Ice Time

by David Skuy

  “Rocket!” Rogers yelled.

  Rocket backhanded a pass to Rogers at the top of the circle. The left defenceman veered over to pressure the puck. Downey stormed into the zone from the left wing, although he was being checked closely by the right winger. Rogers waited for the left defenceman to commit to him, and then he slid a pass back to Rocket near the faceoff dot to the goalie’s left. The shot was open — but Rocket had a better idea. The winger covering Downey kept coming into the zone. Downey had cleverly slowed up and was open. Rocket waited to freeze the goalie and then he rifled a pass across the zone to Downey, who one-timed a slapper on goal.

  Ping!

  The puck nicked the crossbar and deflected into the netting.

  “Brutal,” Rocket groaned.

  Rocket went to the faceoff dot to set up. Number 12 looked mad, probably irritated at himself for letting a rookie make him look bad. Rocket didn’t kid himself. This next faceoff would be tough to win outright. Number 12 was a real pro, and he’d been doing this a long time.

  “Be sharp,” Rocket said, calling the play.

  Downey bounced his stick on the ice. He got it: Rocket would try to tie the centre up. Then Downey would come across and steal the puck.

  “The young guns are hungry for goals,” number 12 said.

  The young guns. Rocket liked it. “We’re just here to win, same as you,” he said.

  “Good luck,” the centre said. He almost seemed to mean it.

  Then the puck dropped. And Rocket and the young guns brought it.

  EPILOGUE

  The camera lights flashed. Rocket had to turn away and blink a few times.

  “What do you think will be the key to winning?” a voice called out.

  Rocket wasn’t sure which reporter had asked the question. There were too many of them, and the lights made it hard to see their faces.

  “We have to play our game and not get caught up in the hype,” he said.

  “Aren’t you nervous? How do you deal with the pressure?” the reporter pressed him.

  “That’s not easy,” Rocket admitted. “Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve dreamed of being here, of being in this situation. I guess every kid who’s ever laced up a pair of hockey skates has had the same dream. I’m lucky enough to live it. I think about that, and the nerves go away.”

  “But you’ve had bad luck, too. You didn’t have it easy getting here. Weren’t you cut from your minor bantam team?” another reporter said.

  The reporters laughed.

  “The coach said I was too small — and maybe I am,” Rocket said to further laughter.

  “No, really,” the reporter said, and she came closer. Rocket suddenly recognized her. It was Rita Martin, the same reporter who’d interviewed him at his first NHL training camp. Hard to believe that was five years ago.

  “You were a low draft pick in junior,” Martin said. “The last round, in fact, and you were a low pick in the NHL draft. You were sent to the Pinewood Racers in the AHL, then traded after a few games to the Tennison Giants. Five years later, you’re in the Stanley Cup finals — against the same team that traded you, no less — on one of the best lines in hockey. It must seem like a miracle now. But back then, did you ever think of quitting?”

  He let his mind wander back.

  “There were times when I thought, ‘Rocket, this isn’t going to happen.’ When the Racers traded me, I was battling a neck injury. My future was uncertain, and I was close to quitting the game and getting a job. My family needed the money. But then I lucked out with the Giants. They gave me a chance, and it paid off for both of us.”

  “Is that your message to kids — never quit?” Martin said.

  “I’d say it’s important to have a dream,” Rocket said. “But it’s also important to have lots of dreams. And you have to be prepared to work for them. I said it was luck that got me here, but it also took a lot of hard work and sacrifice. Sometimes, you need to take a step back and ask yourself if it’s worth it, and the answer will be different for everyone.”

  “You grew up without much money,” Martin said. “I’ve heard that you’ve used some of your salary to buy your mom a new house and pay for your sister’s med school. Was that also a dream of yours?”

  “Absolutely. They’ve supported me and my dream for so long; it’s been great to help them out.” He’d also convinced Ritchie and Mariana to accept a loan. They were both going back to school so they could get better jobs.

  “And you’ve paid for your own education,” Martin stated.

  “That’s right. I’ve been taking online university courses for a while now. I should have my degree in another year or so. I think my mom cares more about that than hockey — or the house.”

  That got a chuckle from the reporters.

  “I came to realize that getting an education was like having a plan B,” Rocket went on. “I guess that’s my message to kids: don’t put all your eggs in the hockey basket. If you get injured, or don’t make it for whatever reason, an education gives you options.” He thought of Rory. His knee had blown out again, and that was it. He’d had a really hard time for a while, but now he was an assistant coach in the AHL.

  “So, do you think the Young Guns are ready for this?” a reporter called out from the back.

  Rogers, Downey and Rocket had quickly made the first line on the Giants, and they’d been kept together in the big club. Somehow that nickname had followed them to the NHL.

  “We’re a bit nicked up, for sure,” Rocket said. “It’s a long season, plus we had the three playoff rounds to make the finals. But the guys in the other room have played just as much, so we have no excuses on that front. We’re excited, yeah, but we don’t feel like we’ve accomplished anything yet. That will happen when we hoist the Stanley Cup.”

  “Why do you think you made it when so many others didn’t?” Martin said. She certainly asked tough questions.

  He had to think about that. “I used to believe it was all about desire; that you have to want it more than the next guy. It took me a long time to realize that while effort is a big part of it, luck and timing are also huge factors. I’ve had a few bad coaches, and I was cut a few times. But then I had some really great coaches, too. They took chance on me despite my size, and I learned a lot from them. I’ve also only had one serious injury, and I was lucky that it healed as well as it did.”

  Rodriguez came onto the podium. “Okay, guys, I think that’s enough Rocket time. He needs to get ready.”

  Rocket stepped away from the table. “Thanks, everyone.”

  “Rocket, just one more question,” Martin called out. “You and Turner Rogers finished first and second in league scoring, and Downey finished in the top fifteen. Can the Young Guns be stopped?”

  Rocket turned back to the table.

  “We don’t think like that. We’re a team, not a line, and we win and lose as a team. If we don’t score, then we make sure we play great defence and wait for someone else to step up. That’s how it’s been all season. Our team has a saying—”

  “Bring it!” the reporters chorused.

  Rocket laughed. That saying had gotten around — like their nickname.

  “Right,” he said. “That means you play hockey the right way: unselfish, hard, fast and smart. It’s not about our line scoring. It’s about our team winning.”

  He waved to the reporters and left the stage.

  “Coach will take questions after the game …” Rodriguez said.

  Rocket walked down the hall, back to the dressing room. He felt good about his answers. Too many boys sacrificed their childhoods for the NHL dream, and maybe he’d done that also.

  He hadn’t been completely honest about one thing, though. He was totally nervous about tonight. The first game of the Stanley Cup finals — his heart had been beating a mile a minute since he woke up. He pulled out his phone and sent his wife a text: Miss you. Speak after the game.

  Megan texted back: Focus!

  He walked into th
e dressing room. The boys were hanging out. A few were blowtorching their sticks or applying tape, others were talking in groups of twos and threes — the usual hockey stuff. Their hockey bags sat on the floor in front of each stall, and above them, stuck to the upper shelves that ran around the room, were their name tags.

  On the far wall, between Turner and Brett, he saw it: Rocket.

  Luck, hard work. Whatever it was, it was still kind of cool when a dream came true.

  OTHER BOOKS BY DAVID SKUY

  Rocket Blues

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-3376-0

  Bryan “Rocket” Rockwood is faced with the unthinkable: being cut from the Huskies — the AAA hockey team he has played on for three years. With no other teams interested in him, Bryan reluctantly joins a AA team, the Blues, at his best friend Maddy’s insistence.

  Things only get worse when Rocket sees that the Blues don’t take hockey seriously. Facing the Huskies in the round robin will give Rocket the chance to prove his skills, but to keep his hockey dreams — and his friends — Rocket must realize that while hockey is his passion, it is not his entire life.

  * Winner, Rocky Mountain Book Award

  * Nominee, Silver Birch Award

  Last Shot

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-4670-8

  The exciting sequel to Rocket Blues!

  The OHL — it’s the next step on Bryan “Rocket” Rockwood’s path to a pro career and a better life for his family, and he can’t wait for training camp. But as the smallest guy on the ice, it will be tough enough for Rocket to make the team, even without worrying about hazing from the other guys. He has the skills and the drive, but will that be enough to earn his teammates’ respect and a spot on the final roster? Or will he finally have to give up his hockey dreams?

  * Nominee, Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award

  Undergrounders

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-2464-5

  Since his mom died, Jonathon has been on his own, living on the streets. The Underground gives him a place to sleep, but it’s not like having a real home or being a regular kid. That seems like an impossible dream.

  Escape comes to him in the form of hockey gear. He heads to the community rink, where kids welcome him into their game and onto their team. Playing hockey makes Jonathon feel normal again, but keeping his double life a secret proves to be more difficult and dangerous than he ever could have imagined.

  * Winner of the Silver Birch Award

  “… sensitively written and compelling …”

  —CM

  Off the Crossbar

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-1980-1

  Things are not going well for 14-year-old Charlie Joyce. Tragic circumstances have forced his family to move to a new town, and now, as the new kid at Terrence Falls High School, he has a lot to prove. This school and town take their hockey seriously and Charlie wants to be on the team, but the best players in the school have taken a disliking to him and warn him not to bother trying out. Charlie knows he can’t back down, and decides to let his game do the talking — no matter how unpopular it will make him.

  Rebel Power Play

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-1981-8

  Charlie is unhappy that he has missed tryouts for the local league. Just when he thinks he won’t be able to play AAA hockey he meets Tom Dunn, a sponsor, who encourages Charlie to try out for his new team, The Hawks. Things are looking up until practices start and the team realizes that Dunn is not coach material. As they lose game after game and lose half the team to fighting, it is left up to Charlie and some others to take matters into their own hands. But can they rebuild the team on their own?

  Making the Cut

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-1982-5

  In this third book in the Game Time series featuring teenage hockey player Charlie Joyce, a summer hockey program promises to provide the opportunity of a lifetime. There will be visits by NHL coaches, top trainers, and expert analysts, not to mention the chance to play with the best players in his age group, including his friends Scott and Nick … and his arch-rival Jake. Charlie is stoked.

  But things don’t go as planned. While Charlie makes Team 1, things are going wrong between him and the other guys, and even the coaches seem to be down on him. To make things worse, the NHL coach’s Stanley Cup ring goes missing. That is, until it shows up in Jake’s gear. Charlie is pretty sure Jake didn’t do it … and he’s pretty sure he knows who did.

  Overtime

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-1983-2

  The year has barely begun when Charlie finds out his school is in jeopardy because of some damage to the building. Under threat of being separated and bussed to different high schools, Charlie and friends leap into action to raise some money and keep their high school (and hockey team!) intact.

  Using all of their skills, they cook up as many fundraising events as they can — until one day a gift comes to them in the form of a hockey tournament with a $5000 prize. Charlie is ecstatic to get his team on the ice — until he realizes that their line-up must be co-ed to compete.

  It’s a whole new lesson in good sportsmanship at Terrence Falls High School. Can they pull it off and save their school?

  Double Shift

  E-book ISBN 978-1-4431-1975-7

  One night, Charlie’s mom entrusts him with closing up the café while she runs an errand. Distracted by the rivals who come in to taunt him, Charlie completely forgets to turn off the stove when he leaves.

  When Charlie and Pudge come back after their hockey game, they’re devastated to find there has been a fire at the café. And the insurance company won’t pay for the damage because Charlie is underage and shouldn’t have been using the stove.

  Charlie is overwhelmed by guilt. His hockey game and friendships suffer. And with bank payments looming, his mom decides she must take a job in another city.

  When he finally tells his teammates what happened, they all suggest ways to help.

  With support from the community, and relying on green principles, like using building materials that have been thrown out or are no longer needed (freecycling!), they pull together and pull it off at the last second!

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  David Skuy spent most of his childhood playing one sport or another — hockey, soccer, football, rugby. Now he is a writer and lawyer who lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and two kids. He still plays hockey, coaches at minor league level, and remains a die-hard Leafs fan. He began writing the Game Time series to try to capture the competition, the challenges, the friendships and the rivalries that make sports so much fun.

  His book Undergrounders won the Silver Birch Award in 2012. Rocket Blues, his first book about Bryan “Rocket” Rockwood, was a Best Books for Kids and Teens starred selection, won the Rockey Mountain Book Award and was nominated for the Silver Birch Award, the Snow Willow Award and the Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Award.

  Scholastic Canada Ltd.

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  Scholastic Children’s Books

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  Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

  Skuy, David, 1963-, author

  Ice time / David Skuy.

  Sequel to: Last shot.

  Issued in print and electronic formats.

  ISBN 978-1-4431-4893-1 (paperback).--ISBN 978-1-4431-4894-8 (html)

  I. Title.

  PS8637.K72I24 2016 jC813’.6 C2016-901616-1 C2016-901617-X

  Cover photo © Igor Terekhov/Dreamstime.

  Copyright © 2016 by David Skuy.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By p
ayment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read this e-book on-screen. No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher, Scholastic Canada Ltd., 604 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario M5V 1E1, Canada.

  First e-book edition: September 2016