#toronto bubble hockey

[twominutesfortripping]

Absolutely savage quote from Luke Fox at Sportsnet in the article detailing Auston’s 60th goal omg.

#hockey #nhl #toronto maple leafs #auston matthews #60 babyyyy #Toronto media never missing an opportunity to trash the sabres #I always forget how rude some jornalists are omg #when you leave the hockeyblr bubble #and it’s no longer thats my blorbo and his team sucks but I still love him #like im happy for matts tho #forever rivals tho #and I mean #the only time I’ve made the leafs pilgrimage to buff they booed us out of the building so fair enough #rivalry alive and well

[bitchinbarzal]

talk to me | f minten

summary: When miscommunication strikes he just wants you to talk to him.

-

You trusted Fraser with your life, he was your entire world.

Things were hard for you when he headed off to Saskatchewan after it didn’t work out well with the leafs. You were proud of him regardless but it was hard.

It was hard when you had so many classes back to back which was only made worse when his games and training schedule was on the opposite schedule to yours.

You’d hardly spoken in weeks outwith casual morning and what you up to text messages.

You missed your boyfriend.

You were supposed to fly to visit him for Valentine’s, finally having a long weekend to spend with him albeit watching him play but you’d rather watch him play and be able to hug him afterwards than just sending a text.

However, the tickets were sent to be refunded as soon as you saw the photo.

You always encouraged Fraser to go out, do something other than play hockey and when he did he was usually texting you, telling you how he wished you were there.

However, looking at the picture on your Twitter you realised he had avoided telling you he was going out which wouldn’t have been an issue if the photo you were looking at wasn’t a picture of him with his arm around another girl, curled into his side.

Your heart dropped as you flicked between the few images on the screen. The smile on his face hurt your heart, having been absent from your FaceTime calls for weeks.

You unpacked your bags for your trip and sat on your bed, turning on the tv to find a show to distract you.

A little later your phone buzzed, his photo appearing as your background, his smile wanting to make you smile. You looked at the notification and read the text

hey, call me when you’re checked in and send me your flight info so I can track you landing! I can’t wait to see you sweet girl 💙

You read the text and sighed, typing out your response.

Not coming, cancelled my ticket.

the typing bubble appeared, then disappeared over and over until he began calling.

You stared at his contact picture, a photo of you both together. You contemplated not picking up but you knew him, he’d never stop calling.

“Fraser”

“Babe… what’s wrong?”

“I just don’t wanna come anymore”

You could just see the frown on his face in your head

“Why? I thought you were excited, we haven’t seen each other since October?” He sighed.

“Just changed my mind Fras, sue me” you snapped to which he mumbled “Ok rude”

And you just hung up, unable to continue your conversation without getting mean.

When you did he text you.

somethings wrong with you, I know it. I love you and I wanna talk to you so call me when you want 💙

You rolled your eyes, why did he have to be so supportive when you were mad at him.

He’d sent you multiple DM’s and texts overnight to which all were read and none responded to, leaving him with only one option.

When you woke up the next morning there he was, asleep on your couch. You stared at him softly, noticing he was hugging into himself clearly cold.

You may be mad but never that mad. You waddled into your bedroom and pulled out your blanket, draping it over him.

You hadn’t noticed in the darkness of your living room that your movements had woken Fraser up until he wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you into his lap.

You landed with an “oof” and looked at him, your eyes sad and red from crying all night. You hoped he couldn’t but he could see them in the light coming in off the streets of downtown Toronto.

His thumb brushed your cheek “Hi sweet girl, what’s going on? Talk to me…”

You shook your head, attempting to get up but be stopped you “Y/N you need to speak to me! We’re a team”

You just glared “were we a team when you had your hands on her?”

His grip kept tightly on you as he frowned “What?”

“You- there was that picture of you online with some girl from last week” you stumbled, picking up his phone from right next to him.

In the moment you never registered how he didn’t even flinch when you picked up his phone or how the lock screen was a picture of you.

You found it eventually and showed him to which he nodded “Yeah that’s Kayla”

“Well Kayla is too close to Fraser” you said as if it was so obvious.

Fraser smiled “That’s Easton’s sister, she was visiting him that’s all… nothing weird”

You huffed a little, not used to being spoken to so honest and calmly

“You didn’t tell me you were going out”

“You were asleep because you felt sick! Babe stop trying to find a problem where there isn’t one, please just let yourself be happy for once in your life”

You deflated, leaning your head onto his shoulder

“I was so angry with you”

“I get it”

“You’re perfect though”

“I’m far from perfect but to someone who loves you, you’re everything” he mumbles, holding your hand “You’re everything to me you know that right?”

“I guess…”

He grabs your chin to make you look at him “No, you are! I was so scared I’d lose you last night I had to come here… you’re too important for me to lose”

“I promise I’ll talk next time” you admitted, kissing his jaw.

“Just talk to me, I love to hear your voice”

#fraser minten imagine #fraser minten x reader

[puckbunnyera]

Second Chance | Arber Xhekaj

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

genre: angst, fluff at the end

word count: 1.9k

warnings: none

notes: started this a couple of weeks ago and i've finally finished it. the part that took the longest was deciding which hockey player i wanted to use for it.

• ──────────────♡────────────── •

Coming to the game was a bad idea. I knew it from the moment the word yes slipped from my lips, but when Mayah, the bubbly girl that sits next to me in my psychology lecture, asked if I would attend the game between the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs with her after her friend bailed, I couldn't find it in me to turn her down.

In the day leading up to the game, I convinced myself that everything would be fine. That he wouldn't even know I was there. I'm not quite sure if I jinxed myself or if Karma was playing some cruel joke on me, but the second we made it to our seats, right there in the front row behind the Canadiens bench, I decided it was some sick and twisted combination of the two. Regret began to make itself right at home in my head the second we settled into our seats.

As the two teams make their way out onto the ice to head to their respective benches, the crowd goes wild. The arena fills with the sound of thousands of fans cheering and yelling. However, the sound of my own rapidly beating heart floods my eardrums, replacing the loud screams of the fans, as my eyes drift to him and our gazes interlock.

Arber Xhekaj, defenceman for the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League, known to me as my ex-boyfriend, is staring right at me and there was nowhere I can go to hide.

Once upon a time, he was a man that meant everything to me. He was my whole world. We spent a little over two years in a relationship together, happy and in love. Things were perfect between us, until they weren't. What started as small, petty disagreements that happened here and there became full-on arguments that occurred almost every day. While I was putting in the effort to fix things, he was shutting me out. I pinned all of it on stress and the lack of time we got to spend with each other because of his work and my schooling. I tried to wait it out in hopes that things would return to normal, but eventually, I couldn't do it anymore. I didn't see the point in fighting for us if he wasn't willing to do the same. I've spent the past few months trying to move on and forget about him, and I thought I was doing pretty well. That all came crashing down the moment he noticed me. I suddenly became painfully aware that I was still hopelessly in love with him.

The insistent tapping on my arm is what finally pulls me from our impromptu staring contest. When I turn to my left, Mayah is buzzing with excitement.

"Oh my god! Arber Xhekaj is literally staring at you." She squeals. "How are you not freaking out right now? He is six feet and four inches of muscle and manliness. I would climb him like a fucking tree if given the opportunity."

The ending comment causes a pang of jealousy to flare up inside of me. I push it away as quickly as it appears though. I have no right to feel that way anymore, as we are no longer together. It's a feeling that I don't want to feel again, at least not when he is concerned.

Not able to come up with a response, I shrug my shoulders to express a feeling of indifference and turn to face forward as the announcer's voice floods the arena.

• ───────────────────────────── •

Despite the Habs loss to the Maple Leafs, my body is still filled with adrenaline and excitement as I walk out of the arena with Mayah. I had forgotten how much I loved hockey. It was how I met Arber. When things ended between us, I forgot how much I enjoyed watching the game as I tried my hardest to forget him.

"Thanks for coming with me."

"Thanks for inviting me." I respond. "I think that's the most exciting thing I've experienced in a while."

"Anytime." She smiles. "My Uber is here but I'll see you in class on Monday?"

"Yeah, see you Monday." I wave her off as she climbs into the car waiting for her by the curb.

As I wait for my own ride to arrive, I feel my phone buzz in my hand, alerting me of a text.

From Unknown Number: Hey. Can we talk?

Despite there being no name on the contact, I knew exactly who it was from. I'm about to turn my screen off to ignore it when another message comes through.

From Unknown Number: I know you're seeing this.

From Unknown Number: Please

From Unknown Number: I just want to talk.

All it takes is for that fourth and final message to come through for me to make my decision. I type out a short reply just as my Uber arrives.

• ───────────────────────────── •

A couple of hours later, here I am, standing in front of his apartment door. I'm a ball of nerves as I raise my hand to knock on the door. It only takes two knocks for the door to go swinging open and I suddenly find myself standing face-to-face with the man I swore I would never see again.

"Hey." He greets, voice still as deep and mesmerizing as I remember. "Come in."

I give him a tight-lipped smile as I step past him into the apartment I once considered a second home. He closes the door without a word and then leads me into the living room.

"Do you want some water?" He asks as I take a seat on the couch.

"No, thank you." I reply, trying to keep my voice steady in hopes that I can conceal the emotions that are beginning to rise to the surface. "What did you want to talk about? It's late and I can't stay long."

"I-" He begins before quickly cutting himself off, taking a seat on the sofa opposite of me. He sighs heavily and then tries again. "I miss you."

I freeze instantly at the words that leave his mouth. A mixture of shock and anger forms in my chest. "Arber-"

"These past few months have been hell." He continues. "I know you probably don't believe me, but I'm telling the truth."

"I can't do this." My voice wobbles as I speak, tears welling up in my eyes. I stand up, making a move towards the door. "I...I need to leave. I shouldn't have come here."

"Why?" Frustration is evident in his tone as he quickly follows my movements, grasping my hand to stop me from walking any further. "Why can't you just stay and talk to me?"

"Because if I stay, I might do something stupid." I shake my head, trying to clear the racing thoughts that have taken over. "Like..." My voice trails off, not able to finish the sentence as I attempt to get my emotions under control.

"Like what?" He interrupts, inching closer to me.

"Forgive you," I answer, looking him in the eyes for the first time since I arrived. "Because God knows you don't deserve my forgiveness. Not this easily."

"You're right. I don't deserve it," He nods. "But I want it anyway, because I'm selfish and cruel, right?" He punctuates his question with an audible scoff. Throwing my own words from our last argument at me.

"Don't say that like I'm the bad guy." I bite back. "You were the one that pushed me away like I was nothing when I was the only one there for you." My words are bitter. "I've tried so hard to make myself hate you for the way you made me feel. I tried so fucking hard. Instead, I ended up hating myself for failing so miserably. Despite my efforts, I still fucking love you. And it hurts."

My chest is tight and I'm breathing heavily as I fight back the sob that threatens to leave me. His hand grips mine tighter as he opens his mouth to speak.

"I can't tell you how sorry I am. I know I fucked up. Treating you like that and letting you walk out that door were two of the biggest mistakes I've ever made in my life." He confesses. "I want you. No, scratch that. I fucking need you. And I'll spend every day for the rest of our lives making up for what I did if that's what it takes."

"I waited for you." I whisper as the dam behind my eyes finally breaks, tears cascading down my cheeks. "For two months, I waited for something to change. For you to change."

"I know." His hands lift to caress my face, thumbs gently brushing away my tears. "And I promise I'll never make you feel like that again. I won't take your love for granted ever again."

"I thought you were falling out of love with me and I couldn't take it anymore."

"Never did I stop loving you." He shook his head, a deep frown etched on his face.

"Then what happened?"

"I was scared. You were getting busier with school and I was beginning to travel more. The longer we spent apart the more I began to question the stability of our relationship. I was afraid that, because of my busy schedule and how often I have to travel for the majority of the year, I wouldn't be able to be the type of boyfriend that you need. That you deserve. I convinced myself that it was only a matter of time before you realized that and as a result, I subconsciously began to push you away."

"You could have just talked to me." I sigh. "We could have figured it out."

"I know." He nods. "I wish I could take it back. I really do. If you would just give me a second chance, I'll do better."

"Promise?"

"Yes. I promise."

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"I'll give you another chance, but if you fuck it up, we're over for good."

"I won't." He shakes his head, hands moving to my waist to pull me into him. "You have my word."

"Good." I smile softly, laying my head on his chest.

The room falls silent as we stand in each other's embrace, taking in the moment. After a few minutes, it's Arber that makes the first move to separate us, but only enough to be able to see my face. He stares silently, lips parted as if he wants to say something.

"What?" I question, noticing his hesitation.

"Can I kiss you?" His right hand moves up to rest on my cheek, angling my head up a little more. It takes less than a second for me to respond.

"Please do."

His lips brush mine softly at first, a brief peck to test the waters. He pulls back slightly to examine my face. I'm not quite sure what he is looking for, but whatever he does or doesn't find has him leaning back in. This kiss is deeper, hungrier, more desperate. We stay like this for a while. Melting into each other. Once the lack of oxygen becomes too much, we finally part. Our foreheads remain pressed together, our eyes still closed as we try to catch out breaths.

"I really fucking missed you." He whispers, our lips brushing with every word he speaks.

"I missed you too." I smile against his lips.

"Stay."

"What?" I pull back slightly and open my eyes to look at him.

"Stay." He repeats. "Stay the night with me. It's late anyways. I don't want you going back on your own. So stay."

I take a few seconds to think it over before I respond, nodding my head. "Okay."

Smiling, he steps out of our embrace and intertwines his fingers with mine, pulling me behind him as he begins to make his way down the familiar path to his bedroom.

#arber xhekaj #arber xhekaj imagine #arber xhekaj x reader #ax72 #arber xhekaj fluff #arber xhekaj angst #arber xhekaj fic #arber xhekaj fanfiction #montreal canadiens #nhl imagine #nhl fanfiction #nhl fic

[wosowrites]

Goalkeeper (Jessie Fleming x Reader)

a/n: based off this request here

warnings: none

prompt: in which the canwnt goes to watch a hockey game in which jessie’s girlfriend is the keeper.

Growing up in London Ontario meant that you played boys hockey. And for the longest time, you played boys hockey with Jessie Fleming. But once you both turned 13, she started to feel uncomfortable playing with boys, and being in the changing room, so she quit hockey and focused on soccer. And man did it pay off. But you never stopped talking, every second you weren’t at soccer or hockey training, you were at each others houses, together at school, or running track together. It was always Jessie and y/n.

"There go Jessie and y/n"

"Jessie and y/n, breaking school records"

And eventually it became

"Jessie and y/n, repping Canada"

Jessie made her start for the CANWNT at 15 and you were in the stands cheering her on. And when you turned 16, you made your debut for the Canada Women’s Hockey Team as their keeper. You only started dating at 17, which happened to be horrid timing as she was leaving for UCLA in a year, and due to your impeccable grades and your talent in Hockey, you got accepted into Yale. The long distance broke your heart everyday, and multiple nights were spent either crying from missing her, or falling asleep on facetime with her. But it all payed off… for a bit. You still played hockey for the Canadian team and you played in the the Premier Hockey Federation for the Toronto Six. And man, that distance between London, England and Toronto was even worse. But you were older, and more mature, and your league season ended while Jessie’s was only in the middle. So the second your season ended, you packed your bags and moved to London for a couple of months, working a well paying job at a cafe and playing hockey at the local rink whenever you could. It was a strange life, and definitely not a lifestyle that would work for everyone, but you didn’t care as long as you were with Jessie.

However, the start of your season was approaching and it was time to say goodbye to the blues and hello to the reds. That being the Canadian Women’s National Soccer Team. They were all meeting up in Toronto, partly to go back to their Canadian roots, and partly to go see you play in your home opener of the season.

The night before the game, you did your day before game routine and then went to bed. Nothing beat the familiar feeling of your girlfriend by your side.

That morning, you got up at 9:00 like you did on all game days, kissed Jessie’s head and then pulled out a pre game outfit for you too wear as well as take out one of your jerseys for Jessie to wear. It was not the first time that the CANWNT came to watch you play. They tried to watch your games in person at least twice a year as they all cared about you a lot, considering you were the only person that made Jessie come out of her bubble fully. They called themselves "y/n’s army" and wore t-shirts with your face on them. You thought it was hilarious.

Jessie knew that you liked to leave for your games early and do your pre game routine all alone. So even though you only needed to be at the arena at 1:00, you left at 10:00 while Jessie took advantage of her off season to sleep.

You went to a coffee shop, walked around toronto, had lunch and then headed to the arena.

You met your teammates there, talking with them, laughing with them and answering their questions about if your "army" would be here today.

And they were, the second you hopped onto the ice in your heavy keeper equipment, you could hear their cheers and see the signs. It made you feel warm inside. You skated up to the barrier where Jessie was standing and out your glove on the glass and smiled at her. "Meet you after?" she asked you, loudly because of the music and the noise. "You bet," you answered.

"Good lucky my love," she told you, blowing you a kiss.

The game was heated, both teams wanted points from their first game right away, but you didn’t let a single goal in. It took a lot of screaming, orders and a few shoves and fights with the opposition, which Jessie hated, but you managed to get the 2-0 win.

After the game, you changed into jeans and a yellow graphic tee that was Jessie’s, as well as airforces and a black jean jacket. You lugged your equipment behind you and met Jessie outside the arena. She quickly pecked your lips, not big on the PDA but she did whisper a word of congratulations in your ear. You were quick to be bombarded by your girlfriends team though, hugs from Alyssa, Jordyn, Julia, Nichelle and Quinn, taps on the back from Sincy, Sophie and Sabrina and a loud scream from Kailen who then picked you up off the ground and swung you around in circles.

"Put her down Kailen!" Jessie squealed. You were taller than Jessie and pretty strong but Kailen was something else. "She’s fine Fleming," the keeper said, putting you down and smiling at you as you gained your bearings again. "Yeah, all good," you laughed. Kailen took your bag and walked towards your car, giving you the opportunity to swing an arm around Jessie’s shoulder as she put hers around your waist. You kissed the top of her head lovingly and told her you loved her as you walked towards the car.

Nothing felt better than being with your second family. Just being around the Canadian Women’s Soccer Team felt natural and easy.

#woso fic #woso imagine #woso x reader #jessie fleming #canwnt

[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

[rowdyhughesy]

Meet me in Toronto - Jamie Drysdale

part one

“ love, love isn’t having butterflies all the time. I think love is calm. Love is comfortable. I could sit in silence with you for the rest of our lives and it would mean more than a thousand words with anyone else “

- anon

Word count: 707

It felt unfamiliar, odd for the girl to be back in Toronto. To be back in the streets she used to call home, buildings that held so many memories from her childhood. Summers spent eating ice cream at the small parlour down the street from her old house, movie nights in the basement with her best friends.

The summer with Jamie.

There is a life before Jamie and a life after Jamie, she longs for the life before. When she didn't feel so hollow and restless.

Maybe it's the need for closure that brought her back to Toronto or to torture herself even more with the ghost of Jamie, it's hard to tell at this point.

So she lets herself practically be dragged by the collar of her T-shirt by her friends. They're giggling and talking amongst themselves. Not paying attention to her falling behind, gaze far away and stuck inside her own head.

It's not until one of the friends throws her arm around the girls shoulder leaning her head on hers. Skin sticky with sweat from the summer heat and the small amount of wind doing bare minimum to cook them down.

"So tell me Y/N/N, is secret Canadian boy still in town you reckon?" Y/N's body goes rigid at the mention of Jamie. She's never told any of the friends she made after the move his name, who he is really. Only telling the reason why dates never worked out or why she doesn't have interest in boys being a boy she met when she was younger. Someone that took her heart and nobody had compared since so she just stopped trying.

There was no point in trying to replace Jamie when nobody could. Nobody will.

"No he isn't, I haven't talked to him in years you know that. Doesn't matter anyway." It's a lie and they both know that she's just saying it to brush off the hurt that lingers. Hidden between the words leaving her lips.

The AC blows against her face as the group steps inside the smoothie shop. To focused on their conversations Y/N doesn’t notice the dark haired boy sitting in the corner.

Brim of his hat covering most of his facial features, engrossed in some video his friend is showing on his phone. He barks out a loud laugh, this making the girls ears perk up at the sound.

Her head turning in his direction so fast she’s surprised she doesn’t get whiplash from the force. Eyes wide as she finally sees the boy she’s been missing for years. Mouth opening and closing as she tries to find the words, will he even remember her?

“Y/N?” Jamie stares back at her with the same shocked expression as she adorns. Stumbling out of his chair Jamie blinks his eyes repeatedly. Wondering if she’s a hallucination or he’s making a complete fool out of himself and it’s not her. Maybe it’s just a look alike and he’ll leave the shop mortified.

“Hi Jamie.” The hockey player towers over her, he’s so close she can smell his cologne mixed with laundry detergent. Apples and pine wood with a hint of a spice she can’t place.

Jamie lifts a shaky hand, gauging her reaction before placing his hand on her cheek. Caressing it with the pad of his thumb. She leans into it, eyes watery and bottom lip wobbling as she tries to hold back the tears. The happy tears because he’s here and she can feel him. It’s no longer just a memory or ghost haunting her in her dreams.

“I missed you, shit I can’t believe you’re standing in front of me right now.” Shaking his head in disbelief as a watery laugh bubbles up from his throat.

Y/N just smiles at him before she throws her arms around him. Hugging him as tight as she can and Jamie is quick to reincorporate the hug. Burrowing his face into her neck.

Neither of them thought they’d ever be here like this again. Holding each other, hear the rhythm of matching heartbeats.

After years of being lost they finally took the right turns and found their way back.

They found their way back home.

#jamie drysdale imagine #jamie drysdale x reader #nhl imagine #hockey blurb

[annieqattheperipheral]

bedard & barzal:

First half of the article is about the core of skilled players (prospects in upcoming drafts) growing up being influenced by bedard

Then explores why this Vancouver area is thriving in producing so many talents...

ofc generational talents like bedard (from a working class family) were given scholarships

an aspect to consider is the immense pressure put on kids to become specialized in one sport year-round from such a young age, when time and again some of the most elite players right now enjoyed playing a variety of sports (eg. hockey in fall/winter, baseball in spring/summer), all of which contributed to their on-ice skills (drai-- soccer/football, tavares-- lacrosse, sid-- baseball, ...ok well, everything lol)

making pro hockey now even moreso a career only accessible to a certain demographic, beyond just affording equipment & team fees for coaches, ice time and tournaments

yes players continue developing no matter which draft number pick they are, but consider that those in the first round tend to be the ones getting the bigger bucks throughout their careers, instead of slowly working towards it

yes I'm fully aware this is what Toronto is and has been forever lmao so yes, its good that this hub is expanding out throughout the country

this is why players like bunting who came up through accessible non-elite programs are so important-- have the higher skill & drive but not the generational talent-- just like every kid paying their way through these academies-- but definitely do not have the family wealth to get them training in such a specialized consistent way w elite talents to develop them sooner for a more lucrative possible career in hockey.

Just thought this was all v interesting so wanted to share! And just a small part of the bigger picture

Ofc its no surprise that the core training around bedard have developed to a higher degree than most other teens. Wanted to highlight the other advantages also available to these kids, just like in the elite leagues here in Toronto and Michigan, etc. And ofc boarding schools like shattuck that sid & nate attended.

And how so much of their siloed thinking and social culture comes to be, including their slower path towards progressive perspectives. But i adore that the new crop nowadays have access to and embrace broader views outside of their bubbles bc omg old hockeymen pls gtfo.

#connor bedard #mat barzal #annieQ hockey thoughts #...barzal not teaching him how to be sh*t to women👀

[lennysfridge]

4

at the sight of her opening eyes, aryne and john’s shoulders sag in relief, tears of relief accumulating in their eyes. meanwhile matthew, still posted by the door, stood frozen, unsure if his desperate mind was playing tricks on him.

after a few beats, matthew let out a soft “baby,” voice hesitant in asking. and while he didn’t get a verbal answer, the hum he got in an affirmative tone made sobs of relief bubble in his chest. “baby,” he said again, voice a lot more sure. yet again, no verbal response, but this time her eyes were drawn towards matthew, a sleepy, still half-drugged up grin making its way to her face.

yet before he could make a move towards her bedside, the door came bursting open, dr.smith, nurse johnston, and another professional the three people in the room (bar bear and bug) didn’t know rushing in the room.

upon seeing bear awake and conscious on the bed, smiles overtook their faces. “hello ms.tavares, glad to have you back with us. do you know what happened?”

bear noticeably gulped, pausing, and then gestured towards her throat.

matthew, an expert at reading his girlfriend, states, “she needs water, her throats too dry.” at his words, nurse johnston’s eyes widened, uttering, “oh, right,” before quickly shoving a glass of water in bear’s direction.

after bear had a few sips, she gained a thigh full look on her face, before replying, “i remember making another drink and then sitting on the couch in the suite. after that, everything is dark.”

“you said another drink. about how many did you drink?” dr.smith questions, wanting to ensure the assumption they had made about her alcohol intake was correct.

“three- but my second one might has well have been two. i went a little heavy,” bear stated. her statement made the unknown medical professional’s presence light up, instantly writing down notes on his clipboard.

“and just for assistance purposes, please state your full name, where you live, your parents and siblings names, and what your father’s occupation is,” dr.smith inquires, the unknown male seemingly awaiting bear’s responses eagerly.

“my name’s barret aryne tavares, i live in toronto, my dad’s name is john, my mom’s name is aryne, my siblings are axton, jace and bug. and my dad plays hockey for the maple leafs,” bear responds with ease.

at her responses, the man quietly converses with dr.smith, before making his way out of the room. “that was dr.allar- he’s one of the neurology specialists on site. he was just in here to monitor you for any immediate signs of memory issues. however, you aced it. he’ll likely drop in one more time before you leave, but otherwise you shouldn’t see him,” nurse johnston pipes up from her place beside dr.smith.

“may i ask for your names? i would know them, but i was kinda unconscious when we first met,” bear joked, being met with silence from her parents and matty, even bug giving her a little look. on the other hand, dr.smith and nurse johnston let controlled smiles bleed onto their faces.

“i’m nurse johnston, and i administered your hemodialysis treatment. this is dr.smith, and she’s overseeing your case,” nurse johnston replied, tone giving the effect this wasn’t the first time she gave an introductory like that.

dr.smith spoke now, from her place next to bear’s vital machine. “your vitals look very improved. we were able to take you off hemodialysis in about. 10 minutes. you’ve been on fluids ever since. however we’re going to start you on an iv, to help lower your BAC, and also remove any traces of your medication that still may be interacting with the alcohol. but after tonight, as long as everything looks good tomorrow morning, we should be able to discharge you,” and with that, she gestured towards nurse johnston, who took that as her que to take a few quick steps towards the floating desk connected to her iv, and made quick work to prepare another one to go into her arm.

once she was done preparing the iv, dr.smith took a step back to give nurse

johnston some room, who made quick work to prepare any area on her vein, she took one glance towards bear, as well as matty who had taken refuge in a chair directly on this other side during this interaction and said, “you may want something to hold on to. patients sometimes feel various levels of discomfort,” and at her words, matthew’s hand found a home on the arm rest of her hospital bed, and bear’s hand wandered up the rest to grasp his. at the minimal connection, they both let small grins make their way on to their faces.

seeing bear grasp kniesy’s hand, nurse johnston quickly inserted the iv, and bear gripped matty’s hand a little harder, before letting go once the discomforting feeling was over with.

“well you look to be set. nurse johnston will probably come back before night fall to change your iv if your BAC hasn’t lowered. however in the morning, you should be good to go, and should be discharged by 11am,” dr.smith chirped, and then glanced at nurse johnston, and gestured for the other woman to follow her.

once the door shut behind the two women, it was as if the silence became a thousand times heavier.

best glanced nervously between her parents, who were sat in chairs close to the door, and her boyfriend sat next to her, and then quickly broke eye contact once she locked eyes with matthew, and resorted to glueing her eyes to the hand in her lap with two iv’s attached.

finally, matthew had enough, and he broke. “what were you thinking bear? that was so stupid. i get aryne usually reads your meds and their requirements to you, but why wouldn’t you do it yourself? and i know i like to read them off to you as you take them, but do you understand how utterly stupid you were today? had you made another one, you could’ve died bear! you could’ve died…” his voice broke towards the end as he trailed off, phone grasped limply in his hand, with a google search of, “how much alcohol can mix with prescription drugs before you die?”

the longer his rant went on, the faster tears fell from bears eyes. she knows she was stupid- at least now. and all she wanted to do was get to the arena quicker. that’s it. she didn’t mean anything by it.

at her thought process, she quietly spoke up, “i just wanted to get to the arena quicker. i know i was taking forever to get ready, so i just grabbed my pills and took them before we left. i swear i would’ve read them. i should’ve read them…,” her voice broke now, distressed by the amount of worry she knows she caused the people in the room, and probably many more.

at the thought of other people, her head whipped up, distress taking over, “where are the boys? are they okay? did they have to see me like this?” she asked in a panicked manner. her daughters distress made aryne remember she had never gotten an answer from john in the lobby about the boys, and her head turned quickly to him.

“mitch and steph got them home. steph said she remembered their night time routine, and me and matty jumped at the opportunity to get here faster,” john’s voice spoke up in a soothing manner, bringing a hand to grasp his wife’s, and making eye contact with his oldest.

unexpectedly, the door creaked open, nurse johnston peaking her head in. “i went to go search for a blanket, as most hemodialysis patients, along with people with multiple iv’s usually complain of the chills. however it looks like we’re running short, so i apologize,” and she quickly flashed a smile and shut the door again.

once again, as she shut the door, silence overtook the room.

finally john spoke up, with a sleeping bug in his arms. “im going to hand you bug, and me and mom are going to run to the restroom, grab a few snacks and drinks to bring back here, and then i think we’re going to head out. mom’s about to join bug in lala land,” he joked towards the end, raising the hand attached to his wife’s, and promptly shaking her out of her sleep filled haze.

and doing as he said he said he would, he adjusted bug into the crook of her big sisters neck and took a step back to ensure she stayed asleep. at the loss of weight, john shook his arm out, and then questioned, ”what snacks do you guys want?”

both young adults in the room answered harmoniously, “cheetos and blue gatorade,” and then shyly glanced towards eachother, before looking away.

the adults in the room smiled at one another, reminiscent of how they sued to be. after their rapid reminiscing, they quickly made their way to the door, shutting it softly behind them.

at their absence, matthew looked towards bear, and simply took her in. he was so thankful she was alive. and in reality- he didn’t mean what he said earlier. he was just scared of the idea that he possibly could’ve had to continue on in life without her.

“i’m sorry for how i said what i said earlier baby,” matty paused, ensuring bear’s attention was on him. “it’s everything i wanted to say, but in the wrong way. today just scared the shit out of me bear. it made me realize just how quickly things can happen that can change your life. i; at this point in time, have no clue how i’d go on without you,” at the conclusion of his emotional confession, bear was worked to tears.

“oh baby, no don’t cry i-“ bear cut him off quickly, “please kiss me idiot. you don’t just tell me you can’t live without and don’t give me a little kiss,” she jokingly spoke, quickly leaning up to meet him in the middle.

however in the middle of their lip-lock, the door cracked open agan, john and aryne coming back through the door.

aryne spoke up jokingly to break their embrace, “just because we finally let you two have the door shut doesn’t mean you jump in her bed,” aryne teased the knies boy, coming close to the boy and messing with his hair.

once she neared matthew, she set their snacks on the bed, and then reached for her babygirl, who had begun just barely waking up.

when she had bug securely in her arms, she made her way to stand by john at the door, both parents turning around one last time before they departed.

“bear, we’re happy you’re okay. mom’s gotta run the boys to school, so i’ll drop by in the morning to sign you out. we called off morning skate before we left, so we’ll probably just head home after,” john spoke with the confidence of a leader.

“anyway,” aryne chirped up after her husband, “goodnight to the both of you. we love you guys, sleep tight!”

and with that, the tavares parents, along with the littlest tavares, were out the door.

once it was just matthew and barrett in the room, there was a long pause. but then suddenly, bear spoke up in between her now chattering teeth.

“fuck did they- they turn the temp down in here?” bear questioned, arms covered in goosebumps.

at her reaction, matthew got up to check the temperature first, before answering, “no babe- its only 67 in here. are you okay?” he questioned, concern building in his chest for his girl.

that concern was suddenly washed away when he remembered what nurse johnston had poked her head in about earlier. “they said you’d get cold baby- but they don’t have any blankets. what do you want me to do?” he questioned, placing his warm hands on her arms in an effort to help warm her up.

“please cuddle with me”, bear said rapidly, grasping matty’s arm with the hand closest to him.

“your like a heater at night bubba, and you should do the trick,” she spoke in a mix of seriousness and teasing.

matty took her statement at face value. “alright, then move over, and i’ll lay on your right,” matthew said, as he got up to lay down in his usual place beside bear.

just as he went to lay down though, bear got a timid look on her face. “you- ah- you usually don’t wear a shirt at night bubba. can you uh- take it off now?” she questioned, prepared to say it was a joke depending on his reaction.

at her question though, he simply reached for the bottom of his shirt, and yanked it off of his body, showcasing his athletic build.

“even in a hospital bed you just want to see me naked,” he teased, before laying down next to his girl and getting comfortable.

with her one good hand, bear jokingly hit his shoulder. “nuh-uh,” she said in childish manner. “you’re just warmer this way, that’s why,” she said, a grin on her face alluding to a different meaning.

after their teasing interaction, matty got bear settled in his chest, her head laying on his heart to listen to the rhythmic beat. the duo went silent, before bear spoke up in a tone of voice that showed just how worn out she really was. “thank you for loving me matty, regardless of how stupid the decisions i sometimes make are, the girl said while tilting her head to look her boyfriend in the eyes.

quickly he responded, “baby, i wouldn’t have you any other way. let’s not make this a weekly thing though, okay?” at his teasing words, bear nodded her head and said, “agreed. i’m a little tired of it too ya know,” making the duo for some reason break out into sleep deprived giggles.

“in all seriousness, i love you to the moon matthew knies,” bear said after the fact, all remnants of joking gone. “and i love you to the stars barrett tavares,” and with their loving words, the couple locked lips one more time for a kiss that said everything they couldn’t.

once bear finally lays her head back on matty’s bare chest, a few beats of silence pass.

“hey ba-“ he attempts, before quickly realizing she was asleep. with that realization, he slowly angled his head down to place one more kiss on her hairline, and then wrapped one of his arms securely around his girl to keep her safe where she belonged- with him.

the next morning, nurse johnston opens the door quietly to begin making patient rounds, and smiles at the sight of the two lovesick teenagers embracing eachother.

she could come back later- they could use the rest.

IM SOBBING

this is so good

i love you gray

#🫂anon #barrett x knies

[icedbatik]

When you say you wish the Pens were on the ball more with social media stuff what do you mean? I’m a bit new to the fandom so I missed out on the Andi posts :(

Hi, anon!

It's hard to explain in a tangible way, but Andi Perelman used to be directly responsible for the Pens' social media posts, the main @Penguins accounts. The Pens won everything. Not just Cups but major social media awards. And she didn't limit her posts to strictly game-related stuff.

One of my favorites, to this day, is the season when the Pens were truly living that "next man up" lifestyle, with a new injury seeming to come every day. A fan sent a bundle of sage to the arena with the suggestion that maybe the Pens needed a good smudging. So, Andi did just that. She used her lunch break to light the sage bundle and take a stroll around the exterior of the arena, videotaping the whole thing and posting it.

To a large degree, I think some of it is simply having a woman's eye on things. I believe -- I'm not entirely certain, but I believe -- the people making a lot of the Pens' social media content these days are men. And, sure, maybe they know about social media. But do they know what women hockey fans want in their social media? (A blend of hockey *and* glimpses of the people who play it.) Not so much.

The slide traces back to the bubble, when no women went with the Pens to Toronto but two men handled social media. And they gave us next to nothing. Granted, it was the early days of the pandemic and there might not have been much to give. But, even with those concessions, it was bleak.

So, it seems as if there is less content being posted. And what is posted is more "strictly business." Which is why the Pens post a single photo of Sid and Connor Bedard doing an interview at the NHL player media tour, and a photo of Sid "at work" filming promos while other teams post pics of their guys hanging out with Sid in the locker room or the back hallways, socializing. A handful of years ago, Andi would have had all of those pics on the Pens' social media.

Andi has been promoted -- it was/is much deserved -- and still is working hard. I don't begrudge her the promotion or think she, personally, is slacking. But the Pens' social media coverage has shifted, and not in a good way.

#icedbatik answers asks #about hockey #and social media #it's the way we may pay attention to Yohe's social media #but it is Taylor's social media that feeds us #because she gives us those little details #the social details #we want #along with the hockey news #instead of sticking strictly to line combinations and save percentages

[feelyourrush]

A Sonny Disposition || Tim LaFlour x F!OC || Chapter 001

Synopsis: Sonny, a freshman at Stratford University, is a bubbly and hyper-feminine fashion design student all the way from Australia. She's excited to be on her own for the first time, but settling into independence is proving to be more complicated than she anticipated. Thankfully, fellow student, piercing-lover punk, and hockey ingenue Tim LaFlour lives in the same apartment building as her and is more than willing to lend a helping hand—even if they seem to be from completely separate worlds. What will they learn from each other? What will they have the patience to teach each other?

Genre/tags: Pure fluff, no smut. A friends-to-lovers slow burn romance with mutual pining. Imagine two golden retrievers crushing hard on each other p much!! Slight age difference, big size difference.

Word count: 1,850

A/N: My first fic in the Matt Lillard tag! My first fic on this blog! My first fic in a long, long time. And of course I couldn't help but start a new series. Aiming for this to be a novella/shorter chapter book. Hope y'all enjoy and please leave feedback if you have it!!

"Honestly, Auntie Steph, Uncle Benny—" I let out a grunt, hoisting a large suitcase and out of the back of their trunk— "Don't worry too much about me. I'll be fine, and I know who to call in case I need any help."

They followed behind me, with Auntie Steph carrying a large dress form and Uncle Benny pushing a dolly with the rest of my things. "We know, love. We're just one call away, and your Auntie Steph has some clients downtown," Uncle Benny addressed me from behind the pile of moving boxes atop the dolly as we walked into the apartment building.

"Right. I'm down here at least twice a week," Aunt Steph said. She was a consultant for an interior design firm, handling top-tier clients. Famous actresses, hockey players, the like. I held the door open as best as I could, practically squished between the door and the railing of the small staircase up to the apartment building.

I was a few days away from starting my freshman year at Stratford University in Toronto. I was a late registrant, so by the time I got accepted, there was no housing left in the freshman dorms. Instead, I was assigned to an apartment typically reserved for the upperclassmen. It was still maintained by the university, but I supposed I still had perks. Living with the older students probably meant a bit more freedom, not that I was planning on doing much besides schoolwork.

My aunt and uncle were just like my parents, worrywarts. Except, I could at least dodge my parents somewhat; I came all the way from Australia where I've lived for the last... well, my whole life. They were busy with work so all they could do was drop me off at the airport. Between then and about an hour ago, when I met up with my aunt and uncle at the airport, I traveled alone and enjoyed it. Don't get me wrong, I love my family, and I appreciate having people who cared about me a lot—but my goodness, could they be overbearing!

I was trying to hide my anxiousness to get rid of my aunt and uncle, but I wasn't so sure how well it was working. "I know. I've got you both on speed dial," I said, flashing them one of my signature megawatt smiles as we careened my things inside.

Like in the movies, students were bustling across the lobby, traversing its small space with ease. They looked grown up, if that makes sense. I felt intimidated, to say the least, and had half a mind to pay a visit to the chancellor's office or find someone else in charge to see if they could squeeze me into one of the freshman dorms. I would take an air duct if it was all they had.

My apartment was upstairs, at the very end of the hall on the third floor. The building seemed older, less well-kept and modern like the rest of the university. The dusty spiderwebs in the corners of the ceiling and the scratched linoleum in my room gave the whole place a nice charm, though. It was lived-in, and felt grown-up, too.

I could feel the excitement set in as Uncle Benny emptied the dolly. Eventually, they plopped onto the sunken-in, emerald green couch in the middle of the living room. I laughed, watching them take their exaggerated breaths. We were a theatrical bunch.

"Somehow, we did it," Auntie Steph said.

Uncle Benny checked his watch. "Alright, honey. It's almost lunch time. We'll get out of your hair so you can get something to eat. Remember what we said."

"Of course," I said, giving them hugs as they stood up from the couch. Real good hugs, too, like the ones I'd given my family right before I got on the plane. It was a bittersweet moment, one that marked the end of my phase as that little kid who played dress up with her Barbie dolls and the beginning of my new chapter as a fashion design student. "I love you both."

"We love you too," Aunt Steph said. "We'll send our wishes."

After they left, I was so exhausted from my long journey that I thought I'd better rest, too. With a deep breath, I landed on the couch—and heard a crack of wood underneath me. I sank a few inches.

===

"Thanks so much," I said while signing my name on a piece of paper. I looked up at the gentleman with a polite, expectant smile.

"Are ya sure you don't need our help carrying this up?" he asked, raising his eyebrow at me. Behind him, a small crew of movers were transporting my new couch into the lobby.

"Umm..." I sized the couch up and down. It was about the same size as my old one, with three cushions. Knowing my parents, they ordered me something a bit hefty so it would last longer, made of real wood and all. I had the upper body strength of a squirrel, probably, but I didn't want to look stupid in front of the movers. I was grown up, after all, doing big girl things now. Surely I could move a couch by myself. Giving them all a thumbs up, I said, "I should be able to handle it. Got some friends coming soon to help me."

"Alright," the gentleman filed my papers away and gave his crew a shrug before walking out. "Have a good day, miss."

It was just me and a couch in the lobby now. "Hmm." I circled it, feeling its plastic wrap. At least I wouldn't have to worry about the cushions flying off while I was carrying this thing. I glanced over at the elevator, which was much too small to fit the couch on (and it probably would've been over the weight limit). Then I looked up at the stairs.

Not realizing I was taking up the space in front of the main entryway to the building, I heard someone clear their throat behind me, startling me.

"Uh... need a hand?"

I didn't know where to look first, because it certainly wasn't his face. He was a tall guy, at least a foot taller than me, bleach blonde, and he wore these giant black combat boots, faded gray jeans that had more than a little distressing on them, and a cut-off t-shirt that said The Ramones on it. He had a cornucopia of piercings on his face. Their silver beads reflected under the fluorescent light. I'd never seen anyone like him before.

I was probably gawking, because a second later, he spoke again. "You okay?"

I picked my jaw up off the floor. "Yeah! Yeah, totally. I just, um..." I chuckled awkwardly, patting the top of the couch.

"Did you order this thing?"

"Yes, I did," I said confidently.

"You know, the apartments come with their own couches, right?" He couldn't hide his smile.

"Yeah," I said, not so confidently anymore. For a scary-looking guy, he had a big, friendly smile. It caught me off guard, just like the rest of him did. "Mine, um, broke."

Despite his smile, I thought he was going to chew me out and tell me to move. But he looked the couch up and down, and then looked at me at least up (my lower half was covered by the back of the couch) and said, "Right. Well, I'm cool with it being here but I don't know if the rest of the guys will be."

"Rest of the...?"

Before I knew it, a slew of boys—men? students?—flooded into the apartment building, vaulting over the couch and brushing past me to go upstairs. They were all the same size and stature as him and for a second there, I was worried I would get trampled, so I stayed completely still, scrunching my face.

They were all carrying duffel bags and hockey sticks, dressed in Stratford jerseys and sweatpants. I put two and two together. When the dust settled was around the same time I realized I could ask them to help me carry the couch up, but they were already gone by then. I looked over at the guy and we seemed to be on the same wavelength.

"Do you think I could—"

"Hey, do you need—"

We chuckled, realizing we talked over each other. He said, "I got you." Then, he hollered up, "Hey! Sammo! Bowman! Could use a hand."

They spawned from above, almost racing each other to the bottom of the steps. I couldn't help but laugh at how rowdy they were.

"Oh, we got a new couch for the spot, eh?" asked Sammo, whose name was on his jersey. Bowman splayed across the couch for a laugh before hopping back up.

"This is..." the blonde guy looked over at me, furrowing his brow.

"Sonny. I'm Sonny," I smiled.

"Tim, you caught yourself a girl from down undah?" Sammo teased.

The blonde, who I knew now as Tim, continued. "....Sonny, and she needs our help carrying this to her apartment. Apartment...?"

"13."

"Damn. That's all the way at the end of the hall, isn't it?" Bowman asked.

"C'mon, boys. Sonny's new around here. Let's be polite and make her want to stay," Tim said. It was then that I noticed he also had a duffel bag and hockey sticks, which he set down outside. They each took a side and I went to lift my own, but I was met with a hand up from Sammo.

"Don't worry about this, me'lady. Don't want you liftin' up a finger." Sammo grinned.

So, I took careful steps behind them, figuring I shouldn't insist to be in the way, and watched them pivot with every bend of the staircase. This was a whole lot easier than careening this whole thing up myself. I wasn't sure what I was thinking when I let those movers leave.

Finally, they set the couch down in the middle of my room. It seemed to be no effort to them at all. I wore a warm smile.

"Thank you guys, so much," I said, holding my hands together.

"Ah, don't mention it. C'mon, Sammo, let's go." The pair left my place, and me and Tim, alone.

I chuckled, feeling a bit awkward. "You really saved the day," I said. "Sorry about that."

"Don't be sorry," he told me. "Looks like we were at the right place at the right time." He smiled. "Well, Sonny, it turns out I'm actually in the apartment right underneath you. Number six. So if you need anything else..."

A sort of dread filled my stomach. You could hear every step you took in this place thanks to the creaky wooden floors. I was already a bit worried about bothering my neighbors with my endless nights of sewing and my impromptu dance parties, now I had to think about not bothering Tim. Strange and yet adorable and super helpful Tim. I tried to hide how horrified I was with a smile right back.

"Cool. I'll keep that in mind," I said. "Thanks again, and, um, see ya around."

"See ya."

#tim laflour fluff #tim laflour x reader #tim laflour #matthew lillard x reader #matthew lillard #poc writer #senseless 1998

[cellythefloshie]

ＩＭＡＧＩＮＥ: Breaking the Rules for Tyler Seguin *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ road wife edition ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Celly’s 300 Follower Appreciation Requested by @starshine-hockey-girl

This blurb features an Original Character, Ella, who was the first Road Wife in the Road Wife Series. If I were to ever write a Road Wife Prequel series, these would be the major events. TW//Mentions of the pandemic as this would have taken place in the bubble. 

-Ella had been fortunate to be allowed to travel with the team to Toronto, and later Edmonton for the bubble 

-it was the only way for the teams to chase the Stanley Cup

-and Ella was one of the few media personnel to be allowed to come

-but it wasn’t without some extra push from the Lightning

-Ella was essential to their regular season success before the pandemic consumed the world

-so they weren’t going to leave Tampa without her

-Toronto had been lovely

-spending each night with a different Bolts players as they took on the east for the eastern conference championship title 

-first, they tackled Columbus

-where they were forced to remember the sweep that had taken them out of the playoffs the year before

-they had won the series 4-1

-then they played the Boston Bruins

-making quick work of them as well in a 4-1 series

-it was the Islanders that gave them the most trouble as they forced a game 6

-where the bolts would win the eastern conference title before travelling to Edmonton for the Stanley Cup final

-their competition: the Dallas Stars

-they had been an unexpected competitor as they had to play Colorado and Vegas who were favourites to win the cup

-but there was no ignoring the star power of the team

-especially when Tyler Seguin was so easy on the eyes

-he had caught her attention the moment she arrived at the hotel

-the Stars had the luxury of being in the same hotel for weeks already while the Bolts would settle in

-but he had very much made himself at home

-Ella would catch sight of him when the teams were ushered into their respective halls for their meals

-or on her way to the pool or weight rooms - areas reserved for the teams and their staff during their stay

-and he very much had eyes for her too

-each time he’d see her it left him smiling

-and leaning over to say something to his teammate that she could not see as his lips were concealed by his mask

-he didn’t approach her until after game 3 of the series when the bolts were up 2-1

-he had noticed something in her

-it attracted him

-but he also noticed that it attracted the bolts team

-she had a unique dynamic with all of them and it left him curiously

-Ella had been in the gym alone when he had come in shamelessly shirtless to

-and she did her best to ignore him

-but her eyes were drawn to how the sweat travelled down his body

-and she found herself changing her routine just enough to draw his attention to her body

-a seductress, she had a refined talent

-one that she had been working on for months as the road wife for the bolts

-but it always helped when she had already sparked someone’s attention

-Ella had only meant to tease him

-a subtle and cruel punishment for catching his stare 

-but it was difficult for her to ignore him

-he was easily the most attractive man on the Stars, and maybe even the league

-she knew it

-he knew it

-and he flaunted it

-she quickly became the one that was staring

-it was only then she noticed just how relaxed he was in the gym

-and that his choice of exercise was focused mainly on his upper body

-“holy shit, you’re injured” she blurted out before she could stop herself

-“nice to meet you too,” he scoffed and she couldn’t tell if he was amused or annoyed

-“I’m sorry I-”

-he brushed it off

-and the two of them made the proper introductions

-“you must be pretty important if they let you travel with the team-”

-“the most important only after the goaltender”

-“oh, you’re a cocky one, I like it. What do you do?”

-“that’s classified”

-and he’s laughing and that’s when she realized just how close they had become throughout their conversation

-he had abandoned his equipment and seated himself on the bench across from her

-she could practically feel his knee against her own as he sat leaned in close

-and she could feel her self-control begin to dwindle

-Ella could feel his warmth

-and the scent of him was intoxicating to her senses

-worst of all any fraternization with another team’s player was forbidden and it made him all the more tempting to her

-“i really should go”

-Ella quickly excused herself and did her best to push all thoughts of him to the back of her mind

-which was easier said than done when she was restricted to the bubble

-where ever she went he seemed to be there

-and then came game 4 

-there was no ignoring him there

-every time he was on the ice her eyes were on him

-and when the Stars scored, and he had a hand in it, he was looking to her

-not even Ella’s camera could hide her from him as she looked through the lens

-he knew exactly where she was

-and when the bolts had one 5-4 in OT, he was quick to find her in the hotel lobby

-“we almost had your boys there-”

-she met his flirtation with a smile but was quick to wave him off

-“I’m sorry, I’ve got some work to do-”

-he followed her to the elevator, his hand reaching for hers to stop her from taking it up all the while slipping a copy of his room key into her hand

-“come and find me once all your work is done”

-her stomach was up in her throat as she slipped the card away and went off to her appointment with Brayden Point

-Ella’s mind was lost on Seguin the entire time

-thinking of the key card that was hidden in the pocket of her pants 

-and it wouldn’t escape her

-not until she was done with her appointment and had ended up at his door

-when he answered he was wearing nothing but a pair of grey sweatpants low on his hips

-and she was quick to draw back the mask she wore and close the space between them

-initiating a kiss

-his hands were quick to find her body, guiding her back into his room and only lingered away to push the door closed

-Ella stumbled back with him

-her hands stripping off her own clothes

-and she felt the rushed air of his swearing against her lips as he left the lingerie she still had on from the appointment with Point

-and she smiled because she know he’d think he put it just for him

-but it left her wishing she had

-Ella had been the road wife since the games in Sweden

-and she had lost a lot of herself since then

-she didn’t get to indulge herself in many things, having to abide by so many rules

-aside from the ones she selectively broke

-she served the men who played for the team

-but in the moment with Tyler’s hands on her body

-and his mouth on hers

-Ella felt like she had control of something for the first time in a long time

-and she wasn’t going to let that moment pass without taking full advantage of it

-she let him guide her back toward the bed

-falling back on it and looking up at him breathlessly

-he was hard for her

-desperate to be fucked after spending weeks abstaining from anything but the occasional handjob

-and yet he hesitated

-his injury

-“how bad is it?” she asked him slowly

-“this could be my last shot at the cup”

-his voice was broken as he spoke

-the injury could be career-ending

-and yet he fought through every game 

-because that’s what you did for the stanley cup

-“where?”

-“my hip”

-she crawled up the length of the bed and took the waist of his pants in her hands carefully

-Ella guided them down so that they pooled around his ankles

-and it didn’t surprise her when she found that he was not wearing underwear beneath

-he stepped out of them carefully as her hands took hold of his hips

-she kissed along his hipbone slowly, dragging her lips along the angles before moving over to the other

-then she guided him back down onto the bed so that he was comfortable among the pillows

-silently she over to straddle him

-she was going to be as quiet as possible to assure they weren’t caught

-Ella began to roll her hips slowly, careful as not to hurt him and coaxing Tyler into a further state of arousal

-arching forward she whispered in his ear, “just relax, let me-“

-the friction was enough to soak her panties with her own arousal-

-the wetness seeping down over his stiff cock

-Tyler grit his teeth as he lay back on the mattress,

-his hands coming up to grip the swells of her hips

-she pressed up onto her knees just long enough to push her panties to the side

-then Ella teased him with her wet entrance

-gliding it from balls to tip and leaving him glimmering with her arousal

-his fingers gripped her hips tighter, trying to guide her down into his cock

-but Ella made him wait

-she kissed his neck and chest slowly 

-her hand reaching down between the both of them to grasp at his cock

-she stroked it slowly, her wetness the perfect lubricant for each stroke

-Tyler cussed out under his breath as she pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance 

-his hips jutted up, silently begging her to take him into her core

-smirking, she obliged oh so slowly

-with her hands braced against his chest she rode him

-and kept him pinned to prevent him from exerting himself

-the last thing she needed was for him to injure himself further

-one of her hands left his shoulder to rub at her clit as she took him in as deep as she could muster

-but that wasn’t enough for Tyler 

-while he was getting closer with each rise and fall of her core around his cock he wanted her to writhe in pleasure

-strong hands lifted Ella from him before guiding her over into her hands and knees

-she opened her mouth to protest but he hushed her quickly 

-then as she were on all fours in front of him he slipped his cock deep inside her

-he fucked Ella hard, his hands gripping her hips and ass tight

-the side of her face was pressed firmly into the bed and she bit her lip to fight back moans

-Tyler was hitting even deeper now, reaching her body’s limit as the tip of his cock kissed her limits with each thrust

-Ella wanted to cry out in pleasure but she was forced to draw in a pillow and bite down on it hard

-only did he seize his movements when he felt her walls flex around him and he came deep inside her

-Ella and Tyler were both left panting

-and as he pulled out of her, he cussed at the sight of his seed

-she had broken so many rules by going to his room

-but she didn’t stop there as he lay out beside her

-and sleep took them both

-come morning Tyler awoke to the sound of her phone vibrating

-instead of waking Ella up he reached out to silence what he thought was an alarm

-only to find a series of reminders of our pregame appointments with 

-and he’s curious

-Ella must be the team's physiotherapist or masseuse 

-which meant she would have a record of their injuries

-and she knew about his so it was only fair

-so he clicked the topmost appointment

-and was shocked to find the terms and conditions of sleeping with one of the players

-“Tyler?”

-her voice was dreamy as she sat up

-but it only took seconds to wake up fully when she found him looking through her phone

-“so this, this is what you do?

-Ella found herself stuttering unsure of what to say in fear of his judgment but he was quick to put her at ease

-“this is fucking brilliant-”

-and then she pleaded with him

-“you can’t tell anyone”

-and he didn’t

-until game 6 when McDonagh interfered with Seguin on the play

-and his emotions high, came the trash talk 

-he looked straight had Ryan and told him “I fucked your wife”

-it left Ryan stoic

-he wanted to react

-but he knew he couldn’t

-not when there was already so much on the line

-this was the game they could win it all

-and they were not going to let the series become 4-3

-while he told the players on the bench when Tyler had said to him the Bolts locked it down and went on to win the game 2-0

-they would end up winning the series 4-2

-and because of her indiscretions

-Ella didn’t get to enjoy a single moment of the Tampa Bay Lightning becoming Stanley Cup Champions

-upon landing in Tampa, Ella was relieved of her wifely duties 

-and after the acquisition of Carter Verhague by the Florida Panthers Ella became the inaugural road wife for the team in south Florida

#tyler seguin #nhl imagine #hockey imagines #hockey rpf #nhl rpf #;;300 #;; the first wife

[malk1ns]

🔀 for sidovi ?! <3

lord, what will become of me / once i've lost my novelty?

Sid doesn't think he'll ever feel like he deserves this.

The Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto is an impressive building. Sid's been here many times; as a child gawking wide-eyed at the portraits and lingering in front of the Stanley Cup, during one of the many trips they took in juniors when he hung back with his buddies and ignored the tour guide, and during his professional career, to attend inductions and League events, rubbing elbows with the greats of the game and making nice with sponsors.

Tomorrow, he's going to be inducted.

They had a rehearsal for the ceremony, and everyone else is gone, but nobody's come to usher Sidney out, guide him away from where he'd stopped to stare at the panel that will hold his name and portrait tomorrow, so he'd stayed.

He wishes Geno was here. But Geno hadn't been selected for this year, an absolute crime in Sid's opinion, and as much as he'd pretended he didn't care, he'd gone distant when Sid tried to coax him across the Atlantic, to come hang out even if he didn't come to the ceremony.

It's always nice to see Jennifer and Julie, and the two builders had been nice enough even if Sid can't quite place them, but having Geno by his side to balance out the other major inductee this year would have been a blessing.

"Sid?" comes a voice from the other side of the hall, and Sid groans to himself. Can thinking of something enough make it manifest?

No. Obviously not.

"Hey," he says, trying to sound friendly and not at all like he wants to be left alone, looking over to nod as Ovechkin strides over to join him. "Thought you left."

Ovi shrugs, planting himself next to Sid and looking at the panel. "I did. I come back, want to see. I'm think I'll be alone."

"Sorry to burst your bubble," Sid mutters, wincing a little at how bitter he sounds.

Ovi pats his shoulder. "It's okay. Now I'm here, I think, nobody who understands better than Sidney Crosby, da?"

Sid cuts a glance at him. Ovi's staring up at the names above where they'll go. He's not smiling. He looks...

"Can you believe neither of us won it?" Sid says. May as well bite the bullet. "I mean, a combined 40 years in the league, and we didn't get the Cup a single time between the two of us?"

Ovi barks out a surprised-sounding laugh, glancing at him, and Sid manages a wry smile. "Yes," Ovi says gravely. "I never think of. Definitely not one thousand articles when we're retire about how we can't do."

"God," Sid groans, thinking back on the unending media coverage, the snide articles wondering why neither of them demanded a trade to a contender in their final years—as if there was any pride or glory in going mercenary and bouncing from team to team in an attempt to barely contribute to a win. If Sid was going to lift Lord Stanley, he wanted it to be because of something he did, not something he was tacked onto at the trade deadline, and he suspects Ovi feels the same. "It was a nightmare, wasn't it? I can't blame G for skipping this, to be honest."

"I try to bring him," Ovi says, quietly, like it's a secret. "He won't come, not even with private jet. I think he's hurt they're not induct him this year."

Sid sighs. "They never appreciated him the way he should have been," he mutters, glowering up at one of the faces. Some referee, it looks like—fucker probably deserves it. "If I had gotten him even one Cup—"

Ovi tsks loudly. "Not your fault Canadians see Russians like it's 1940s still," he says. "You do all you can. We both do. Sometimes, it's just not work out."

To Sid's horror, his eyes are stinging. "It should have," he says, blinking rapidly. "It should have."

"Hey," Ovi says gently, and suddenly Sid's being pulled into a hug. "You're still best in the world. So many years, I'm watch you play, it's like...nobody catches you, nobody even comes close. You're here because everyone sees this, and next year, they're see with Zhenya too. He deserves, and he'll get."

"And if they don't?" Sid says. His voice is muffled by Ovi's shoulder, still strong and broad even three years removed from professional hockey. "What if he hates me forever, what if this is just one more thing he didn't get that he should have?"

"Zhenya love," Ovi scolds, patting Sid's back and releasing him. "And he gets next year. If he doesn't, we come, tell them to get their shit together."

Sid laughs a little, wiping at his eyes. Ovi kindly doesn't comment. "Are we allowed to do that?"

Ovi snorts. "We can do anything we want," he says scornfully. "We're done, like, what they do, say oh no, we're take away your Harts? We can say whatever we want now, not like when we're playing."

"Yeah," Sid says, thinking back, way back, to their rookie year, back to all the photoshoots they did together, the way Ovi had stood so close to him, the way they'd been left alone for hours at a time and just...talked.

And Ovi's remembering that too, if his sudden sharp gaze is any indication. "I bring good vodka," he says slowly. "I think I'll share with Nicke, maybe, when I go to Washington to visit, but...maybe you want to try? It's in my hotel room, I'm put on ice last night." His eyes are very blue, just as blue as they were in 2005.

"Yeah," Sid says, breathless suddenly. There are so many things that he didn't do, all in the name of being the good little face of the league. Ovi, for all his bravado, was the same.

All of that can change now, if they want.

God, Geno's going to kill him when he finds out.

it is totally unrealistic that neither of them would have ever won, especially sid because of how strong his supporting cast was during those seasons, but it's my AU and i'll hurt them if i want to :D

send me a 🔀 and a pairing and i’ll make an AU!

#sidovi #my fic #my writing #hockey rpf

[seedlessmuffins]

hello party people! the stanley cup playoffs start right now, so in an attempt to tempt y’all to watch, i have compiled a list of playoff moments that altered my brain chemistry (as someone who has watched the playoffs every year since 2010)! even if you don’t want to watch hockey, the sport is pretty ridiculous so here is just a small sample of the extent of the craziness!

washington capitals vs. pittsburgh penguins 2009 (round 2 game 2): hockey’s messi and ronaldo, sidney crosby and alex ovechkin put on a show for the washington crowd as they each score hattys in the same game. the capitals would go on to win the game, but the penguins would win the series (and later the cup), but this game has some of the best highlights as the two best players in hockey at their peaks showed off their skills for sexy, sexy hockey! 

chicago blackhawks vs. philadelphia flyers 2010 (round 4 game 6): in overtime of game 6 of the stanley cup finals, a chicago player scored the game winner to win the hawks the cup. the weird part? nobody saw it go in except the player and his teammates. the crowd, flyers, and broadcasters didn’t see it go in. known as the “phantom goal” this goal won the hawks their first cup in almost 50 years.

 vancouver canucks vs. chicago blackhawks 2011 (round 1 game 7): this is the game that made me fall in love with hockey. little 7-year-old me was glued to my television screen all night watching this game. the blackhawks and canucks had matched up in the playoffs for three years in a row, and the blackhawks (at the time the reigning cup champions) had beat the canucks every time. this series had gone the full 7 games, with the canucks winning the first 3 and the blackhawks coming from behind to win the next 3. earlier in game 7, hero alex burrows had opened the scoring then missed a penalty shot. with the game tied at 1, just over 5 minutes into overtime, burrows gets the puck and scores, defeating the blackhawks to send the canucks to the next round. they would go on to lose the cup in the final, but this was the golden generation of canucks games and the vibe in vancouver? unmatched. it gave birth to two of the most iconic radio calls: “they slayed the dragon” by john shorthouse, and “its a wonderful day for an exorcism” from jim hughston. this defined my childhood fr

boston bruins vs. toronto maple leafs 2013 (round 1 game 7): mere weeks after the tragedy at the boston marathon, the bruins were down 4-1 with just over 14 minutes to play in the 3rd period. they were down 4-2 with 9 minutes left. with two goals in 30 seconds, with less than 90 seconds remaining, the bruins tied the game and patrice bergeron won the game for the bruins in overtime. the maple leafs, having blown a 3 goal lead, ended their season. as of right now, they have not won a round of the playoffs since 2004.

tampa bay lightning vs. boston bruins 2018 (round 2 game 4): the playoffs can get quite scrappy! in order to get an advantage over his opponent after a little scrum, noted league rat brad marchand licked a man. yes fully licked. previously in the playoffs he had kissed and licked another man, and this caused the league to outlaw licking. the bruins would go on to lose the series, even though marchand continued his ridiculous antics

vegas golden knights vs. vancouver canucks 2020 (round 2 games 5-7): in 2020, the playoffs were played in a bubble at one arena with no spectators. after game 4, that the knights won, it was discovered that the canucks goalie jacob markstrom had an injury. with the knights leading the series 3-1, the canucks needed to win 3 games in a row to move on to the next round. enter thatcher demko, a rookie goalie who had never played a playoff game before. over games 5, 6 and 7, demko made 123 saves, including a 48 save shutout in game 6, to keep the canucks in until game 7. he stood on his head, he was incredible, and he went over 100 minutes without the knights scoring a goal. unfortunately, with a knights shutout in game 7, the canucks wouldn’t move on, but “bubble demko” would live in infamy as thatcher demko’s intro to playoff hockey. hes my favourite goalie 

pittsburgh penguins vs. new york rangers 2022 (round 1 game 1): as both teams were ready to fight it out in the playoffs, this game was tied at the end of three periods. in the playoffs, overtime lasts 20 minutes with 15 minute breaks between them. in the 3rd period of overtime, and the 6th period of hockey evgeni malkin scored for the penguins after over 90 minutes of hockey. it was midnight at madison square garden. the rangers goalie, igor shesterkin, made 79 saves in the loss, and the penguins goalie louis domingue, who came on in the second overtime to replace an injured casey desmith, went viral for reports that he ate spicy pork and broccoli between periods to keep up his energy. this is one of the longest games in nhl history, and the rangers would go on to win the series in 7 games. 

edmonton oilers vs. calgary flames 2022 (round 2 game 1): the battle of alberta is one of the classic rivalries of the nhl, and the first game of last year’s round 2 delivered. the goalies seemed to be unable to keep the puck out of the net, and flames and oilers fans both watched as the two teams combined for 15 goals, with the flames winning 9-6. the oilers would go on to win the series, but the sloppy, goal-heavy hockey has stuck in my mind ever since last may

these are some of my highlights! i hope you all enjoy the playoffs (because i know i will), and all the beard-growing and towel-twirling that comes along with them. happy stanley cup season everyone!

#k talks hockey #k the hockey prof??? #stanley cup playoffs #k converts her footie friends to hockey friends! #the ridiculous shenanigans of nhl playoff hockey #happy hockey hunger games besties! #k talks stanley cup playoffs

[starssformendes]

Fall

Music beginning to play directed the crowds attention from their conversations back to the ice rink. The parents and family and friends cheered loudly as they watched the 6 year old's skate out onto the ice. Whispers over how cute they all looked in their hockey gear: surnames written boldly on the back of their jerseys over their player number, helmet on to their once neatly tied hair, stick in hand as they lined up on their respective lines for the second time.

It was the beginning of the second period and Toronto’s under 7s team were winning 2-0 and Shawn and Olivia, his wife of 5 years, couldn’t be more proud of how well their baby girl had played. She’d scored the first goal and also assisted in the second goal.

“Papai, look.” Joshua, their two year old son, said hitting Shawn on the shoulder as he tried to show him the game he was playing on Olivia’s phone. He sat on Olivia’s lap as they watched the game. The crowd of parents there for Toronto’s team all stood up and roared praise at Daniella Mendes who scored another goal just a couple of minutes before the end of the second period.

Shawn’s grin beamed from ear to eat but slowly disappeared along with everyone else’s as they watched a player from the away team skate at a great speed with Daniella and her friend, Sophie  in their path. The two girls in white jerseys were unaware of this other player seeing as they were facing the other direction.

“Daniella, Sophie!” The yells sounded as they tried to prevent the girls from getting hurt on the ice. It’s ironic how people say kids hear everything but when kids actually need to listen all words fell deaf upon their ears. Despite knowing what was about to happen, the gasps from the parents in the stands echoed throughout the rink. Anticipation bubbled as tension built as they waited for the three girls to get back up.

Daniella had the worst of it as it appeared the other player skated straight into her back. She went face first to the ice and slid across the ice from the impact. Sophie also experienced something similar to Daniella’s glide across the ice except she didn’t go very far across the ice compared to her friend. Sophie was quick to stand back up and adjust her jersey so it hung properly; It was as if nothing had even happened with how quick she bounced back up. The other player was also quick to get back up. Unlike Daniella, both these girls and others on the teams had experienced falls and trips during practice and previous game.

“Papai.” Daniella cried as she lay on the ice in shock. Her team of 6 players and their coach was quick to surround her wanting to check she was okay when she hadn’t stood back up.

“Daniella are you okay?” Coach asked as she crouched down to help her sit up.

“Want Papai and mumma.” Daniella cried removing her helmet and mouth guard.

“I’ll go get Shawn and Olivia!” Charlotte, one of the players yelled as she heard her friends cries.

She didn’t have to go very far, however, seeing as Olivia and Shawn were already stepping onto the ice having heard their daughter’s cries. Joshua had been left with Sophie’s mum seeing as she had been sitting next to them. Thankfully, Daniella wasn’t too far away from the boards so it wasn’t much of a struggle for the parents to get to her.

“Hey, hey, you’re okay. I’ve got you Dani.” Shawn whispered into her ear as he scooped her up and pulled her into a hug. Tiny arms wrapped around his neck as tears dropped onto his pink hoodie.

“Are you hurt anywhere honey?” Olivia asked brushing her sweaty hair from her forehead as she pried Daniella away from Shawn’s  shoulder so they could talk to her better. The team had been sent to do shooting practice on the other end of the ice to give them some privacy.

“I don’t know Mumma”

“Daniella do you think you can continue playing or do you wanna sit out for the rest of the game?” Coach asked seeing as they had to get the game going again quickly.

“I wanna sit with daddy”

“Are you sure honey? You were playing so well”

“I was?”

“Of course you were. You scored a goal Dani-bear, that’s amazing. You looked super super cool out there on the ice. Are you sure you wanna stop playing?”

“What if I fall again?” She whispered and the parents knew why she truly didn’t want to go on the ice: she didn’t know if she’d fall down again.

“Listen you’re always going to fall over sometimes, even daddy falls down on the floor doesn’t he?” Olivia said causing Daniella to nod and giggle.

“And your on ice so it means it’s a lot slippier and you’ve gone over a year and this was your first big fall wasn’t it? If you ask me that’s really impressive” shawn said trying to get her back into playing not wanting this one fall to ruin her love for the sport.

“Mhm” the girl nodded as she looked at the rest of her team.

“So you’re always gonna have some falls on the ice yeah? But that’s why you have to wear all your gear to stop you getting hurt, your not hurt right now after the fall are you?”

“No”

“So are you feeling like you can go back out there and play?” Coach asked as she stood near listening to the conversation in awe of how strong the bonds were between Daniella and her parents.

“Okay” she nodded looking at her dad. Shawn wore a proud smile on his face as he admired his little girl before pulling her helmet on and holding her stick up to her as she stood up. The two parents made their way off the ice back to their seats where Joshua jumped into Olivia’s lap.

Resuming the game shortly, it wasn’t long before Daniella had the puck and she skating straight for the goal. The stands filled with cheers once again as the scoreboard lit up showing a new number. 3-0 to the U7s Toronto team. The referee blew his whistle not even a minute later causing the rink to echo the parents claps and cheers as the girls skated to the middle. Daniella pulled her helmet off and went over to the boards and waved at her family. Shawn just knew that no matter how many times she’d fall on the ice she had a natural talent for ice hockey and believed nothing could ever stop her from being on the ice.

#shawn mendes #shawn mendes imagines #dad!shawn #imagines #Mendes #mendes army #shawn mendes fanfiction

[shahananasrin-blog]

[ad_1] Day 611:11K-Pop's plastic problemInside a Toronto bubble tea café, Ash Ledoux flips through a photo album with a group of friends.The pictures inside are not of family or happy memories from her native France. Rather, they're exclusive photocards of her favourite K-pop idols, from groups like Twice, Seventeen, P1Harmony and (G)I-DLE.Photocards are collectable items, similar to baseball and hockey cards, often included in the CDs and records of K-pop artists. But not every album contains the same photocards, making some rarer than others — and prompting many fans to buy multiple versions of the same album, something Ledoux has done.Each K-pop release can have about three to five versions, with different conceptual photos and colour schemes.When she first became a fan of Korean pop music, Ledoux says she felt pressure to purchase each version of her favourite artists' new releases. But as time went on, she eased up on her consumption. "It's OK not to have everything. It doesn't make you less of a fan," she said.Ash Ledoux, bottom left, along with friends Joanna Li, Mehak Sidhu and Eliana Nassar show off their K-pop albums and merchandise at a Toronto bubble tea cafe. (Samantha Lui/CBC)As sales of K-pop albums have soared in recent years, photos of boxes of discarded albums have gone viral on social media. Ledoux has started wondering about the impact that the packaging of all this memorabilia might have on the environment. She admits to feeling some "responsibility." "We as K-pop fans have an incredible amount of pollution," she said. "We can buy less, of course, but then we still want to [purchase the paraphernalia] because ... it's still K-pop." In 2021, a group of fans launched the platform KPOP 4 PLANET as a way to raise concerns about overconsumption in the South Korean entertainment industry.K-pop idols part of 'neoliberal capitalist industry'One of the campaigns KPOP 4 PLANET organized was called "No K-pop on a Dead Planet," which directly addressed the issue of bulk buying albums and plastic waste. As part of the campaign, organizers collected more than 8,000 unwanted K-pop albums from fans and delivered them to South Korean entertainment companies including HYBE, JYP and SM Entertainment as a way to illustrate the amount of waste they create.According to Areum Jeong, an assistant professor of Korean culture at Arizona State University, bulk buying is a practice Korean music agencies and labels actively encourage. Photocards are just one of the reasons fans buy so many CDs and records. Jeong says sales also determine whether artists get on music charts and increase their chances of winning prizes at awards shows.Music agencies also tempt consumers with autograph sessions and fan meetings with their idols. These draws are often randomized — although the more albums someone buys, the better their chances of winning this prize. Fans of South Korean K-pop boy band NCT gather at the entrance of a subway station to swap collectable cards featuring images of band members after buying the band's third album, Universe, from a nearby store in Seoul on Dec. 15, 2021. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images)"[Fans] recognize that their favourite idols are also a product of this neoliberal capitalist industry. These [album] charts become a criteria [for] measuring the idol's popularity and the fandom's power," Jeong said."K-pop fans want their idols to do well, so that the company will continue to promote these idols, create new albums, do concerts in Korea and also in other countries, which leads to the idol's happiness and success." A dilemma for diehard fansJeong is a K-pop fan herself who has been to 25 autograph sessions, either virtually or in person. She says to prevent her extra albums from going to waste, she gives them away at fan events. She admits she struggles with the idea of bulk buying. "When I see photos of bags and bags of albums being thrown in the trash, I get really angry. But I'm also kind of at a loss, because there's only so much fans can do," she said. "I do think there should be a collective way for both the industry and fans to work together to find a more environmentally sustainable way."WATCH | JYP Entertainment reveals its sustainability goals:[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqQsblYcDpU[/embed]One of the things Lee thinks could help would be something she describes as "the green album option." That is, fans could choose how many physical albums they receive when making an online purchase. For instance, fans could pay for 30 albums, but only choose to receive three. That way, they can reduce plastic waste while still helping these artists rank higher on music charts and improving their own chances of winning a video call or in-person meeting with their idols. "There's always this never-ending promotion of newly created merchandise, even peer pressure in fandom to buy albums and to stream music constantly," said Jeong. "There's many reasons why this consumerism happens, [including] this idea of parasocial relationships between idols and fans." Industry working to improveIn recent years, some major K-pop agencies have promised to make a greater effort to reduce their environmental impact. JYP Entertainment, the company behind groups like Twice and Stray Kids, vowed in 2021 to reduce waste associated with physical album purchases by digitally distributing some exclusive content instead, like behind-the-scenes images and videos, lyrics and photo books. HYBE, the company behind BTS, said in a statement to CBC Radio's Day 6 that it has started printing photocards and albums using more sustainable materials, like biodegradable plastic and soy-based ink.BTS rapper j-hope released his 2022 album Jack in the Box without a physical CD. It still contains photocards, but the album comes with minimal packaging, and fans can scan a QR code inside to download the music separately.j-hope, a rapper with the group BTS, released his debut studio album, Jack in the Box, digitally in an effort to help prevent environmental waste. (Michael Hickey/Getty Images)Environmentally conscious fans say these changes don't go far enough. "I have seen a lot of efforts, but I have seen some greenwashing," said Dayeon Lee, a campaigner with KPOP 4 PLANET.The impact of streamingBeyond the practice of bulk buying, KPOP 4 PLANET has led campaigns looking at the environmental impact of streaming music.Like album purchases, streaming helps boost artists' popularity. The number of digital downloads and streams increase an artist's chance of appearing on weekly programs in South Korea like Inkigayo and M Countdown to promote their music.  Lee says companies like Spotify, Apple Music and the Korean platform Melon rely on data centres, which require large amounts of energy to operate and distribute content. KPOP 4 PLANET says streaming music for more than five hours can emit more carbon emissions than a physical album.According to Kyle Devine, author of the book Decomposed: The Political Ecology of Music, calculating the toll streaming has on the environment is a challenge because some platforms have outsourced their data centres. Also, it needs to take into account whether the energy is generated using fossil fuels or not.Devine pushes back on the idea that fans should limit their music consumption overall. He says efforts like KPOP 4 PLANET are a great way to encourage more accountability and sustainable practices in the music industry. "The most important thing that music fans can do is organize," he said. [ad_2]