tugged on her sleeve, desperate for her to understand the weight of what you had just said.

"He's going to score, Morgan" you said, louder, matter-of-factly.

"Well SHIT I hope so!!!!" she shouted back without looking at you, now completely wrapped up in the game.

She didn't understand.

He was going to score.

And that meant he was going to be yours again.

Your eyes found the ice and you watched as he approached the goalie, goading him out of the goal, faking him out before wrapping the puck around his leg and tipping it upward.

The goalie dove backwards at the last minute and 15,000 fans held their breath as his gloved hand extended, brushing the edge of the puck, causing it to wobble, but without enough force to change the course of fate as the puck swooshed into the net.

The goal lamp lit up.

The goal horn sounded.

And if you thought the arena was loud before, it reached a new level as fans screamed, shouted, jumped up and down and embraced each other.

You felt realization ripple over you, your gaze stuck on the ice. Stuck on the image of the goalie flat on his back, defeated. Stuck to Rafe who had ripped his helmet off, discarded as he let out a roar of victory before getting bombarded by his teammates who piled on him in celebration.

End of OT. Eagles win 4-3.

Morgan yanked you into her by your shoulders, hugging you and jumping up and down, but an unexplainable calm had settled over you, gluing your feet to the ground.

You should be excited, you were, but instead you felt like you were having an out-of-body experience. What the hell had just happened? Rafe had scored four goals, had led his team to the finals. Had he done it for himself? Of course. But wasn't a part of it for you too?

You turned and looked back at the ice, desperate to catch his eye, to talk to him, to figure this out as chaos rained around you. The players skated to center ice with their sticks raised to salute the fans before skating away, Rafe leading them quickly into the tunnel without so much as a look at you. Not even a cheeky smile or a blown kiss, which you used to get after every game. What the fuck.

Morgan shook your shoulder.

"Babes, now what?!" she asked, excited, curious, anxious.

You looked at her, lost. You had no idea. Did you text him? Were you just back together again? How did this work?

The lights dimmed as the announcer drew the crowd back in to introduce the three stars of the game - recognizing the three standout players of the night. The third star was your goalie, who stopped an unimaginable number of shots and you cheered for him as he skated solo onto the ice in a spotlight, taking a spin around the ice before tossing a t-shirt into the crowd to an excited fan.

Your heart was hammering in your chest, your mind incapable of thinking of anything but Rafe. You grabbed your phone. No new texts. The players were all in the locker room by now. Sure, they were partying and celebrating, but if he had time to text you in the middle of the game, couldn't he text you now??

Nick was the second star of the game and you glanced up from your phone to see him doing the familiar skate around the ice, waving to Morgan who blew him a kiss back, but you glanced back at your phone, willing a text to appear, opening and closing your texts, refreshing the app, messing with your wifi. Surely it was the internet connection you thought, now desperate to hear from him.

"Come on Cameron" you murmured to yourself.

"Okay, what is he doing?" you heard Morgan laugh and you looked down to the ice to see Nick still circling around, backwards, forwards, pumping up the crowd who roared around him as he gathered a t-shirt to throw. You were thrilled for him, really, but you resumed your focus on your phone. Should I turn it off and turn it back on again? you thought.

The lights dimmed further and the deep voice of the announcer reverberated, "Ladies and gentlemen, your first star of the game, with an unprecedented four goals, including your game winner--"

"Uhhh YN" you heard Morgan say.

But you were too distracted, too afraid to look away from your phone in case you missed a text coming through.

"--Rafe Cameron!!!" the announcer said, the spotlight shining on the tunnel, and your eyes shot up at the sound of his name, only to find the ice empty.

You felt Morgan tug harshly on your sleeve and when you finally looked back to her your stomach barrel-rolled and your heart shot into your throat.

Standing unmistakably next to her in the aisle was Rafe, still fully suited in his gear and pads, towering over everyone like a giant, his skates traded for his training shoes. Pieces of his hair were clinging to his forehead and his face was rosy with exertion, sweat dripping down his temple in rivulets.

He was smiling confidently at you, and unlike the last time you had seen him in your car, his eyes were unwavering and transfixed on yours, even when the fans around you turned around and noticed he was there, even when phones were whipped out and shouts and cheers went up, he ignored them; he only had eyes for you.

"How--" you started to say, your phone completely forgotten as he started to nudge his way past the people at the end of your row to walk fully into the seats next to you.

"Ohmygod, ohymgod" Morgan was saying as she clambered out of the way of his bulky frame and suddenly he was towering in front of you.

He was breathing heavily; with how quickly he made it up here it was no wonder he had been sprinting off the ice and into the tunnel. His face searched yours, eyes twinkling, flitting over your lips, searching for a sign, a signal, a hint of how you were feeling. And you weren't sure you could have expressed it even if you could form words.

He leaned down next to your ear and you could feel the sweat and the heat radiating off of him.

"That was four" he said, breathless and husky before pulling back, but not as far as before, his nose brushing yours.

The spotlight was sweeping the empty ice, looking for him as the announcer tried awkwardly to fill the air time, wondering where he was.

All you could do was meet his gaze, staring into his crystal blue eyes.

And all you could see was your Rafe.

Sure, he had his issues, but you knew he was sincere, you knew he was trying and you acknowledged that despite everything he was probably the love of your life.

"We didn't agree on overtime goals" you said loudly back at him to be heard over the crowd.

For a moment you could see fear, panic and a hint of hurt cross his face; if you didn't know him as well as you did you wouldn't have seen it, it was nearly indetectable. But he took one look at your sly smile, your blushing cheeks, your eyes rimmed with tears.

"C'mere" he said roughly, ignoring you as his warm and sweaty hands that smelled unmistakably like his gloves grabbed your face and pulled you towards him as his lips enveloped yours, engulfing you, bold, brazen and completely unabashed as he full on made out with you, chaotically, his tongue slipping into your mouth, even when you tried to wiggle away, more out of a sense of decorum than anything as a feeling seeped through every inch of you like he was mending every wound in your body.

He was sweating all over you at this point, but you didn't care. You could feel it dripping on you. You could taste it in his kiss, mixed with the tang of yellow gatorade and your fingers grasped for purchase on his jersey as you tried to balance yourself against the force of him pressing into you.

The crowd around you erupted, as the flash of pictures being taken lit the two of you. He was unrelenting and you could feel yourself flushing as much from his attention as from the heat radiating off of him. It definitely went on longer than it should have, longer than any right-minded couple would have made out in front of thousands of fans before he paused just long enough, his lips still hovering on yours and said through a growl, "You're mine, baby."

taglist: @gillybear17, @palmwinemami, @moremaybank, @one-sweet-gubler, @m-indkiller, @ihe4rttwd, @diary-of-jj, @crlsummer, @jjsbank444, @rafescurtainbangz, @romiiq, @dkjndfnmdfmdmnd, @warriorblu, @ietss, @tiaamberxx, @zyafics, @maybankslover, @saintchxx4, @akirkland, @cameronspecial, @f4ll-for-you, @diduzzula, @user123453226780536, @zizuras, @imabigback, @rowans-posts, @mymultiveres, @drewsphswife, @fangirlwithlou

#rafe cameron #obx rafe cameron #outerbanks rafe #rafe obx #rafe cameron x reader #hockey rafe

113 notes · View notes

intheupside · 7 months

Text

What's the secret to Sidney Crosby's success?

Always eat a strawberry PB&J on game day… and have unwavering dedication, unparalleled work ethic, and exceptional talent.

With Sidney Crosby appearing in his 1,200th NHL contest on Saturday in San Jose, I wanted to ask how his game-day routine has evolved in the years since that first one to help keep him playing at such an elite level.

Because as Mike Sullivan said, that’s not an easy thing to do – and it's a testament to Crosby’s drive, his will to win, his desire to be the best, and his willingness to put the time in and make the sacrifices so that he can continue to sustain that type of play.

At first, Crosby laughed good-naturedly – because we all know how superstitious and routine-based the captain is – and half-joked that there might not be much there. Most of it has stayed the same, particularly his on-ice warmup routine heading into puck drop. "Whether it’s preparing for a game or just a typical game day, (my routines) just allow me to feel good about going out there and doing what I need to do," he said.

But there has been a tweak here and there to the captain’s preparations now that he’s 36, particularly when it comes to what he does in the mornings. Unless the Penguins have the day off before a game, the morning skate is always optional – and in recent years, Crosby has chosen to stay off the ice.

“You look to conserve that energy a little bit more,” he said. “As much as I like getting on the ice in the morning, it’s good if you can just take that opportunity to do other things and still get a little bit of sweat – get ready for the night, but still conserve some energy at the same time. It's always a balancing act.”

Instead of skating, Crosby will take his stick and gloves and find a quiet area of the rink to do some solo stickhandling, which helps him loosen up a bit. He’ll also take part in the first soccer game of the day with Bryan Rust, Jake Guentzel, Erik Karlsson, Marcus Pettersson, and Rickard Rakell. Sometimes, Noel Acciari will join them, depending on if they do 3-on-3 or 2-on-2.

“We’re just kicking it around, but it can get pretty intense,” Crosby said before adding with a grin, “Sometimes, I wonder if I expend more energy in soccer than I would in morning skate. It just depends on the day, maybe.”

After grabbing lunch to go, when he gets home in the afternoons, Crosby’s nap has gotten shorter as he’s gotten older. “I used to sleep like, two and a half hours when I was younger. But a little harder to do that now,” he smiled. But Crosby still isn’t a big coffee drinker, since natural adrenaline gets the job done when it comes to waking up. “I feel like I get pretty amped up, so I don't need that. I’ve had some caffeine before, and I don’t think it’s good for me,” Crosby laughed.

When it comes to the food Crosby fuels himself with, on a game day the players have the same menu available to them both at home and on the road for their breakfast, lunch, and pregame meal/snack, so he sticks to his routine for those … down to the strawberry PB&J that HBO filmed him making during their 24/7 Penguins/Capitals Road to the Winter Classic series.

But Crosby doesn’t eat as much steak the night before games compared to his early years in the league, especially on the road. “That changed a little bit. Other than that, as long as it's somewhat healthy, I just try to make sure I get a good meal,” Crosby said.

There’s obviously a lot more that goes on behind the scenes, both inside and outside of a game day, that Crosby does to set himself up for success.

“All the subtle things he does – for me, that's the most impressive aspect of his overall body of work. A lot of it goes unseen,” Sulivan said. “That's why I've always said on so many occasions that it's not by accident this guy's as good as he is. Yeah, he's talented, he's gifted, and all of those things, but he maximizes every opportunity that he has to be at his best. I think that commitment, in my experience of being around the game, has been unmatched by any other player I've seen.”

And that’s because Crosby’s passion for the sport is something else that’s remained the same.

“I love it just as much as I did Game 1,” he said. “It’s a lot of hockey, and just grateful I’ve been able to play this long.”

#sidney crosby #pittsburgh penguins

216 notes · View notes

ringanon · 11 months

Text

Nap Time | John Marino

Pairing: John Marino x gn!reader

Warnings: John acts a little whiny in this, mentions of love/marriage/kids

Word Count: 575

Summary: John insists on taking his pregame naps with you

----------------------------------------------

"Honey, I'm back!" John came bursting through the door of your shared apartment. He found you in the kitchen making him his pregame meal, a task you had taken on when you both still lived in Pittsburgh. He came up behind you and wrapped his arms around you. The kisses he pressed to your shoulder and neck were the same ones he did every time he came back from morning skate.

"Johnny, why don't you eat a little first."

"Come nap with me, sweetheart. Just for a little while," John pulled you closer to him, making it increasingly difficult to cook. He could tell based on the sigh that left your lips that you were conflicted, "we can eat after we wake up, I'll set an alarm."

"You know that if I sleep right now, I won't be able to sleep tonight, then I'll be miserable when we wake up tomorrow."

He sighed, kissing your jawline. He mumbled against your skin, "Then just lay with me, you can finish that book that you've been reading or something."

There it was. Between his fingers tracing your hip, his lips on your skin, and the soft pleading sound of his voice, you caved, "let me finish this first and I'll go take a nap with you."

John celebrated with a harshly whispered, "yes!" behind you. You finished what you were doing and turned off all the burners on the stove. The look on his face when you turned around was blissful. Never in your life did you ever think you would find a man who enjoyed being close to you like this. John appreciated the smaller details of your relationship, he loved the feeling of your skin against his and he loved the way he felt when you were with him. Everything about you made him fall in love with you. Having his pregame nap with you was, hands down, one of his favorite parts of his job.

By the time you were comfortable on the bed, you were laying down against the pillows, your boyfriend laying on top of you. His head was on your stomach, hands around your waist, his hips pressed against your thigh. He encouraged you to wrap your legs around him as he layed in between them. You listened as John dozed off to sleep.

He enjoyed the feeling of your hands in his hair, the rising and falling of your chest, and the safety of being crowded by your thighs. There was a peace that he felt around you that made him want to cling to you for the rest of his life. He wouldn't mind making this a routine for the rest of his career. Maybe one day he'd add a kid in a bassenett next to the bed and the soft lullibies of his favorite person in the world to his kid.

You stared up at the white ceiling above the bed listening to John's heartbeat. There was tranquility in his pregame naps. There was no where safer than laying in bed with John, a concept you had not quite gotten used to. As much of a fight that you put up, John's pre game naps were one of the things about his job that you looked forward to. Sure, the travelling and whatever kicked rocks, but everything you felt in this moment made it all worth it. There was no one better for you than John, and you were more than okay with that.

-💍

I wrote up the original concept of this during Christmas of last year and I'm finally ready to send this out into the world, I think.

#John Marino #john marino imagine #nhl #new jersey devils #john marino x reader

369 notes · View notes

swissboyhisch · 7 months

Text

The Best Kinda Night

Pairing: Arber Xhekaj x Reader

Summary: Your first time watching Arber play and you get to see the rough side of his job.

Word Count: 1574

Warnings: fighting, mentions of sex related things

THE MASTERLIST JOIN THE TAGLIST HOCKEY DISCORD

Since meeting Arber at a club after a game one night, the two of you hit it off. The two of you spent the whole night on the dance floor together. Maybe getting a little too handsy in public. After a couple too many drinks, you found yourself waking up in his bed. Arber woke up while you were getting dressed once more, phone held between your shoulder and ear. He protested you leaving and asked you to breakfast. Citing that he was wanting more than a one night stand with such a pretty person.

It had been months since you had had your first date and you were yet to go watch Arber play. Until tonight that is. Tonight he had a game against Arizona at home and you had a glass side ticket. You pulled out the pair of jeans, hoodie and jersey you planned on wearing before jumping into the shower. After spending the afternoon pampering, you made sure you were ready early so you could leave for the stadium and take in the journey.

What he didn’t tell you was that Caitlin, the captain’s girlfriend, would be meeting you at the stadium and sitting next to you so you weren’t alone. Not that it would have bothered you. But he wanted you to have a friend within the team because he knew you were going to be around for a while.

“Hi! You’re Wi-Fi’s girlfriend, yeah?” A blonde greeted you a couple moments after you stepped into the club bar area.

“Uh hi?” You and Arber weren’t public yet so you were very confused as to why she asked you this. She was dressed similarly to you but wearing a jersey with a C patch. Suzuki if you’re correct. “Sorry, who are you?”

The girl smiles, “I’m Caitlin, Nick’s girlfriend. Arber thought it would be a good idea you weren’t sitting by yourself.”

“Oh, that’s exciting. Thanks for agreeing.”

The two of you grabbed a drink from the bar before taking a seat. There was still half an hour until the teams took to the ice for warm-ups. You got to know Caitlin while you two bonded over the drinks. The blonde even introduced you to a couple of the other girls who walked by on their way to their seats.

“Let’s go find our seats. We’re against the glass,” Caitlin suggests when you both had finished your drinks.

Following others through the stadium halls, you find your section and descend the stairs. You made sure to take pictures of everything. Taking in all the bright lights and experience. The two of you were at a perfect spot. Across from the bench and near the penalty box. Or as you like to call it, the sin bin.

“When did you and Arber meet?” The blonde asks.

“Uh, a year ago? Dating for about 7 months.”

“He’s kept you hidden from us!”

You chuckle at the girl’s reaction. “Yeah, we just wanted to get settled and comfortable in our relationship before telling everyone.”

The two of you got to know each other while waiting for the teams to take to the ice for pregame warm ups. At least the chairs were comfier than other stadiums you have been to in the past. You glanced around at the fans around you. People watching. A few Arber jerseys stood out to you. Some Caufield and Suzuki jerseys as well.

“Here they come,” Caitlin spoke up, pointing to the tunnel.

One by one the boys stepped onto the ice and did their laps. Arber came out and skated around, looking around at the fans. He spotted a fan sign with his name on it being held up by a boy no older than 6. Watching the fan interaction was one of the best parts. Arber played paper, scissors, rock with the kid before flicking a puck over the glass and posing for a picture.

“Look who’s skating this way,” Caitlin teases as she waves to Nick standing in front of the girls.

Arber skated towards Nick and bumped him. He then turned his attention to you. The Canadian boy had the biggest smile as he waved like a kid to you. Just like he did for the little boy, he waved the puck then tossed it over the glass. You caught the cold rubber and posed for a picture that Caitlin was more than happy to take for you. Before he skated away to continue warm ups, he put his into a fist as best as he could and put it against the glass. You copied his actions and did a fist bump through the glass.

The fist bump started when you two first started dating. You had always fist bumped your best friend as a goodbye since they weren’t the hugging type. With Arber, the first time you did it was when you were both laying on the couch after your second date. Both of you were to shy to cuddle at the time. But you randomly held out your fist to him. From there it’s a daily occurrence. When it came to games, it fitted into the pregame ritual. He would kiss you goodbye then a fist bump on the way out.

“I like the jersey,” He yelled before giving you a smirk and skating off with his captain to join Caufield not far away.

“He’s so in love with you,” Caitlin pointed out. “I’ve never seen him smile that much. That wide!”

Warm ups went quicker than you’d like and next thing you know the teams skate off again. Now the wait between warm ups and the start of the game. Caitlin grabbed a silver sharpie from her bag and thrusted it towards you.

“You have to write on the puck the date and first Canadiens game.”

You agreed and wrote it on the back of the puck. One to start a collection. Or add to Arber’s puck collection when you moved in together.

The game started and was going smoothly. Kinda. There was some tension building and by the 2nd period you could see that Kassian was aiming at Arber. Wanting to drop the gloves. It wasn’t until a checking incident that Arber decided he had had enough.

“Here we go,” You smirk as Arber and the Arizona player threw their gloves off and grabbed each other. As someone with combat sport training, a fight was entertaining. “Arber’s got this one.”

Kassian’s first punch knocked off Arber’s helmet but he was sure to retaliate with multiple blows, one after the other in quick succession. The Coyotes player dropped to his knees pretty quick, allowing Arber to get some good hits in. Kassian managed to stand up again but didn’t stay on his feet for long. With the coyotes’ jersey in his grasp, Arber took him to the ground. He threw one last punch before the refs managed to pull him off. You watched as your boyfriend smirked at the sight of the player on the ice before skating to the penalty box. He even waved his arms to hype up the crowd who were all cheering by. He looked towards you, a smirk on his face as he chewed on his mouthguard.

“Fucking hell,” you mutter, turned on more than you’d admit to anyone.

“Keep it in your pants,” Caitlin laughs after she hears your muttering.

Arber took his seat in the sin bin and side glanced at you. Another smirk appeared when he noticed the look on your face. He winked at you before turning back to the game.

“Welp I’m gonna have to buy new lingerie after tonight,” You joke (slightly) to Caitlin.

She laughed, understanding the feeling, “it’s the best kinda night after a good, tense game.”

The pair of you laugh before turning back to the game that was playing. The game soon came to an end with a win for the home team. Caitlin showed you down to the family room where people waited for the players to finish changing and the media tasks.

“I’ll introduce you to some of the other girls if you want?”

You shrug, “Sure why not.”

The captain’s partner took you around, introducing you to the older players’ partners. Meeting their kids who were running around the room as well. It definitely filled the waiting time because you feel arms wrap around your waist as you talked to Caitlin and Kirby Dach’s girlfriend.

“Hey,�� you grin, turning to see a freshly showered Arber.

He pressed a kiss to your temple. You could see in his eyes what he was thinking about. “Hey baby.”

“I can’t believe you hid her from us!”

“Sorry girls,” he chuckles. “You’ll have her around more but I’m gonna steal her now.”

Caitlin smirks, “don’t break any furniture.”

You blushed but Arber smirked and dragged you away and out of the arena. When you reached his car, he pushed you against the door.

“God you look so good wearing my name on your back.”

You tangle your fingers in his damp hair. Pulling him closer. “Showing everyone who I’m with.”

That snapped the tension. Arber ducked his head and kissed you roughly. He hand slid up your back and cupped the back of your hand from hitting it on the car.

“Let’s take this to yours shall we?”

Arber grinned as he opened the passenger side door for you, “you’re in for a long night baby.”

TAG LIST

@findapenny @mp0625 @hischierhaze @11zegras @lvrzegras @francesfarhadi @cixrosie @dasiysthings @dancerbailey3 @puckmaidens @cole-mcward48 @sammiejane22

248 notes · View notes