Realistic or Modern 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮 ✧

[spongiecake]

Matthew had been held back from his practice after speaking to his Statistics Teacher about a late assignment. He always tried to keep good grades but Hockey was the best distraction he could ask for. It was basically his life at this point- and he wouldn't change a thing.

Matthew entered into the same Locker Room which he had just been in yesterday. He was more nervous yesterday than today. Instead, he was more excited to meet the team.

As he entered the room, a few quick glances fell upon him. It hadn't really hit him yet that the four new freshmen were practically fresh meat of the team. Today, the team would meet their new players on the team. How exciting!

He spotted Logan across the Locker Room and walked over to him, given that he was the only guy who knew his name there.

"Logan! Hey!" he greeted him.

"Excited for today? I wonder what drills we'll go through- Oh, also, these jerseys look sick! I love the Bruins Logo," he said, excitedly.

 

[Edric Blight]

Sure enough, as Logan was getting his skates and pads on, in came Matthew Jones, a little late when compared to the rest of the team but still there on time. Logan looked up and smiled as he saw Matthew enter the locker room.

“Hey bro!” Logan greeted his new friend, wearing a nice smile on his face.

“I am pretty hyped for practice today. The first of the season man,” said Logan.

“Yea these jersey’s are pretty dope. I gotta say our logo does look bad ass.” he said.

“What number do you think you’re gonna go with for the season? I heard from some of the older guys they let you pick- as long as it’s not taken by someone else,” explained Logan.

 

[spongiecake]

"I agree! I think this season is going to be great, especially if we have some good defensemen on our team," he added.

"What position do you prefer to play? I usually get posted up on the wing."

Matthew placed down his bag and began stripping off his clothes- his shirt and pants before slipping on his practice clothes. Truthfully, he had a nice and chiseled body. He wasn't bulky with ripped muscles, but he was toned enough to see that he trained a lot with weights. He then took a seat on the bench next to Logan and began slipping on his socks and shinguards.

"Hmm.." he thought for a moment as he tried to think hard about what number he'd chose for the team.

"I haven't really thought that hard about it. Maybe something like 17 or 27? I normally just take what I can get on other teams, but seeing that we're in college, I should probably choose my number- right?" he asked.

"What number were you thinking of?"

 

[Edric Blight]

“Oh cool,” said Logan with a little smile, “I’m usually a winger too,” he replied.

Logan watched as the boy began taking off his shirt. He noticed the boy’s chiseled body in the back of his mind, and was quite impressed. Even though Logan himself had a nice bulky and chiseled body, he always appreciated a guy who was in good shape. Clearly this Matt guy worked out a lot, which was good considering he played Division One ice hockey.

Logan took off his shirt and threw it in his hockey bag, putting his elbow pads on and moving down to secure his shin pads. His skates were all tied and socks and pants on as well. He then took a little moment to think of his answer to Matt’s question.

“I’ll probably go with 91 if that’s not taken,” he told Matt. “It was always my number as a little kid and I’ve just stuck with it for such a long time I guess,” said Logan.

He then slipped on his jersey over his shirtless body and stood up, all set minus his gloves and helmet. “17 and 27 are solid numbers though, hopefully they’re available for you,” said Logan.

 

[spongiecake]

“Well, maybe we have more in common than we think,” Matt chuckled softly.

Once his socks and shin guards were slipped on, Matthew put on his skates. He made sure that they were tight and secure. Next, he put on the rest of his uniform- his elbow pads and neck guard, and all the other things he wore during his practices.

“91 was your number, huh? Was that just because we all memorized as kids that 911 was a number for emergencies?” he teased softly as he nudged the other with his elbow.

“That’s sweet, though. I always love to hear a story behind someone’s jersey number,” he smiled.

“I just like the ring to those numbers. Plus, when they announce our games, hopefully, they’ll be announcing that 17 (or 27) has scored soooo many goals,” he chuckled as he teased once more.

“And then the crowd will go wild for the Bruins,” he nodded his head, smirking softly as he folded his arms to look at the other.

 

[Edric Blight]

“Guess so,” chuckled Logan as he ran a hand through his dark colored hair and picked up his helmet.

“Not quite man,” laughed Logan, “It was always the number of my favorite player growing up- Federov. The old Red Wings player,” he told Matt.

Logan grinned, “And hopefully soon after that, they’ll be announcing number 91, Logan Prescott scoring for the Bruins soon after,” he joked with Matt.

“I can’t wait for our first game, that’s gonna be super fun with the crowd behind us,” he said.

 

[spongiecake]

“Ah, scratch that, I don’t think we have that much in common,” he replied.

“I grew up rooting for the Blackhawks… y’know— like, the biggest rivals to the Red Wings? Though, I’m not too thick-skulled to admit that Federov was a legend.”

“My dad raised me to be a Mikita fan,” he said with a sweet smile.

He then ran his fingers through his hair and placed on his helmet, securing it tightly around his head. Matthew looked back to his friend.

“You’re right, this season will be awesome- I’m excited for our first game too!”

 

[Edric Blight]

Logan raised an eyebrow, a little confused as Matt suddenly said they didn’t have anything in common. It all made sense as Matt revealed that growing up he had cheered for the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Ah it’s ok, as long as you’re not an Avs fan I think we’re good,” chuckled Logan light heartedly with a smile.

Logan then put on his own helmet and slipped on his gloves, grabbing his stick and looking to Matt.

“Ready to head out there?” he asked his new friend as he held his hockey stick in hand.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew tugged at his neck guard, adjusting the fabric so that it wouldn’t irritate him during practice. He fixed his gloves a bit before standing up and grabbing his Hockey Stick as well.

“Yep! Ready as I ever will be at this point,” he said, with a smile.

“How are you feeling? Nervous? Excited?”

 

[Edric Blight]

“I don’t know about you but I’m excited. Nothing’s gonna beat going out onto the ice for the first time as an official D1 college athlete,” said Logan with a grin.

He grabbed his stick and looked over at Matthew. “C’mon, let’s skate out together,” he said as he began to make his way out of the locker room and down the tunnel.

There were already a few older guys on the team on the ice by the time Logan and Matt first stepped onto the rink.

Logan smiled as he took his first step onto the ice as an official member of the Twinecrest Bruins, skating around a little bit and feeling the wind blow as he moved.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew nodded softly with a grin as he followed behind his new friend. He tried to compose himself but he was just too excited!

As they slipped out onto the ice, Matt began to relax his shoulders as he took a few breaths. He kept close to Logan's pace. This wasn't tryouts anymore so he could be a little bit more carefree- even if that caused him to act recklessly at times.

After a lap, Matthew skated over to some of the older college players.

"Hey, fellas."

He smiled as he folded his arms.

"I'm Matthew-- one of the rookies this year for the Bruins. I'm looking forward to being on your team," he said, politely with a smile.

One of the boys smiled and glanced at his friend. The formality of Matthew's tone wasn't really necessary.

"Uh, yeah, nice to meet you, man," one of the players responded.

 

[Edric Blight]

After taking a lap with Matt just to get his legs a little warmed up, Logan and his new friend joined some of the older members of the team, many of whom were stretching before practice got officially underway. An interesting difference from high school Logan noted was that the coach was no where to be seen for the pre-practice stretches. Unlike high school, the coach trusted and expected that the players could warm up by themselves and be ready as soon as practice started. Logan remembered in high school his hockey coach was there practically the whole time watching over them. The freedom felt nice and even professional to a degree.

Logan took a knee next to Matthew and one of the older members of the team who was stretching as Matthew took it upon himself to introduce himself. Logan couldn’t help but internally cringe at his new friend’s introduction. It was all so formal- too formal. It seemed that the other guys on the team would tend to agree. A few of them looked a bit stunned at first until a few started talking.

“Relax freshie,” chuckled one of the older boys on the team, “No need for formalities here, we’re a family.” said the guy casually. A few of the guys chuckled lightly at the innocence and nervousness of the new freshman.

“Welcome to the team Matt! Can I call you Matt? I’m gonna call ya Matt,” said the older teammate.

“You made the team man nothing to worry about now- except for coach,” said one of the boys.

One boy rolled his eyes and shook his head. “Chill out man you’re gonna scare the freshie,” he said. He then looked to Matt. “Don’t listen to him he’s full of shit,” said the guy.

The older boy from before who had told Matt that he could relax then took note of Logan’s presence. He looked over at Logan and grinned.

“Say, you must be new too kid. What’s your name?” the player asked.

“Logan,” responded Logan simply.

“Logan, eh?” asked the player as he seemed to test the name out on his tongue. “Well, welcome to the team bud!” he said.

Logan nodded and managed a soft smile. He was admittedly a little nervous to meet all of his teammates. “Thanks,” replied Logan softly.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew blushed softly as he grew flustered. He didn't mean to seem so formal. Though, it was something that happened a lot. He was normally a goof, but when he cared a lot about something, he always ended up coming across as a goody-two-shoes kid.

"Ahaha, right-- sorry..bro," he shrugged softly and smiled at his new teammates.

"How long have you guys played for the team?" Matt asked.

"Got any tips? Anything we need to avoid to stay off the Coach's clipboard?"

 

[Edric Blight]

“I’ve been here for three long years man,” said one.

“Two for me,” said another.

“Tips? Just do your job and do what he says. You do your job on the ice and you do it effectively and you’ll be golden, Matt,” said one of the older teammates.

“You were obviously put on this team for a reason kid, I’m sure you’ll be fine,” said another teammate.

Logan gently tapped the back of Matt’s legs with his stick. “We’ll be fine man, don’t worry,” he said, comfortingly to his new friend.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew glanced behind him and looked at Logan. It was a sweet gesture. The boys didn't know each other well but in that moment, it really felt like the both of them were in this battle together. Well, actually, it wasn't really a battle- more just like a challenge to show the whole team that they shouldn't regret choosing you. The pressure was on.

"Right, thanks."

Matt then turned and glanced back to Logan. He mouthed the words 'Im Nervous' to his friend in secret.

"Good luck out there. Let's have a fun practice," Matthew said to the other guys as he turned to face them once more.

 

[Edric Blight]

Logan gave a little smile and a head nod over at Matthew as the two seemed to have a little moment there. They were both the new rookie freshmen coming onto the team for the first time. Although they had made the team, they still had a lot to prove in order to crack the opening night roster.

“You’ll be fine,” whispered Logan to Matthew as he noticed his friend mouth ‘I’m nervous’ to him. Soon, Logan saw all of the stretching boys begin to stand up and look towards the entrance to the rink. Logan looked too and sure enough, there he was, the coach.

The coach blew his whistle, “Alright boys! Bring it in!” he shouted loud and clear as he held a dry erase board in the shape of an ice hockey rink out and held a dry erase marker in his other hand. The rest of the boys, Logan and Matt included, skated to huddle up around the coach.

“Alright. I’m coach Warner, many of you already know that. For the new kids, that’s your introduction.” said the coach. “Now, let’s get down to business. We’re gonna start with a few quick warm up laps. Skate around the rink at normal speed, until you hear my whistle, then I want you skating as hard and as fast as you can. When I blow the whistle again, you return back to normal speed. Am I clear?” Coach Warner asked, looking around at all the boys on the team.

“Yes coach!” a few boys said affirmatively. Logan nodded. This drill seemed easy enough. Hell he’d done it a few times before on the various hockey teams he was on in the past at practices. He could totally do this. He just needed to keep up with the older guys.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew couldn't help but smile at his friend's words. He really did overthink, but it was nice to see someone was there to be his friend. He nodded his head before walking out to the rink where the coach was giving instructions. He needed to be perfect today. There wasn't any room for mistakes.

"Yes, Coach!" he said in unison with the others.

Matthew was already used to taking commands easily-- coaches practically acted as if they were generals in front of their armies.

All they had been tasked with was just skating around the rink.

Easy.

Matthew wasn't a duster so he knew he wouldn't fall behind. As for his speed, he wasn't half bad. Without a puck in front of him, all he had to do was skate back and forth on the cold, unforgiving ice.

The rest of the team lined up on the ice and waited for the coach to blow his whistle, providing instructions and snide comments when needed. Once the whistle was blown and the command was sent, Matt skated at a normal, easy-going speed. He made sure to discreetly glance at his fellow teammates to ensure his speed was good enough for the coach.

Their coach blew his whistle again and Matthew raced forward, gaining speed. His legs ached from the sudden jolt of stress but he pushed on, focusing on each stride from his skates. He wasn't abnormally far ahead, but he was fast in his skates and aware of all the guys skating around him.

 

[Edric Blight]

Logan was pretty confident in his skating abilities. He was a great skater with elite edges. He also knew he had speed. Logan lined up with the rest of the team, taking a spot next to Matthew as the boys got ready to skate on the coach’s whistle. The coach blew his whistle for the first time and they were off.

The first whistle meant they’d be skating at normal game speed, and Logan took off, skating with the large group of his teammates. He tried to stay focused on only himself but couldn’t help but look around at his other teammates and of course, he was certainly curious to see how his new friend Matthew was fairing.

As they were skating around the rink, Coach Warner blew his whistle again, signaling the boys to pick up their pace. Logan leaned forward and dashed across the ice, skating hard and fast. His heart began pumping as he took his big strides, beginning to work up a bit of a sweat now. Skating was hard work.

After about a solid 20 seconds or so of hard skating, Coach Warner blew his whistle once more and the boys were finally able to slow down. They couldn’t stop skating though but they were now allowed to go at a more comfortable and slower speed. Still, Logan made sure he didn’t fall behind the group.

 

[spongiecake]

Matthew watched as his friend Logan dashed ahead of the group. He was skating fast-- it looked tiresome, to say the least. His form was almost perfect, with a few flaws here and there. As for Matt, he kept a steady yet fast pace. He knew his limits but knew what stride would keep him at a sound pace to play through a long game. Either way, he tried his best on the ice and stayed skating with the majority of the group before their coach blew his whistle.

It only took them a few more laps until the coach blew his whistle to stop their warm-up. Welp, that was easy. What was next for them?

 

[Edric Blight]

Finally, after a few times of doing some normal paced laps coupled with a few good seconds of hard skating, the first drill had finally come to an end. The coach blew his whistle multiple times to signal the end of the drill. The boys were then called back to center ice where the coach had yet another drill in store for them.

The rest of practice had gone by smoothly. It didn’t mean it was easy by any means, but it certainly went well for both boys. When they were done, the boys had a quick stretch before skating off the ice and going down the tunnel back into the locker room.

There was some chatter amongst the teammates as they all began to get undressed and take their hockey gear off. One of the older boys pulled Matt and Logan aside and wrapped an arm around each of the boys’ shoulders. “Hey, freshies. You two gonna be joining us for the team dinner tonight?” he asked the both of them. Logan looked to Matt and raised his eyebrows. A team dinner? That sounded like fun! A good way to get to know the guys more.

 

[spongiecake]

Okay, in any normal setting, Matthew would have totally pushed off the dude. The guy was probably sweaty and smelly from practice-- and now he had his arms wrapped over Logan and Matt? GROSS. But this wasn't a normal setting. Like the dude said, Matthew was a freshie-- the fresh meat-- the type of guy you'd pick if you just gave someone an opportunity. All he could do now was act chill and play it cool.

Matthew glanced back at Logan and softly shrugged his shoulders. He smiled and glanced at the guy.

"Sure dude, sounds fun. Where are we eating? I'm like, fucking starving after practice," he said.

 

[Edric Blight]

The older teammate continued to hang onto both Logan and Matt, all buddy-buddy like. “We’re going to a place not too far from campus. It’s called the Inlet Bar and Grille. They’ve got some good eats,” said the boy.

Logan nodded and was soon reminded of his empty stomach. Practice had really taken a lot out of him- he could definitely eat. “Yea I’m hungry too,” said Logan as he felt his stomach growl.

“I’ll definitely be there!” Logan told his teammate. He then looked to Matthew. “You coming tonight too, Matthew?” he asked, eager to hear Matt’s answer.

 

[spongiecake]

"Oh, the Inlet Bar and Grille? I've been there a few times with some of my buddies."

Matthew smiled. Thank goodness it was a good place to eat and not some crappy, overpriced bar food. Plus, it gave him an in. He could easily recommend a few items and drinks to the newbies and look all cool while doing so. If worse came to worse, he could at least offer a few recommendations to his new friend, Logan. The guy seemed so cool already. He was definitely someone that Matt would hang around in High School.

"Yeah, I'll go. It'll be fun to meet the team s'more."

He glanced at Logan and shrugged softly.

"If it's close to school, do you just want to hitch a ride with me, dude? Save the gas, right?" he offered.

 

[Edric Blight]

Logan raised his eyebrows. His face almost lit up as the other freshman boy offered to give him a ride to the restaurant. He couldn’t help but smile as he nodded.

“Yea man! That sounds great! I’ll come along with you if you don’t mind, I appreciate it bro,” said Logan.

The older teammate let go of both boys and grinned. “See? Already making friends you two,” he said. “I’ll see you both later tonight,” he said as he walked away and went to go to a bench in the locker room to change out of his sweaty hockey gear.

Logan just smiled softly and nodded as the other boy went away. He then sat down on the bench closest to them and put his helmet on the floor, taking off his sweaty hockey practice jersey and shirt. He looked to Matthew and smiled.

“I think it’s gonna be pretty fun tonight,” said Logan.

 

[spongiecake]

"Yeah, see you, dude!" Matthew said as the guy walked away.

He then glanced back to his other teammate, Logan. He leaned down and whispered from a distance.

"Okay, sorry- but I do NOT remember what his name was. That's why I kept on calling him dude, haha.. but-- don't tell!"

He couldn't help but chuckle softly at his own stupidity. It wasn't Matt's fault that he couldn't remember names easily! Well, actually it was, but he wouldn't accept it.

"If it makes you feel any better, I only really remember your name," he said with a smile.

Matthew began taking off his jersey and elbow pads- and all the extra equipment he had on. The sooner they were cleaned up and ready, the sooner they'd be able to meet up with the team.