#2021 stanley cup finals

[darkherolovercroissant]

Congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche for winning the Stanley cup!!!

#nhl #hockey #stanley cup playoffs #stanley cup final #colorado avalanche #tampa bay lightning #2021-2022 Stanley cup champs! #let’s go avs #I may not be a Avs fan but I wanted you guys to win so badly!

[goaliekisses]

woof juicy news day for us pens fans. not only do we have sidney crosby’s Seduction of kyle dubas, now we have this article on Why Hextall Sucks (and how he pissed off even sidney crosby) + some angsty Geno details that i will only relish now that he’s still with us:

Early last summer, at his spacious home in Montreal, Kris Letang finally saw the document that secured his future in Pittsburgh.

No stranger to the multi-page, standard player contract, this one was particularly special. It was his fourth, and probably his last. It contained specific elements Letang and his agent required. One line read “six years.” Another read “$36.6 million.” The line that Letang really loved?: “full no-movement clause.”

Together, those words recommitted Letang and the Penguins, the only NHL franchise he had ever known. At 35, he would finish his career in Pittsburgh.

As word spread last July 7, Letang’s phone blew up. The flood of well-wishers included teammates past and present, various Penguins personnel he’d befriended over his previous 16 seasons, and family and friends. He took only a few calls. Among them: Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, his oldest and dearest teammates in Pittsburgh, who were thrilled for him.

Crosby, the Penguins captain and franchise icon, had made it clear to general manager Ron Hextall and president of hockey operations Brian Burke as far back as the 2021 offseason that he wanted the team to re-sign impending free agents Letang and Malkin so the three veterans and lifetime Penguins could take another shot at a Stanley Cup together.

Would Crosby pressure ownership to sign Malkin and Letang? “I’ve never wanted to be GM,” Crosby said. “I think they know how I feel.”

While the negotiations with Letang took longer and were more difficult than expected, Hextall’s discussions with Malkin had turned dark. Only days before the start of free agency last summer, Letang, Crosby and coach Mike Sullivan worked overtime trying to calm Malkin, who was stewing over lowball early contract offers, limited communication with Hextall and veiled public shots from Burke.

“How bad is it?” Letang asked Crosby about the state of Malkin’s emotions and the negotiations.

“Pretty bad,” Crosby said.

Hextall first irritated Malkin late in the 2021-22 season by offering a short-term contract extension to his agent, J.P. Barry. In the offseason that animosity built as weeks passed without a follow-up conversation from Hextall. On June 17, Hextall told Barry that the team’s offer was “take-it-or-leave-it,” and the next day Burke used those words to characterize the negotiations during multiple media interviews. Not surprisingly, Malkin, a sure Hall-of-Famer, went from annoyed to insulted.

For weeks leading up to and after Letang’s deal was finalized, Malkin stewed at home while Crosby, Letang and Sullivan checked in with him from afar. With no deal in sight, Malkin began speaking to his small inner circle as if his time with the Penguins was concluding.

Hextall fielded daily questions from Fenway Sports Group brass about why Malkin hadn’t yet been re-signed. Hextall was also taken aback by the barrage of calls and texts — from Penguins alternate governor Dave Beeston, from Crosby and Sullivan, from president of business operations Kevin Acklin — after reports surfaced that Malkin would test free agency. He told his agent he wanted to “show Hextall and Burke” by trying the open market.

Malkin had joked during the ’21-22 season that he was “a rich guy,” insisting he didn’t need to worry about money on his next contract. He was having a laugh, but was also somewhat serious. He had taken less than market value on two previous deals with the Penguins and expected that trend to continue on his final NHL contract.

He was about to turn 36. He wanted to play until he was 40. He sought a contract with a no-trade clause. But more than money, he needed the Penguins to show they really wanted him, something he felt was lacking, especially from Hextall. By July 11, 2022, Malkin was convinced he’d already practiced in Cranberry for the last time.

After tucking in their son, Nikita, Malkin and his wife, Anna, sat on their leather couch and looked at a summary sheet of Hextall’s latest offer: four seasons, $24.4 million total, a full no-movement clause.

Malkin was fine with what he read. The sticking point was his bruised feelings.

“They not think I good player,” Malkin wrote in a text message to Crosby.

“They not want me,” Malkin texted to Letang, who had stepped up efforts to console Malkin after signing his deal.

Malkin wanted to stay in Pittsburgh, but he no longer trusted either Hextall or Burke. Crosby and Sullivan intervened. Each spent hours on the phone with Malkin as July 11 became July 12. Careful not to tell him what to do, Crosby and Sullivan implored Malkin to “not worry about those guys” — Hextall and Burke — when making a final decision. Letang, too, jumped into the mix. Together, two-thirds of the Big Three and their coach brought up every special moment, funny story and great time they could remember to remind Malkin what they had built in Pittsburgh. Malkin paced from room to room at his condo in Fisher Island, finally beginning to feel wanted again.

As early morning shifted to late afternoon, Malkin had heard enough to make a decision. He called his agent, Barry, with instructions to re-engage with Hextall and take the offer. Upon calling, Barry was surprised to find a receptive Hextall.

After hanging up with Barry, Hextall bragged to his assistant GM, Chris Pryor, and a handful of staffers, that he “got him on my terms — that’s how you negotiate.” Malkin informed Crosby, Letang and Sullivan that he was staying. When talking to Crosby and Letang, Malkin sounded happy for the first time in a long time.

“We win next year,” Malkin told his friends. “Big year get back Cup.”

also these bits 🥺

After McGinn was put on waivers, he played a memorable final game with the Penguins, blocking shots and setting up Crosby for a dramatic tying goal in the third period. In the locker room afterward, his soon-to-be-former teammates named him player of the game, eliciting a massive roar from the group that could be heard through closed doors.

Hextall traded Teddy Blueger during the same trip. In the middle of a dinner with the players’ fathers, arranged by Crosby at Bern’s Steakhouse in Tampa, Blueger learned via social media that he had been dealt to Vegas. He and his dad abruptly left the restaurant. Crosby rushed to console his now former teammate and after a few minutes returned to the dinner. “That’s not how we do things in Pittsburgh,” he said. Crosby remained mostly quiet the rest of the night.

…Long after most of their teammates had left the locker room after the demoralizing 5-2 defeat, the Big Three remained.

Malkin was emotional, his voice rising as he spoke. He had been dreaming of his beloved parents, Natalia and Vladimir, returning to Pittsburgh for another postseason run. Instead, they’d stay in Russia.

Letang, in the adjacent corner of the room, spoke thoughtfully and contemplatively. He had been through hell and back all season, and the Penguins’ loss was another blow.

Then there was Crosby, who sits at the center of an arc of connected lockers. The Penguins captain, with gray hairs that seemed to grow more plentiful throughout the season, sat stoically. After finishing interviews, Crosby sat by himself, staring straight ahead before slowly walking out of the locker room.

sorry need to add the header too because i would totally watch this telenovella

#wowwwwwww #i just… the teddy detail really slayed me #sidney crosby #evgeni malkin #kris letang #teddy blueger #pittsburgh penguins

[fannyyann]

Tkachuk tells NHL.com how change in approach lifted game for Panthers

Forward no longer playing it safe, becomes ultimate clutch player in Florida

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – There was a time in Matthew Tkachuk’s life when he played it safe. It’s hard to remember now, hard to get that image out of your head, the one where he is crushing opponents and taking over Stanley Cup Playoff games and literally walking off the ice after scoring a game-winning goal in the fourth overtime of Game 1 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. 

It’s hard to remember there was a before. 

But there was.

Once upon a time, like most mortals, Tkachuk didn’t want to make a mistake. He didn’t want to be blamed. He didn’t want to err, to let down his teammates, the fans, himself. It was a time when he wasn’t quite as confident, wasn’t quite as assured -- if that can be believed -- when he didn’t know that, for him, safe was the riskiest play of all. 

“I think maybe earlier in my career, being a young player, not wanting to be the guy that made the mistake, [I] maybe played a little bit safe in the high-pressure situations,” Tkachuk said. “Just trying to play it smart and, honestly, safe’s a perfect word for it. 

“And then a couple years ago, I was like, why not make the play when nobody else wants to try to attempt it because they’re too nervous [about] what bad’s gonna happen? And I’ve seemed to go the other way, in the extreme other way, and that’s seemed to work the last few years.”

Tkachuk pinpoints it exactly, to 2021-22, his final season with the Calgary Flames, before the trade, before he landed in South Florida and became a genre-crossing star, before he helped propel the Panthers to the Stanley Cup Final last season. 

“I was like, ‘Why not?’” Tkachuk said. “Why wouldn’t you want to be the guy that can make that right play at the last minute of the game or whatever? … I’m like, I’m capable, I feel like I’m a good enough player where I can be confident in myself no matter what the situation is. And that’s just kind of kept going.”

The Panthers and Tkachuk will need it to keep going, as they head to the playoffs having hit a tough skid of late. The Panthers, who are set to face the Boston Bruins at TD Garden on Saturday (3:30 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS), are 3-6-1 in their past 10 games, including a 6-0 win against the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. 

They are second in the Atlantic Division, four points behind the Bruins, having clinched a playoff spot on March 28, a far cry from last season when the Panthers clinched with a single game remaining on their schedule. They then fell behind 3-1 in the best-of-7 first-round series against the Bruins. That was when they -- and Tkachuk -- came roaring back to force a Game 7. To win that Game 7. 

“I knew what he could bring on a stage like that, but I don’t think the whole rest of the world knew what he could do,” brother and Senators captain Brady Tkachuk said. “So for him to show what he was all about is pretty cool. And I think he’s got another level to his game.”

Paul Maurice thinks he knows why. 

The Panthers coach has seen a handful of players in his career who are elite, who might even rise to the level of potential Hockey Hall of Fame players. And when he’s viewing them, he notes something, something that seems to be common to all of them.

“I watch them and they have a higher expectation of the result,” Maurice said. “And the analogy I used [was] when that guy goes in and buys a suit, he expects it to fit right and it’s going to look good. He has an expectation of the result. 

“With Matthew, it seems to me, it’s tied, there’s four minutes [left], he’s excited about that situation because he has a really high expectation that something good’s going to happen because over the course of his life, that’s exactly what’s happened. It wasn’t a lottery. It’s just he’s gone out and made it happen, so he wants to and believes it can. 

“I never sensed any arrogance on him. I truly have not. It’s not like, hey, give me the puck, I’m the shooter. He just thinks when he hits the ice, it could happen, and his life has told him that it could happen. So why wouldn’t you enjoy the hell out of that?”

Oh, and he is. 

Not only has South Florida been a revelation for Tkachuk, so too has the team, which has entered into the top echelon of the NHL. He has figured out himself and his game, not only that he can -- and will -- come up big in the biggest of moments, but that he can also adjust to fit what the team requires, mold his game to the situation. 

Asked if he is a chameleon, he readily agrees. 

Especially in the playoffs. 

“I look at those types of playoff games differently,” Tkachuk said. “Like some people if they’re not producing, they’re not doing too much to help their team, whereas one of the good things that I’m able to do is recognize what my team needs out of me on that particular night or that particular shift. 

“There are some nights when offense comes second and all I’m trying to do is run around, be physical, try to forecheck and try to gain my team momentum like that. Even if teams are keying in on me or really focusing on me, there’s ways to make an impact.”

No one can argue with that. The Bruins still bear the scars -- some literal, some figurative -- of what Tkachuk did to them in the playoffs last spring. 

In the final four games of the first-round series, Tkachuk had eight points (four goals, four assists) to help them win the best-of-7 series. 

Boston forward Trent Frederic, who traces his understanding of Tkachuk back to basement games as kids in St. Louis, said that he thinks that, likely, had Tkachuk not been on the Panthers, the Bruins would have advanced. 

But he was. They didn’t. And now it’s not hard to believe that many teams are uninterested in seeing the Panthers on the opposing bench in the playoffs, in seeing Tkachuk on the opposing bench. 

Before a cracked sternum forced him to miss the fifth and final game of the last season’s Cup Final, Tkachuk had 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists), including four game-winning goals, in 20 playoff games. 

“So the playoffs, I think the one quote, he’s a [expletive] gamer, that’s how I feel about him in the playoffs last year. And I know it’s profane, but it’s also very specific words, it’s exactly the way I feel about him,” Maurice said. “Sometimes the words just fit. Sometimes they’re casual and you swear too much. Sometimes I do. But that is how I -- a [expletive] gamer. He comes up with the biggest plays time and time again. And his energy level to be able to play at that level, that was specific to the hockey. 

“This year, I’ve gotten to watch what an incredible leader he is.”

He sees it on the bench, in the exhortation of his teammates, in his calming of them, in his barking at them. He sees it when he brought a friend and his two kids into the dressing room after a game in Detroit, when Tkachuk paused in his postgame showering routine to sign a jersey, to take a picture, to get Carter Verhaeghe out of the shower to sign the other jersey. 

“I don’t even blame players who don’t sign,” Maurice said. “But he doesn’t have to do that, and he does that consistently. … It’s not fake. It’s not showy. I think he understands the responsibility that he has and he takes care of it.”

There are so many responsibilities heaped on Tkachuk now. 

He is a leader on the ice and off it. He is the second-leading scorer, with 83 points (24 goals, 59 assists), the top chirper and certainly the most talked about player on the Panthers. And he is ready, once again, to receive that pressure. He is ready for the playoffs. He is ready for the eyes and the lights and all that comes with it.

“I enjoy it,” Tkachuk said. “I think that the high intense games and the rivalry games and the, just like the intense part of the games that some guys might not feel too confident or comfortable, I seem to thrive in them and I love those moments.”

There will be no shortage of those moments in the waning days of the season, in the start of the playoffs, as the Panthers attempt to replicate their Cinderella run to the Final last season -- without the Cinderella part. 

Because much like the Panthers, who have been at or near the top of the NHL all season, there will be no surprises when it comes to Tkachuk. He is known, now. Known for stealing games, for coming up big in the biggest moments, for never, ever playing it safe. 

And when the pressure comes, as it will, he will be right there. 

“Knowing him, that’s going to make him go to another level,” Brady Tkachuk said. “And I think for him, he’s going to love, not the spotlight, but the opportunity that comes from that and what he’s going to be able to do with that. He gets better when the pressure is higher.”

#the quote from paul!!!!!!! the story about pulling carter out of the showers to sign a kid's jersey!!!! it's all too much #bye! #matthew tkachuk #2324

[hab-a-nice-day]

—Nick Suzuki + Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens, Stanley Cup Semi-Final Champions, 2021

#Montreal Canadiens #Hockey #Habs #Nick Suzuki #NS14 #Cole Caufield #CC22 #Hockey Hugs #Hug | NiCole

[claireelle18]

She’s a Gem - Vince Dunn

Shoutout to @cellythefloshie for gushing about this man, and encouraging this write. Hope everyone enjoys it!

Vince bought her some sort of sparkly gem for every major occasion that happened between the two. The tradition started after he won Lord Stanley, because she deserved something shiny. Paper rings were what he made her on every date leading up to the first gem. The St. Louis 2018-2019 team won the Stanley cup. He got his Stanley Cup and the ring to go along with it. He bought her Sapphires. This was the first major gift he ever gave her. The two only had been dating a little under a year when he did this. He said it was because she needed to rock something blue to go along with his gear. She wore the set every game, even during the bubble series. It made her feel closer to him, even though he was in Toronto, and FaceTimes were the only form of face to face either got of each other. Her shadow box with the paper rings he made her sitting next to the new box containing her first gem.

When news broke he was going to Seattle during the expansion, she was the first one to cheer on the new opportunity, even if that turned them long distance again. In the bubble, she moved home to Florida to be around her family. Due to the world turning back to some weird level of normal, the couple was allowed to see each other again. He wasn’t in the bubble anymore. He presented her with Aquamarines to match his new team’s jersey color. “You need to be able to coordinate correctly, loves,” he explained. A small promise to her that she had his heart. Her box of paper rings, more added to the collection of both because again he continued the original tradition for every date. She took the move to Seattle right before the fall season, right before the hockey season started up. She had been out of the Florida heat for a while, but her wardrobe was bright, cheery, Key West colorations. What did he get her? Pink Ethiopian opals. They reminded him of her so much, matching her personality (and her clothes). October 23, 2021 - Vince Dunn scores his first goal as a defensemen for the Seattle Kraken. The following day, he took her out and bought her black pearls. “What? I can’t celebrate my first goal with a new team by spoiling my hunny with some new jewelry?” “I’m not saying you can’t, but Vince this is about you!” “And it wouldn’t be for me without my number one cheering me on from the sidelines.” A paper ring adorning her ring finger at that time. “Vince Dunn! You better not tell your mother you just said I’m your number one! She’ll be heartbroken!” ‘Ha,’ he thought. His mother would be estatic, knowing that there was good reason behind that statement.

She landed a new job in Seattle, finally, after being out there for a couple of months. Peruvian blue opals for her new job, and because it was another reason for him to gift her with something to reminder her of him. “What? Can’t spoil my girl?” “Vin, it’s your birthday celebration!”

“So? My beautiful girlfriend will now have something to wear and think about me while she rocks the new job!” She rolled her eyes, and thanked him again. The opals came in back to back sets, along with the pearls, due to the fact that their birthdays were days apart from each other. That paper ring collection larger than imagined when the tradition started. He couldn’t resist giving her options and reminders of him, every major chance he could. Whenever she wore them, it made his heart swell with pride. She loved it because he took the time to choose each item, each one holding so much meaning to their relationship. Maybe one day these would be passed down to their children, and then their children, and so on. The two had talked multiple times, at length, for the future, what it held for the couple - marriage, children, a real house. Over the off season break, he put his next plan of what celebration the two would have. The biggest decision for him. That ring. Not her paper rings, not the other rings that matched the sets of jewelry previously gifted. He had been giving it thoughts for a year now. First season completed in Seattle, he was ready for that next step with her. She donned his name multiple times for years, stitched into all the jerseys. She had stuck through it all with him. Every twist, turn, bump, and loop-de-loop life threw at them. Glued to his side. The ups and downs, highs and lows, every moment. That old box of paper rings proving every day their commitment. He knew she kept them all. He finally settled on the perfect ring for her. A 3.5 karat diamond with a titanium band. Classic, with minor flare. A little more flashy than the others in her now decent size collection, but she deserves the attention. The most important piece she’d own.

He found it by accident while out with the boys back in Toronto. Home for him is with her, no matter where they are. The group had popped into an antique based shop, and as she was more of a timeless, classic girl, he took a peek at what the case held. Nestled in red velvet, sat the ring. Then and there he saw her with that particular one adorning her finger. A little more shiny and sparkling, definitely a conversation starter. Similar to her grandmother’s ring that she said she adored growing up. The marquise cut, flower set diamond ring. Immediately he rang his mother, followed by her mother. Both were in agreeance. That ring was meant to be hers. Without a second thought, he bought it.

He had the girl of his dreams. He now had the perfect ring. All he needed was the perfect place to ask her that all so important question. She wasn’t the type to care for the general cheesy proposals. He needed something more meaningful, more unique.

He held onto that ring until their trip to the Bahamas with some of the other teammates that weren’t selected for the All Stars series. Sunset on the balcony of their hotel room with drinks, and a hidden bottle of champagne to celebrate with further after he asked. His phone hidden and recording to keep this moment forever.

Her back facing the camera, she was admiring the fire painted sky. He came up, hugging her from behind. The box in his pocket feeling heavier than before. “Hey hunny…you know that I love you, right?” He asked her.

“Yeah, of course I do loves. Why do you ask?”

He was already nervous, a little giddy even. He never thought he’d be there, ready to ask her to be by his side forever. He took her hand making her face him. “I say that because…be…because…I want to spend the until the end of time with you.” He drops down to one knee, his ocean tumbled curls falling into his eyes. “For years already you’ve worn my last name proudly across your back, but now I want you to share that last name. Our last name across your back. I want those future moments we’ve talked about time and time again. Will you marry me?” He pulled out the velvet box, that ring glinting, reflecting the scorching colors.

Her eyes sparkled with tears that threatened to tumble down her cheeks. “Of course I’ll marry you Vince!” He slipped the ring on, she pulled him in for a kiss.

After dinner and celebrations, back in the hotel room. “You picked a wonderful ring. Knowing me so well for this shiny one,” she commented to him. “But you know I’d marry you with paper rings if it came down to it. You’re the one I want.”

#vince dunn #imagine #hockey imagine #nhl hockey #nhl imagine #reader insert #seattle kraken #kraken hockey

[naanima]

All you people screaming for a mattdrai finals, and I'm just like, I old, I will FOREVER scream for a Tyler Seguin winning the Stanley Cup in his 30s final narrative.

Tyler Seguin is a self aware himbo who knew too late how hard it was to win a Stanley Cup, and has spent the last decade trying to win it again for this fucking team. And I want him to win it with this group of guys this year.

The man has gone through a sliced achilles, a hip surgery because he tore his labrum completely off during the 2020 Stars' Stanley Cup Finals, followed almost immediately by a knee surgery. He played no hockey in 2021, couldn't fucking walk, went through a 6 month recovery period, and for nearly a year has been told that he wasn't what he was.

He took all the criticism, said NOT one bad word against a front office that publicly criticised him, and fans saying he was done for. He supported his team mates, tried to break their scoring slumps, changed his playing style and played on the second & third line, so that he could do whatever he could to get his team to win.

Hockey is harsh & unforgiving. But fuck I want Seguin & the Stars to win the Stanley Cup this year.

#my himbo prince #tyler seguin #text post #dallas stars

[sportsthoughts]

Sorry if I missed this lore drop previously, but how'd you get into the Pens? I love your gifs and positivity that you bring to the lb!

Buckle up anon. I thought about one line answering this but I enjoy the phrase 'lore drop' so much I think you deserve the deep dive. It'll take a while to get to the pens but you asked for lore so...

I have been sportsthoughts on tumblr since 2015 ish - maybe slightly earlier - and this has always been a sportsblr/sports rpf-y type blog in various iterations.

This blog was originally used for liveblogging UK Premier League and La Liga football matches. I have always been a huge football fan (my childhood team is Arsenal - north London forever ❤️ etc etc) and when I moved away to university at 18 none of my new friends were into sports and I really missed watching games with my family.

Finding other likeminded fans online who were also watching games and liveblogging them was such a beautiful experience and I have amazing memories of 2015-2018ish when I was a very active football blog, spent a lot of the time in the Arsenal/FC Barcelona communities here and had some beautiful trips to Barca.

I do have a sideblog where I still dabble in that space but in truth I very rarely liveblog football anymore because nowadays it's returned to being something I watch with friends and family so I'm not on my phone during games.

Here's where the pens come in - sort of. I've scrolled back through my AO3 bookmarks and can see in 2015 I also got into sports RPF for the first time. There are some incredible football RPF fics out there (let me know if you'd like some recs!). Somehow - probably through raiding people's bookmarks - in early 2015 I ended up reading a Sid/Geno fic called And Never Been Kissed and I was absolutely hooked. At the time of reading this I had:

1. Never watched a game of hockey in my life (side note, I don't think I can understate how little hockey coverage there is in the UK. Even the most ardent sports fan would probably not be able to name a single NHL player or team. Not even Sid! Not even Gretzky!)

2. I had no idea, nor any desire to look up who these people actually were. It was just like reading really well written original fiction.

For the next 7 years I thoroughly enjoyed hockey RPF and created (in my mind) entire personalities and appearances for Sid and Geno, along with all the other 'characters I came across regularly in hockey fic. Sid, I got pretty close to the mark. Geno, not so much. One day I will try and find some reference pictures for what I thought they looked like because it’s quite hilarious. When I re-read fics I love from during that time I laugh because I remember my Sid and Geno and how different they were from reality.

So, hockey was sort of in my life from 2015 but exclusively in the form of fics. I would scroll through the actual hockey bits of works because I didn’t understand the rules and why every single fic was an AU where professional sports people were allowed to fight each other mid game.

At this point I’d left university, and because I no longer liveblogged football games, I found I really missed sports fandom. Another sport I grew up watching and loving was Formula 1 so when lockdown hit in March 2020 I started liveblogging F1 races to pass the time (and still do sometimes - now over on @vroomlive). I loved/still love F1blr, but it didn't quite fill my fandom itch because:

1. We joke about it, but F1 is a deeply unserious sport run by a dire organisation (Liberty Media). They change the rules every week and it's managed badly to the point of being comical. There have been a few major cock ups over the years (including the 2021 championship literally being taken away from the rightful winner and given to someone else. To put this in hockey terms: imagine a completely valid goal being overruled in the last 5 minutes of the Stanley Cup final and then the ref deciding to give the other team a 5 on 3 powerplay Just Because) all of this is quite disheartening for long term fans - and has resulted in quite a fractured and angsty fandom.

2. There are only about 20 F1 races a year - so it's just not a sport that's on regularly. I love sports, and I want to watch sports all the time - so a sport that only gave me content every third weekend or so just wasn't really enough for me.

At this point, when I was feeling rather sports fandom bankrupt, the wonderful work of Sid/Geno writers and the influence of the tumblr dashboard converged. I worked this out by scouring my AO3 bookmarks - in April 2021 I read a Sid/Geno fic called Game Plan that I fell head over heels for. I’m still not quite sure what about this fic grasped me so deeply but I started reading a lot more hockey RPF.

Around the same time an F1 blog I followed started posting about Mat Barzal All. The. Time. I had no interest in this man and did not know he was a hockey player but over the course of about a year I became vaguely exposed to hockey content on Tumblr through that blog, and at some point in early 2022, saw Sid on my dash for the first time. I don’t remember the exact post but I remember seeing the name, doing a double take and thinking oh Shit! That’s Sidney Crosby from fanfiction! I was flabbergasted because in my mind Sid was in his early 20s tops, so seeing this early thirties, bearded, fat bottomed man on my dash and realising that that was Sid was such a shock. 

My hockey lurker era lasted from mid 2022 to early 2023 and I spent a lot of time, um, lurking. That sounds so creepy. I suppose I had never thought about actively joining a fandom before because my fandom engagement (one direction > football > f1) had all happened really organically so actually choosing to join a space as an adult was quite an interesting process.

By summer of 2023 my husband’s job changed again meaning he works away from home most weeknights and suddenly my late nights were extremely free because I’d hang out with friends and then go home at 10/11 to an empty house which I hated. I really found myself wanting to make fandom friends and have an at home hobby I could do late at night before going to bed so taking on a sport that happened 12am-2am (timezones!) seemed like a good fit. 

Alongside this on a totally separate track was my longstanding interest in fandom - most of my professional work/research is pretty standard psychotherapy stuff but I’ve done a little bit of work over the last few years looking at sex therapy (not as sexy as it sounds) and I have a real interest in the role that fandom and especially shipping/fic plays in shaping and expressing sexuality. It’s a bit of a back burner research topic for now but I suppose over the years researching fic and expressions of sexuality via fandom and shipping has just made me fall in love with fandom itself a little bit.

Plus having lurked around the edges of hockeyblr for a while I was just like, yeah, I really want in on this, this seems like an awesome community. The reason why I chose the pens was pretty straightforward - I felt like I knew Sid and Geno and after exploring the real life hockey, I, like most of us, was quite struck by who Sid is as a person and was just completely enchanted. Another side note - hilariously, when my husband first saw a picture of Sid last year he immediately said “Oh, he looks like me!” - do with that information what you wish. 

I really eagerly awaited the start of the 2023 season and without sounding too soppy, had already fallen in love with you guys before I ever watched a live hockey game. Every fandom has its difficult corners (pensblr included!) but I can honestly say - especially after the chaos of spending my teenage years knee deep in 1D fandom and my early and mid twenties in various parts of sportsblr - being part of this space has been the most lovely, fun, friendly, lighthearted, positive and beautiful fandom experience I’ve ever had. I feel like it’s the goldilocks zone of all the previous fandoms I’ve been in and I love it.

So yeah! That is the extremely long winded answer to your question, anon. I hope this is the ‘lore drop’ you were looking for lol

TLDR: I stumbled my way through sportsblr until I accidentally ended up here and I’m never leaving.

#ask luce #this has been a very interesting reflective exercise so thanks for the question anon! #also if you recognise some of this it’s because I’ve ripped chunks of this out of dms I’ve sent people recently because time efficiency #I’m also nosy and now want to know all of your tumblr journeys so I might even turn this into a tag game lmk #anyway thus concludes my blog history. feels appropriate at this point to say thank you to the lovely friends I’ve met here #you’re all wonderful wonderful people and I love sharing this little hobby with you 💘

[senditcolton]

Avalanche’s championship an act of love between veterans Landeskog, Johnson

Written by Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, June 27th 2022.

The only thing better than winning the NHL championship? Sharing a big hockey hug with your best friend.

Before they went dancing with the Stanley Cup, Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and Erik Johnson carved out a little piece of ice amid the celebration of a 2-1 victory against Tampa Bay and embraced like brothers from different mothers.

“We were crying, telling each other how much we loved each other. How proud we were of each other. We’ve been teammates for 11 years. We finally climbed the mountain,” Johnson tole me late Sunday, after Colorado beat the Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2001.

It was worth the wait, because these is no more beautiful dance in sports that the one Landeskog took with a 139-year-old beauty. Landeskog lifted the 34.5-pound silver chalice overs his head, welcoming the Cup back home to Colorado with a kiss.

And then? Landeskog handed the Cup to Johnson. Hockey besties. Sharing the greatest prize in the game. Atop the mountain. Together.

“To win it with E.J. is just so special. He has been my best friend since Day 1… he was the first guy to reach out to me after I got drafted,” Landeskog told me. “I’ve been following my big brother for all these last 11 years. To be able to hand off that Stanley Cup and watch him skate away with it…”

I’m not crying. You’re crying.

Landy and E.J. have given heart and soul to this team, not the mention teeth and assorted other body parts, from years when the Avs weren’t easy to love through this crowning glory. Between them, Johnson and Landeskog have played 1,509 games, scored 344 goals and contributed 551 assists to the Burgundy and Blue.

A child lead the Avs to their first championship since 2001. OK, check that. At 23 years old, baby-faced defensemen Cale Makar only looks like the kid who takes you hamburger order at the drive-through window. On a star-studded roster, Makar was the man, richly deserving of the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.

But did you see Landeskog crawling off the ice to the Avs bench in the final desperate minutes of the Cup-clinching contest, in obvious pain after blocking a wicked hard shot by Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov?

Landeskog “might be the most important person in this whole organization,” Johnson said before this championship series began. “The demeanor he had, the type of player he is. Just a critical piece. He’s the cog that makes this machine go. The heartbeat of this team.”

And know what’s wild to think?

It not for kind twists of fate, both Landeskog and Johnson might not have shared a sweet hug they’ll cherish until their final breaths on this earth.

His NHL career could’ve ended with Johnson’s face hit the ice with a sick thud on Jan. 30, 2021, the result of a clean hit by Minnesota winger Jordan Greenway. Nearly five months after suffering a concussion, Johnson moved in a fog, from one uncertain day to the next.

“I was frankly sick of being injured. It was very disheartening,” Johnson told me. “With a concussion, it can be a week for some guys and a month for others. Or it can be career-ending. And I didn’t really know where I fell in that spectrum… I wasn’t totally sure I was going to come back and play this year, to be honest.”

A phone call cemented the resolve of and often-injured player to give a quest for the Cup on more shot, at age 34.

Joe Sakic, the front-office exec that put this championship puzzle together, reached out to Johnson and said: “We’re going to need you if you’re feeling well enough to play.”

Landeskog was born in Sweden, but he proudly calls Denver his hockey home, because this is where he grew up as a hockey player after joining the Avalanche as a teenager in 2011. But after a decade run with the team, he was forced by the cruel business side of hockey to contemplate leaving in the wake of a disheartening playoff loss to Vegas.

Last summer, less than 60 minutes before he was scheduled to become a free agent, Landeskog agreed to a new 8-year, $56 million deal to remain with the Avalanche.

“It did go down to the wire, that’s for sure,” Sakic said. “Maybe near the end I was a little worried, but I was hopeful we’d get it done. Both sides were really happy with the deal. He can finish his career as an Avalanche. That’s how it should be.”

Fighting back tears while standing on the ice of Amalie Arena, amid a celebration with family and friends, Landeskog said: “Management didn’t blow things up after losing in the second round for the third tear in a row. They kept believing in us.”

Every championship dream is born of faith, earned through sweat and strength to be these for your best friend in the locker room, to apply glue to a broken heart in defeat and share the tears of joy in victory.

“Gabe. Me. We won a championship. Finally. After 11 years,�� Johnson said. “It’s amazing. But we did. And we did it together.”

And now? The names of Landeskog and Johnson will be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Together. Best hockey friends. Forever.

#colorado avalanche #stanley cup finals #stanley cup champions #stanley cup 2022 #gabriel landeskog #erik johnson #my favorite article in the denver newspaper the day after #very happy for EJ and Gabe #because they've been there the longest #and through ALL of the shitty years #they've deserved it

[hockeyshmockey]

Erik Johnson- Story

summary: the ej x landeskog!sister moment I feel like I needed. ej x fem oc

warnings: fluff galore

wc: 1.1k

Somehow, the first time Celeste met Erik had been when her niece had made her way into the world. Celeste had worked a remote job even before the pandemic, and had always loved to travel. So when Gabe had mentioned off handedly being worried about Mel being home alone so much with a newborn, Celeste had offered to come stay in Colorado for a few months to help out.

What started out as a few months, after meeting Erik, turned into three years, a shared house, and two dogs. 

In 2021, with Erik’s injury and the Avs disappointing playoff run, Celeste and Erik had faced the toughest time in their relationship. Take an injury and the play offs separately, and it would make any player grumpy, but the two combined had made things very tense for a bit after the season. 

Celeste thought herself to be a very understanding person. But after one too many times of her letting Erik snap at her, when he was really feeling sorry for himself, she had been fed up. Then came the huge blow up fight, with Erik sleeping at Gabe and Mels. The next morning he had come home to find his girlfriend with a small bag packed. 

Celeste had gone to stay with Beatrice in a week for the couple to have space.. By the time she got back, Erik had been reamed by his mother and Gabe, and had begged for the woman’s forgiveness. The woman had given it freely, but the two of them had definitely had a rough go of it last season. 

So for Celeste to be standing in the stands with her mother and father and Beatrice, as well as Erik’s parents, watching the boys play in the Stanley Cup Final, felt like a fever dream. “Is this going to happen?” your mother said excitedly in Swedish from her spot between her two daughters. 

“I think it is,” Celeste laughed breathlessly as the time passed the last minute of the Stanley Cup Final. 

“I think I’m going to cry,” Beatrice smiled widely, tears already on her cheeks when she hugged Celeste, their parents embracing. 

“Theres no stopping it,” Celeste laughed, pulling back and turning to a beaming Bruce and Peggy. “Can you believe it!” The Swedish woman said with another wet laugh as she pulled Peggy into a hug, Bruce wrapping the two of them in his arms. 

“Thank you,” Peggy pulled back with tears of her own, cupping Celeste’s face as she saw the blondes confusion. “I know last year was hard. And other women would’ve left, but you stayed. And you helped him get back to where he is today. We love you so much hun.”

“Oh my god,” Celeste gasped out a laugh through her tears, letting Peggy pull her into another hug. The two were broken up by Bruce calling out that people were heading to the lower bowl.

This would always be one of the proudest moments of her life, Celeste thought. Watching her brother lift the Stanley Cup for the first time, after years of hard times. And him passing it off to the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the two sharing a tender moment before EJ went on his lap. 

Celeste felt like she didn’t stop crying during the photos with the cup, even when she was laughing at the boys denting the cup. When the families were finally allowed on the ice, Celeste made a beeline for Gabe with her sister and parents. 

“Gabriel!” She yelled, her fellow blonde turning to his sisters with a huge grin. The two women slipped on the ice as they shuffled over, colliding with his body and wrapping him and hug. “We are so proud of you,” Celeste pulled back with a soft smile, cupping his bearded cheek. “You deserve this bror.”

“Thank you,” Gabe smiled brightly, leaning down to press a kiss to Celeste and then Beatrice’s forehead, before turning to their parents. 

“I’m going to get EJ,” Celeste said to her sister, the woman nodding before the older sister made her way across the ice. She was stopped by Cale and Nate, giving both of the younger boys a huge hug, before finally spotting her boyfriend in an interview. 

She didn’t rush to get over there, even stopping to take a photo of EJ as she got closer. When she was in his peripheral, his eyes cut to her quickly before returning to the reporter, returning in a double take as a smile took over his face. 

“Let me get back to you,” he cut off the woman with a half smile, before skating Celestes way. The blonde had stopped on the ice, hands covering her cheeks as she stared at him.

“I can’t believe it,” Celeste said softly as EJ approached and scooped her up with a squeal, her legs wrapping around his waist.

“We did it baby,” EJ said into her neck breathlessly, squezezing her waist tightly. 

“You did it E,” Celeste tugged at his hair so he would pull back and she could look into his eyes. “I am so proud of you darling,” she leaned down to press a hard kiss to his lips. “I always knew you would be here,” Celeste’s eyes shined with love and pride.

“Marry me,” EJ breathed out, his eyes searching her face as her features froze. 

“What?” She giggled in surprise. “EJ-”

“I’m serious,” he lifted one hand to cup her cheek. “I’ve got the ring at home and everything. Was going to ask you in some crazy way during the off season. But this is us. So marry me. I know I can be a grumpy asshole, but no one understands me like you. And I can’t imagine spending my life without you. Be my wife.”

“Oh EJ,” Celeste sobbed, her hands cupping his head. “Of course I will.” She leaned down to kiss him again, his free arm lifting in a fist pump. 

For years to come, two photos would be sitting on the Landeskog-Johnson mantle. They would be joined eventually by photos of their wedding, and their children, but these two held a special place for them. One, a picture of a champagne drenched Celeste in a too big Avalanche Championship shirt, with Gabe and EJ on either side of her, the three holding Lord Stanley himself. 

The next, was a photo captured by a sneaky Peggy Johnson, of Celeste and Erik kissing, one hand lifted in the air as he celebrated one of the biggest moments of his career, and the start of the next chapter of he and Celeste’s story.

#erik johnson #ej #Colorado Avalanche #coloradoavalanche #nhl #nhl imagine #colorado avalanche imagine #erik johnson imagine #erik johnson x oc #hockey imagine #hockey fluff

[tapedsleeves]

didnt intend to select this many but im nosy!! 1, 10, 8, 15, 22 & 24

who are the top five teams you root for?

VGK, Sens, Leafs, Devils, Kraken

10. who do you want to see in the stanley cup final this season?

don't make me do this. I mean, i guess, if pressed, the only team I really care about in the west is VGK (sorry kraken), and then... i am really rooting for the leafs this year, so that. Leafs v VGK. final let's go, let's burn my whole life down.

8. underrated hockey duo

shoutout to @lovethygoalie - Vince Dunn & Adam Larsson. one of the most consistent D-pairs for the Kraken (they've been together almost a year, and wow, yeah. that's definitely something) and they just. Feel like magic together. IDK how much attention it gets, because I don't pay a lot of attention outside of my small circle of friends. But it feels like people should always be talking about them. They're fuckin. magical.

15. favorite defensemen

how dare you make me choose between my CHILDREN but if you're making me choose I GUESS it's Shea Theodore. He's just So!

22. any hockey superstitions?

just the normal ones i think? not saying shutout / hat trick, etc. I prefer watching my team's broadcast, but that's bc i like my broadcast team, not out of like. superstitions.

24. favorite and least favorite jerseys

Fave: of all time? definitely the VGK mexican american heritage jerseys from 2021/2022. those fucked SO HARD. If you're going to make me choose a regular season jersey that they wear in games, it's probably the NJD "jersey" Alts, because I think they're cool! sue me!

least fave: whatever the chicago bad team is doing. none of them are good. And double shout out to the Habs weird striped alts that got worn only the ONE TIME they were so awful. Also not a big fan of the detroit alts this year.

ask list

#you're GOOD this was FUN #hi

[oeldeservesthenorris]

Inside the Avalanche’s Cup celebration: ‘All these champions skating around’

From The Athletic

TAMPA, Fla. — Standing on the ice at Amalie Arena, soaking in sweat and tears and the emotions that come with reaching hockey’s peak, Gabriel Landeskog harkened back to his draft day, back to when he was a clean-shaven kid with a full NHL career ahead of him. He told reporters at the time that he had a photo of Peter Forsberg and the 2001 Avalanche Stanley Cup team hanging from his bedroom wall in Stockholm. His goal — his dream — was to be in a picture like that one day.

On Sunday night, he got his wish.

After Colorado’s 2-1 victory in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, Landeskog looked around him, surveying his jubilant teammates.

“I’m just so happy to see all these champions skating around,” he said.

As captain, Landeskog was the first to hoist the Stanley Cup. And as much as he’d longed to touch the trophy, he couldn’t wait to give it away. He’d made a promise during harder times — before Cale Makar and Presidents’ Trophy contention — to teammate Erik Johnson, his close friend and the longest-tenured Avalanche player. Be ready, he had said. Because whatever day the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup, he’d hand Johnson the trophy first.

“If that doesn’t give you motivation, I don’t know what does,” Johnson said. “Who would’ve thought? Five years ago, dead last in the NHL. Now we’re Stanley Cup champions.”

As the final horn sounded, Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon met, tackling each other away from the rest of the main group. They rolled around, embracing one another. Both were on the 2016-17 team that had one of the worst seasons of the NHL’s salary-cap era, logging only 48 points in the standings — more than 20 worse than the next-closest team. And in the post-win celebration, the remaining players from that roster — Landeskog, Johnson, MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and J.T. Compher — gathered for a picture near center ice, finally as victorious as could be.

“It’s special no matter how you win this thing,” Compher said. “But in the few years since that season, seeing all the work that’s gone in…”

MacKinnon, who scored the game-tying goal in the second period Sunday, found his parents, Graham and Kathy, as soon as they walked onto the ice. He cried in his dad’s arms. “I kind of get flashbacks to my whole childhood, my whole life,” said the center, who finished second to Makar in Conn Smythe Trophy voting. “It feels amazing.”

Nathan MacKinnon lifts the Stanley Cup. (Geoff Burke / USA Today)

Makar, the defenseman who moves the puck like a yo-yo and skates like a gazelle, completed a rare combo with the Norris Trophy and Conn Smythe this season. And he had help: His mom, Laura, had ditched her lucky outfit after the Avalanche’s Game 5 loss, and she ate kale salads ahead of games 4 and 6, both Colorado victories. A mother’s touch works wonders.

Laura wasn’t alone in attendance. Cale’s dad, Gary, was there, too, as well as Taylor, Cale’s younger brother and a 2021 Avalanche seventh-round draft pick.

“Growing up, playing mini-sticks when we were little kids, getting in fights, stuff like that,” Taylor said. “It’s everything he’s always wanted, what our family has wanted.”

Around the ice, players FaceTimed with loved ones who couldn’t make the trip. Andre Burakovsky shared a moment on the phone with his dad, Robert, and Bowen Byram grinned into a screen at his sister, Jamie. “I’ll drink your share of the beer,” their dad, Shawn, joked.

Johnson accidentally knocked Sportsnet contributor Ken Wiebe’s recorder out of his hands while reaching for a family member’s phone. He apologized as Wiebe jokingly called for a two-minute roughing penalty.

Darren Helm cried while holding his daughter. Makar stood arm-in-arm with Devon Toews, his defensive partner. Andrew Cogliano’s mom pulled Jack Johnson in for a hug. Erik Johnson said he needed a beer. (And there was plenty to come later in the evening.)

There was Nazem Kadri, his thumb still bandaged. He broke it in multiple places but found a way to turn a six-week recovery into two. Burakovsky battled through a broken ankle to play the first two Stanley Cup Final games but was finally kept out by a thumb injury. Cogliano, who has played 1,140 regular-season games, waiting and hoping for this moment, played with pins in his broken middle finger. Worth it?

“Fuckin’ right,” he said.

To reach their goal, the Avalanche had to knock off the two-time-defending Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning. And after taking the lead in the second period, Colorado executed a clinical third, limiting Tampa Bay to only two shots on goal and generating a plethora of scoring chances the other way. With a clear at the final horn, the game ended. The Avalanche had won.

“We went out there and probably played one of the most perfect clinching third periods in the history of hockey,” Byram said.

Added goalie Darcy Kuemper, who finished the night with 22 saves: “That was some of the best hockey I’ve ever watched. To have the Cup on the line and come out like we did and not give up everything, it was a special effort.”

General manager Joe Sakic, the team’s architect, posed for pictures with his family, and he said hello to Toews’ parents, Werner and Tammy, who thanked him for taking on a chance on their son in a 2020 trade from the New York Islanders. It’s a deal Sakic would do a million times over: He paid only two second-round picks for Toews, and the defenseman has finished 11th and eighth in Norris Trophy voting the past two years, respectively.

“I don’t know if it’s really soaked in yet,” Werner said. “It’s incredible. It’s a hard road.”

A little before 2 a.m. Eastern, the Cup left the building in the hands of a jubilant Landeskog, whose mood was perhaps buoyed by a couple of drinks. A procession of teammates walked with him, including Josh Manson, carrying an NHL championship belt over his shoulder, and Makar with Oakley goggles — champagne protection — on his forehead. “Post that on Twitter!” Byram yelled, wearing an unbuttoned shirt and suit jacket while double-fisting champagne bottles. Landeskog showed off the trophy to the media members still at the rink working, with one message to share.

“We’re taking it back to Denver!”

Valeri Nichushkin and MacKinnon were among the last to leave. Nichushkin, dealing with a suspected foot injury, got a ride from a stadium worker on a flatbed dolly usually used for transporting crates, a bottle in his left hand. MacKinnon walked behind him, laughing at his teammate, victorious at last.

#colorado avalanche #stanley cup finals #stanley cup champions #nhl #nhl hockey #nhlplayoffs2022 #stanley cup 2022 #stanley cup playoffs #nhl players

[myfavouritethingsss]

Josh Anderson gifs 2021

locker room / parkour / workout /  chats

habs highlights 01 / habs highlights 02

bench 01.16.2021 / bench 01.28.2021 / bench 02.02.2021 / bench 02.06.2021 / bench 02.20.2021 / bench 03.06.2021 / bench 04.07.2021 / bench 04.21.2021 / bench 06.22.2021 / bench 06.30.2021

fist bumps 02.10.2021 / fist bumps 02.11.2021 / smile 

penalty 02.11.2021 / penalty 02.20.2021 / penalty 02.23.2021 / penalty 06.06.2021

intermission 02.01.2021 / postgame 03.06.021 / postgame 04.03.2021 / postgame 04.12.2021 / pregame 05.03.2021 / intermission 06.06.2021 / pregame 06.14.2021 / postgame 01 06.18.2021 / postgame 02 06.18.2021 / intermission 07.05.2021 / pregame 06.28.2021 / postgame 06.28.2021 / practice 07.04.2021 / postgame 07.05.2021 / year end interview

arrivals 05.24.2021 / arrivals 05.25.2021 / arrivals 05.29.2021 / arrivals 06.20.2021 / arrivals 06.22.2021 / arrivals 07.05.2021 

twitter Q&A / staring / hair / blue eyes / cowboy / hat / tongue 

 skating 03.02.2021 / skating 04.26.2021 / skating 06.06.2021 / anthem 06.30.2021

home opener / pranking / friends / yelling / micd up / powerhorse / with an A / talking shit / hair / stanley cup finals practice

goal celebration 04.21.2021 / round one celebration / round three celebration

#josh anderson #josh anderson gifs #habs #habs lb #habs gifs #habs masterlist #go habs go #montréal canadiens #montreal canadiens lb #montreal canadien gifs #my gifs #gif set #nhl habs #nhl gifs #nhl hockey

[robindrake13]

Congratulations Colorado Avalanche! Stanley Cup Champions 2021-2022 Season!

We finally get a smile from Nate!

#colorado avalanche #not pens

[claireelle18]

Long Live - Ross Colton

A/N: I wrote this up after hearing the news about Colton going to the Avs and also blasting Taylor Swift. I felt like it just made sense in this situation.

“And the Tampa Bay Lightning are your 2021 Stanley Cup Champions! Back to back!” The announcement shook through the arena. Air thick with electricity as realization kicked in. The team had done it. A back to back Stanley Cup run. Kings of NHL - a powerhouse of a team. Photographs snapped in every direction, smiles bright, whole body shaking with the adrenaline, as everyone tried to capture the moment. As fans started to exit into the downtown area, the team welcomed their families onto the ice to soak in the moment of what just became reality. 

After coming off of last years run, the team had been determined to make another run for this years cup, holding the reins. Once a dream, Lord Stanley hoisted by team captain Steven Stamkos. “Remember this moment, here and now. Soak it all in babe,” she remarked to her boyfriend. He stood like a deer when caught in the headlights of a car, wide eye. By morning, if not earlier due to social media, the pictures would be on every major local tabloid. 

“We are going down in franchise history as the team who brought back to back cups,” one of the guys chirped. “We will be remembered.” 

Flash forward to the post season of the 2022-2023 season. Passing pictures around of that time as it came time to say goodbye to the town that created the player he was today tugged on his heart strings a bit more. All those years of work for him, his family cheering him on. She stood by his side, on the sidelines - whether that was physically or following along over social media, for every little victory, including a third Stanley Cup Final and then being kicked out in round one of the next year’s playoffs. 

He never dreamt that he’d trade in his minor jerseys years ago to earning his NHL branded one. 

Memories that were embedded into those walls, into the city, photographed and tucked away into an album to look back on years later. Waiting for those who asked the stories behind each photo. Looking at the boxes stacked containing those years in their city, ready to be unpacked in the coming week. Into a new place. In a new city, across the country.

She sat in a corner with the album. Small salty drops dripped onto the protective plastic. “Loves what is it?” he asked, concerned. 

“I’ve had the time of my life, watching as you built your career, cheering you on. It’s just wild to think of the start of it all to now.” Not long after he came to Tampa is when the two met. She was the one to ask him for his number, but he asked for the date. 

“Are you worried about the move?” 

“More worried about the change for us.” News came a few days prior to Draft Day. Tampa couldn’t keep him, and the Colorado Avs offered a trade deal to acquire him. Moving away from the city that brought them together, onto the next adventure. “I know it’s not ideal, but I’m scared that if fate steps in, forcing a goodbye between us,” a hushed voice followed by a small sob explained. That fear of the change to come would tear the couple apart. She’d help him move, then tie up her part in Tampa, before coming out to Colorado, joining him. 

His heart ached for her. “It’s not gonna happen. No goodbyes, a few see ya laters just like always. Just like this is an away game trip hunny. When our children point to the pictures - you’re going to explain the love story we created, and then explain it to our grandchildren.” 

She questioned, “Children?” He nodded his head, scooting to rest on one knee. 

“Ideally, this would have been more planned, but I think we need some magic and we need to create a happy memory in our new home.” The new home that she helped pick out, because even with this upside-down shock, he wanted…needed her there. In their home. A black velvet box appears from his pants pocket. “Marry me.” Not a question, a statement because he was so sure of his future with her, no matter where the two went or the universe threw in their direction.

Nodding, more tears cascading down her face, pulling him in for a kiss. She noticed the uniqueness of the glittering ring that adorned her ring finger. “What’s the story behind it?” 

“I know you prefer an older style for jewelry, so I had a stone that was in my family cut into that pear shape, the outside adorned with sapphires to represent where we met and fell in love. Long live us, our relationship - no matter what is thrown our way.” 

#nhl imagine #tblightning #tampa bay lightning #nhl hockey #imagine #hockey imagine #ross colton #oneshot

[tkachow]

Like logically I hear what ur saying but were we actually worse last year?! 😭 I don’t feel like we were worse

picture this. it’s october 27th, 2021. leafs @ chi. leafs are 3-4-1. chi is 0-5-2. this is the game where we’re like. okay. this is our chance to get our feet under us and play like the team we look like on paper. theoretically and logically this should be an easy win. right? yeah. anyways. first period. about 5 minutes in, we’re on the PK. fine. oh. chi scores a minute and a half into their PP. we gave. the 0-5-2 team. their first. fucking lead of the season. obviously this takes a toll on the morale and chi pots another one with 8 minutes left of the period. it’s. it’s 2-0 for the fucking 0-5-2 scumbags. anyways. second period. we look like shit for the first bit of it then somefuckinghow make it 2-1 with a nasty backhand from john tavares. ok cool. we go into the third where we, again, look like fucking shit for the majority of the period. feeling hopeless. feeling “i wish i was born a caps fan”. then, david kampf nearly commits a felony with how outrageous his backhand is, and then it’s tied again.

blah blah OT willy scores on a breakaway blah blah. everyone on twitter is celebrating like we won the fucking stanley cup instead of barely scraping out a win against a fucking bottom-of-the-barrel, god awful team. 79 games later we make it to the end of the season where we’re second in the atlantic under the cats, with 117 points to our name. auston matthews becomes the first american born player to pot 60 in a single season. a couple of our guys beat their personal point records. marner finally scores a fucking powerplay goal. things are looking up! 😀

then we lose in the first round to tampa.

and here we are again, boys.

deep breaths leafs nation. for now.

#i’ll let u guys know when it’s time to panic #but that time is not now #let’s just sit back and make heart eyes at the robos and not worry about our 8 millionth shit start of a season #long post #(that i’ll probably delete later) anyways #leafs lb #anon #also barely any of this is fact-checked so if i fucked some shit up ignore it or die #the sentiments are the same!!!