They were up by one in the third period when it fell apart. Li caught a slash to the knee and went down hard. The offending player was sent to the box and Li managed to get to his feet and limp off the ice, but he was out for the rest of the game, and the coach was forced to put in the third line center, Edsel. It was a disaster. He wasn’t fast enough, didn’t know Etienne’s body language, and hogged the puck. They lost by one, Shannon doing his best but unable to stop the winning goal.
At practice the next day, Coach Hannity gathered them around, looking somber. “Li’s out,” he said. The team groaned. “Shattered kneecap,” Coach continued. “That means I need to do some restructuring. I want the first three lines on the ice, I’m going to try some different combinations. Tenny, I’m starting you second line next game.”
Etienne nodded.
“Ordinarily,” Coach said, “I’d call someone up from the Thunder. Rudy’s a damn good center and I know you mesh well with him, Tens. But this is the goddamn Calder Cup and I have a different idea. I’ve been talking to Coach Benton.”
Etienne perked up.
“Adam Caron needs some development time, Benton says. Their season’s over but he’s willing to send him to us for the playoffs. I understand you and he know each other, Tenny?”
“Yes sir,” Etienne said, delight burgeoning under his skin and making his voice unsteady. Were he and Adam really going to get to play together? “We’ve skated together a lot. Mesh well.”
Coach nodded sharply. “Let’s see what happens. He should be here any minute.”
Almost on cue, Adam appeared down the tunnel, wearing a Freeze jersey, stick in his hand. Etienne couldn’t stop the smile as Adam stepped onto the ice and glided to join them.
“Miss me, boys?” he said. He was greeted with backslaps and laughter and affectionate shoulder jostlings until he’d worked his way through the team and came face to face with Etienne. The smile slid off Adam’s face, leaving him looking apprehensive. “Hi,” he said carefully.
Etienne grinned at him and the worry on Adam’s face vanished.
“Oh, thank God,” he said under his breath. “I thought you might be upset I was here.”
Etienne snorted. “You ready to show them how it’s done?”
“Fuck yeah.”
31
Fifth game, home ice. Tied two-two, this was, many felt, the tipping point. Whichever team won this game had the best chance of walking away with the trophy.
“That’s bullshit,” Coach Hannity said flatly in the locker room, hands on his hips. “Even if we lose, we have two more opportunities to take this. You’re going to get out there, do those attack angle drills just like we practiced, and kick their asses back to Oregon.” His tone softened. “Did you think we’d get this far?”
There were a few head shakes around the room as Etienne tied his skates. Adam was pulling his gloves on, beside him.
“Well, I did,” Coach said. “You have it in you. You had it in you before Cary here came along to lend a hand—” Adam flashed a brilliant grin at the room, making the players laugh. “—And you have it now. So let’s go whip some Oregon ass.”
Cheers went up around the room, sticks tapping loudly on the floor.
They took the game 5-2.
Game six, on away ice, they fell to the Embers by one. Adam’s playing had improved with Etienne beside him, but there was still a lag there, a feeling almost of hesitation at times. But he was healthy, Etienne reminded himself. He’d been cleared by the doctor. And Adam seemed cheerful, in good spirits, clearly determined to help the Freeze win the Cup. So Etienne put the fear away and focused on the game.
Game seven was at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, home ice. The crowd was at capacity, filling the huge arena with a buzz that reverberated in Etienne’s teeth as he warmed up under the stadium in the locker room, bouncing on his toes and shadow-boxing with the wall. He went through his routine over and over until everything fell away, one by one, worries and concerns sloughing off like flakes of rust, leaving him sharp and focused, a shining steel blade made for one purpose.
He helped Adam with his gear and Adam helped with Etienne’s. Before they made the trek up to the ice, Etienne caught the front of Adam’s jersey and pulled him close, gently bumping their helmets together. The noise of the locker room faded away. All Etienne could hear was Adam’s breathing, all he could smell was Adam’s skin.
“You and me,” he murmured.
Adam’s smile took Etienne’s breath away. “You and me. Let’s do this.”
They took the ice to thunderous applause. Etienne waved at the crowd as warmups began. He kept an eye on Adam as they circled the rink, but his fears didn’t surface. Adam was skating well, quick and light on his feet and easy with the puck he was currently batting around.
It was going to be a good game, Etienne could feel it in his bones. They were going to win. The ice was firm and sweet beneath his blades, the team was in high spirits, and it was one of those nights where everything fit together perfectly, each piece slotting into place with precision.
They were up by one in the second period, Etienne, Adam, and Orlov working together like a well-oiled machine through each of their shifts. Shannon blocked shot after shot as the first line worked to get the puck back in the offensive zone, but one slipped by him just before the buzzer sounded to signal the end of the period.
In the locker room, Coach paced as they sat in their stalls.
“Jetty, I want you to stay on Krzinski,” he said. “He’s looking for an excuse to start a fight. If he does, it needs to be with you. Keep him off the forwards.”
Jetty nodded, firming his jaw.
Coach turned to Dodson, the other defenseman. “Back him up, but don’t leave Orrie swinging. And for God’s sake, remember your forechecking, please? I’m begging you? Tenny, remember that move you showed me a few weeks back?”
“Of course, Coach.”
“They won’t be expecting it from someone of your height and size. You see the opening, you take it. Cary, run it with him.”
“Yes, Coach.”
Coach surveyed the room. “You know what I see?”
Etienne wiped sweat off his brow as Adam leaned against him, just enough for Etienne to feel his weight.
“I see a hungry team who hasn’t seen what a Cup win can do for them since before some of your parents were born. You want to see what it can do?”
“Yes, Coach!” everyone chorused.
Coach bared his teeth. “So do fucking I. Let’s find out.”
They banged their sticks and howled like idiots, Etienne and Adam among them, and charged back up to the ice with renewed vigor.
Waiting for their shift, they sat side-by-side, watching the play. Adam nudged Etienne with an elbow. “He’s right, Krzinski’s out for blood.”
Etienne looked where Adam indicated. Krzinski was a huge Pole, blond and heavily muscled, with aggression oozing from his pores. As they watched, he checked Edsel into the boards and skated away laughing.
“Jesus,” Etienne muttered.