something about how trades really do affect players. how it's not just us as fans being crazy or reading too much into it. it's real and it's painful. erik johnson has lacked the hutzpah he once had ever since leaving colorado, as if he could bear landeskog's injury but the second he was forced to leave it all came crashing down. sidney crosby has lost much of the joy he once carried and it's because he had the human, golden embodiment of that joy in jake guentzel torn away from him when he needed it most. dylan larkin shed genuine, heartfelt, distraught tears when tyler bertuzzi was traded away. the penguins still welcome marc-andre fleury to pittsburgh every time he plays there because, no matter where he is, that is his home. pk subban could never return to the same player he was after he was taken from price. trevor zegras is seemingly incomplete without drysdale at his side. brandon duhaime is lacking his connor dewar. bowen byram no longer has his alex newhook to lean on and laugh with. travis koneckny and nolan patrick may never even get the chance to play another game with or against one another. and who could imagine kuznetsov as anyone but a capital? do you really think of pavelski in the green of the stars or do you see him proud in teal beside thornton and marleau? did shea weber ever really stop being a nashville predator? and what about beauvillier, horvat, compher, dumolin, burakovsky, kadri, yamamoto, hornqvist, eberle, o'rielly, barrie, jost, gaudreau, karlsson, carter and richards, martin, and so many others? even wayne gretzky himself went to three teams post trade, searching for that spark he had in edmonton after they made him leave. jagr had eight after pittsburgh. you are not crazy for grieving, in some small way, a player you lost. and they aren't crazy for feeling distraught either. these teams are family. and family is everything, even if it gets ripped apart so easily.
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froze
April 14, 2024
Willa just froze as the cheers got louder in the arena, the other team all jumped onto the ice. Celebrating, just like she did two days ago with her team and now her team was left in heartbreaking tears instead.
Willa slowly knelt down on the ice pushing her helmet up and rubbing her eyes, she ran a hand down her face in disbelief.
Willa titled her head back to keep the tears from falling and took a deep breath. She stood up and looked around the ice and saw Ryan kneeling on the ice and his shoulders shaking with what she knows is sobs, she quickly skated over and nodded at a concerned Jack that she got this.
Willa gently kneeled down in front of Ryan laying a hand on his back, “Ry baby.” Willa leaned down to him gently whispering and she could feel her heart breaking some more hearing his sobs.
“I know, come on.” Willa softly cooed and gently helped her boyfriend stand up and immediately he was wrapping his arms around her and burying his head in her chest.
Willa looked up and her eyes connected with Gabe’s tearful eyes and she held out one of her arms and he was immediately skating over and was collapsing into his girlfriend’s arms and leaning against his boyfriend.
Willa let out a shaky sigh and titled her head back to stop herself from crying as her boys needed her now and she had to be strong for them.
Willa gently shifted around and wrapped her arms around their shoulders and walked with them off the ice and down the tunnel and into the locker room.
The three all sat down at their stalls, that luckily all were next to each other.
Gabe curled up into a little ball on his stall resting his head on Willa’s lap and was staring off in space. Ryan leaned his head on Willa’s shoulder and was sniffling and wiping his eyes constantly.
Willa kept her eyes on the celling trying to push through her emotions for her boys.
The team all listened to the coach talk before they were allowed to shower and go back to the hotel.
Willa stood up with both her boys and walked with them to their showers, once Willa saw them both go into a shower she headed to the farthest one and quickly got under the warm water and let her tears run down her face.
She put her hand over her mouth trying to desperately quiet her sobs not wanting anyone to hear her.
Willa was devastated, it’s been her dream since she could remember to win a national championship playing for Boston College.
She remembered when she went to her first ever Boston college hockey game and went with her grandfather and she remembers the feeling she had for the first time watching the game, she knew she was going to play there one day.
Willa just really wanted to bring home the natty for her grandfather who had pasted, it was like the last thing she could do in honor of him.
The only good thing is that she knows she is coming back next year, so is Gabe and Ryan. They haven’t announced it yet but they have already discussed it with their teams, all three of them will be playing one more season with Boston College.
Willa quickly dried herself off throwing on her suit back on and did a simple braid and left the shower room. She headed back into the locker room and saw mostly everyone was done with the showers.
She walked to Gabe and Ryan and linked her arms with their and walked quietly to the bus. They walked into the bus and all squished into one row together. Ryan had his head hiding in Willa’s neck and Gabe rested his head on her chest closing his eyes.
She ran her hair through both of her boys hair as the rest of the team got onto the bus.
Willa held both of them as the bus drove them back to their hotel, She gently stood up pulling them up with her and they slowly walked back to Willa’s room.
She opened her hotel door and they all shuffled in, the boys went to their bags and started slowly changing into sweatpants. Will slipped her suit off putting on pair of babe’s sweatpants and ryan’s t-shirt and looked back at her sad boys who finished getting dressed.
Willa walked over and gently grabbed both of their hands and pulled them into her bed. Gabe quickly curled up into a little ball under the blanket resting his head on her side and Ryan burrowed into her neck and let out a sigh as he closed his eyes.
“I’m so proud of you both.” Willa softly spoke kissing both of their heads.
Gabe sniffled and mumbled back, “I love you both.”
Ryan eyes peeked up at Willa, sad eyes and distraught face, “I love you both so much.” Ryan tearfully mumbled to his two loves. The only thing that made today better was that he knew he had one more season with Gabe and Willa and at least he didn’t have to worry about the thought of one of them leaving already.
“I love you both.” Willa softly and comfortingly spoke to her boys and gave them both another kiss of the tops of their head, she pulled the blanket up more around Ryan’s shoulders.
Willa softly hummed and ran her fingers gently through Ryan’s wet hair and slowly massaged his scalp feeling him starting to relax against her. Her other hand was gently rubbing up and down on Gabe’s back and she could hear his breathing slowly doing down and knew he fell fast asleep.
Willa softly hummed and pressed another soft kiss to Ryan’s forehead. Ryan hummed back pressed a kiss to her neck and nudged his nose softly against her neck.
Willa continued to slowly run her hands through Ryan’s hair gently as she felt him continuing to relax more and more and soon he fell asleep.
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Listened to the Leon Gawanke Locked on Sharks episode...takeaways:
JD has gotten SO much better at interviewing, I'm so proud of him truly. it's taken almost three years but I can finally listen to him interview a prospect without having a rage blackout even once
do we...finally have a smart prospect...I swear to god almost every single one of these interviews in the past 2-3 years I've listened to has been no thoughts head empty when JD asks our prospects to comment on play (and again a lot of that might be bc JD is just some guy with a podcast and no journalism training (to my knowledge) who would ask insanely leading questions), but Leon was so thoughtful about reviewing the Cuda's season so far and what the problems were but also what is good with the team...do we finally have a prospect who is able to put his observations into words
deeply funny to me when JD asks a prospect if they're superstitious and they're like oh no not at all, I just have to do everything in the exact same order at the exact same time or I will explode into a ball of stardust. but I'm normal :)
he's enjoying the Bay Area!! He loves the 49ers!! He likes to explore!! We have at least one prospect who is enjoying the Bay Area!!! We have at least one prospect who is happy to be here!! you love to see it.
Rooting for you, guy 😭 also just went through all my screenshots of the Barracuda's lines in the past two months and he's been in the line up way more consistently than I thought...good sign I think. I hope he gets a shot at the NHL this year.
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