#(other than rielly)

[ruslangazizov]

things i will never do: shut the fuck up about matthew knies

[oeldeservesthenorris]

Well, another day, another way the National Hockey League has found to disappoint me. At this rate I'm no longer even surprised. Just sad. Very very sad.

ANYWAYS, for those interested, and looking for some bright spots today, here is a by no means comphrensive list of NHL players who have been actively vocal and demonstrative in their support of the LGBTQA+ community, who have attended Pride parades, or in other ways have proven to at least try to be allies. Some might surpise you. They did me as I looked into this (Brad Marchand? Mark Schiefle? yes!) (I'd rather focus the energy on these guys than those who don't deserve my time, fandom, or money for their apparel):

Quinn Hughes

Oliver Ekman-Larsson

Jon Merrill

JT Miller

Jacob Markstrom

MacKenzie Weegar

Jonathan Huberdeau

Rasmus Andersson

Alexander Wennberg

Roman Josi

Jack Hughes

Timo Meier

Matthew Tkachuck

Aaron Ekblad

Charlie MacAvoy

Morgan Rielly

John Klingberg (literally had a video on learning how to be an ally in the dressing room, if you didnt know)

Josh Morrissey

Mark Schiefle

Dylan Demelo

Mat Barzal

Tyler Seguin

Mitch Marner

Erik Johnson

Nathan MacKinnon

Connor McDavid

Anthony Duclair

Gabriel Landeskog

Auston Matthews

Tyson Barrie

Kurtis Gabriel

Travis Konecny

James Van Riemsdyk

 Scott Laughton 

Jordan Martinook

Bo Horvat

Luke Prokop

Brad Marchand

Sean Monahan

Johnny Gaudreau

Mark Giordano

Max Domi

Martin Necas

Ethan Bear

Jeff Skinner

Mattias Samuelsson

[twirlyleafs]

”I knew I could take him.”

Morgan Rielly x reader

TW: blood, swearing

~~~~

“What the actually fuck is wrong with you?”

That was the first thing you said, hissed even, to Morgan as he embraced you after the game. He stopped for a second, arms still around you, before leaning back slightly with a frown on his face.

“Sorry?”

When you looked up at him, ready to cuss him out again, you could clearly see the remnants of the fight. The blue and purple starting to take form around his eye and cheekbone and the screaming red scrapes over his cheek. His nose looked fine, better than you expected after seeing the blood gushing out of it when he left the ice. Morgan had raised his eyebrows, looking at you expectantly. One of his hands had settled on your hip and his fingers squeezed you slightly.

“Y/N?”

“You could’ve gotten hurt. Like really hurt. He’s big, a fucking giant-“

“I knew I could take him.” Mo shrugged, realizing what you were upset about. He had assumed that you would say something about it, being the first fight he’d been in since you started dating. “I’m strong you know.” A small smirk played on his lips as he stepped closer to you again, pulling on your hip. You frowned, pulling away. “Oh come on baby, you can’t actually be mad about this? It’s part of the game, it’s hockey.” Morgan tried to explain, dropping his arms to his side. You knew that, and you understood where he was coming from. The last seven months you had learned the ups and downs of hockey, you had seen a few fights on the ice and not once had anyone gotten seriously injured. But it was different when it was Morgan, and honestly you were offended that he couldn’t understand that.

“Let’s just go.” You muttered, earning a look from Morgan that said really? Without another word you made your way down to the underground garage. You knew Morgan was following you, even without looking, because you could hear the flops of his slippers and an occasional sigh. He stopped next to the car, waiting a few seconds before unlocking it. When you still didn’t speak up he let out a louder sigh, finally letting you in. The car ride was just as silent, until you came up on the intersection that determined if he was going straight home, or to your place.

“So?” You didn’t look over at him when he spoke, but lifted your head slightly to let him know you were listening. In the corner of your eye you could see him grip the steering wheel tighter, you knew he was annoyed. “Should I just drop you off at your place?” You felt the lump in your stomach move up your throat.

“No.”

“Well babe,” he muttered, sarcasm dripping from his words. “I don’t see the point in hanging out if you’re not even speaking to me.” You didn’t answer but to your relief Morgan still didn’t take the turn to your part of town. No level of annoyance would make him actively choose to sleep apart from you. The air felt cold around the two of you in the elevator ride up to his apartment and the second you entered he made his way to the bedroom, not even sparing you a glance. You knew you were the one who started this, and you were without a doubt still upset about the fight, but you seriously hated fighting with Morgan. He wasn’t an angry person and the two of you rarely raised your voices at each other. Instead, when he noticed you being mad or he himself got upset he’d just distance himself from you for a while. It was how you usually handled disagreements and it usually worked, but tonight you hated it. You let a few tears roll down your cheeks as you quietly maneuvered around the kitchen, picking out the ingredients to make sandwiches. Morgan was always hungry when he got back after a game so you knew he’d make his way to the kitchen sooner or later to get something to eat. You fried some chicken and chopped vegetables, toasting some bread at the same time. It didn’t take more than fifteen minutes before you heard Morgan trudging down the hallway and in the corner of your eye you could see him stop right in the doorway. You knew he was watching you as you assembled the sandwich, cutting it into two triangles before placing them on a plate.

“What do you want to drink?” You asked, still not looking over at him. With something between a sight and a groan Morgan pushed off the doorframe, walking towards you. You didn’t resist when he grabbed your hips, turning you around to face him.

“Please stop sulking.” His voice was soft, apologetic almost, but his words had you shaking your head.

“I’m not sulking Mo. I’m-“ you didn’t really know what it was you were doing, trailing off as you hung your head.

“Then what? What’s wrong? I’m fine, you’re fine. No one’s hurt and we won the game. I don’t get why you’re so upset-“

“How would you feel watching me get punched in the face?” Frowning you finally looked up at him. Morgan’s eyes flickered between yours, probably noticing the signs of your earlier crying. “You wouldn’t find it disturbing to see my blood all over my shirt and on the ground?”

“That’s not the same thing. It’s part-“

“It’s part of the game I know.” You interrupted him, breaking away from his touch. You walked a few steps before turning back around to look at him, dragging your hands through your hair. “I get that Morgan, I do but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s fucking scary. You were bleeding so much, you have a black eye for gods sake! And I sat up there not being able to do anything. I couldn’t even come see you. Sure you’re fine but I couldn’t know that. You skated off the ice and I had to sit there and hope that you didn’t have a concussion or a broken nose or a broken hand or whatever. I know it’s your job and I know it’s hockey but even when you’re on the ice, when you’re Morgan Rielly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, you’re still my boyfriend and I think I’m allowed to worry about you.” You hadn’t even noticed you started crying again until you tasted the salt on your lips. Embarrassed you quickly reached up to wipe your cheeks, turning away from your boyfriend. He watched you with big eyes for a few seconds before he regained control of his body, taking a few quick steps towards you. You couldn’t help but let out a small sob as he wrapped you up in his arms, quickly tucking your head under his chin.

“I’m sorry.” He muttered against your head, swaying you slightly from side to side. “You’re right, you are one hundred percent right baby.”

“I just don’t like seeing you hurt.” You sniffed, making Morgan squeeze you even tighter.

“Come’er.” He bent down slightly to grab your legs, hoisting you up into his arms. You let your arms snake around his neck, head still pressed against his chest. Morgan carried you into the living room, sinking down into the couch with you in his lap. “Look at me.” He urged after getting comfortable, softly grabbing your chin. You obliged, leaning slightly away to be able to come face to face with him. Morgan offered a soft smile as he wiped your cheek with his thumb. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.” You puffed out, leaning into his touch. He leaned closer a pressed a few featherlight kisses on your face, lapping up the last tears. When he pulled back again he was pouting slightly. “I want to tell you that it won’t happen again but I can’t, you know that right?” You nodded with a sigh. He was right earlier, it’s part of the game. Morgan kept stroking his thumb across your cheek, down your chin and your bottom lip. “But I can tell the medical team to call you if I ever have to leave the ice, so you can come down right away, hmm? And I can promise you to always win the fights.” When you couldn’t help but smile his smirk grew. “And we can make a deal.”

“What deal?” You were curious now, making him let out a soft laugh.

“Every time I get into a fight, which isn’t often thank you very much, I will owe you.”

“Owe me what?” You shifted on his lap, so that you were more or less straddling him. Morgan leaned back slightly in the couch, letting his hands trail down to squeeze your thighs.

“Whatever you want baby.” He mused. You pretended to think about it, scrunching your eyebrows together for a few seconds. Morgan couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine. Deal.” You nodded, pulling up your hand for him to shake. He shook his head, reaching up to grab your face instead. You giggled as he pulled you down, pressing his lips against yours.

“Deal.”

[sergeifyodorov]

hi! as a new hockey watcher which of the leafs dmen are good (other than rielly) and what about them make them good/reliable? im understanding forwards a lot better since i started watching but i think i need the good characteristics of a good dmen broken down for me. thanks for your help :)

hi !!! i do hate to say it but like. as much as the leafs are a good team their defenders across the board aren't... great...? like morgan is great at getting points and lilly is generally pretty good too but if you want to know what a Good Dman looks like the leafs are not going to be your best bet on this.

it's also generally a lot harder to tell when defencemen are good than when forwards are good because, like, what is defence anyway? whuh? -- also dmen tend to have a lot more dimension than forwards (as in, there are more possible ways they can be good) since defencemen who play offensively are meaningfully much different than forwards who defend.

here are Some things, although not a be-all end-all:

lateral movement in the offensive zone -- "walking the blueline," as it's called. when cycling in the ozone, forwards will often pass back to the defencemen to try and have someone else create the space for them, or to pass to the other side of the ice for the other wing. good defencemen are better at a) taking these passes (not blowing the zone and making everyone tag), b) holding the puck at the zone -- moving side to side to open up the ice, and c) passing it up or back to the forwards. this is easiest to see on a power-play, but the tactics hold nonetheless

pinching/retrievals -- when an opposing forward skates into the offensive zone with the puck, they will sometimes come near the walls in an attempt to get around the d. better dmen are more likely to sort of "guide" them into the walls, where they can be hit to take the puck off them. similarly, when a forward dumps the puck into the offensive zone, it's a dman's job to go and get it. better dmen are more likely to make these retrievals successfully, even under pressure

interrupting slot passes -- across or into the slot is a really dangerous (as in risky to face) direction to pass through because of how much the goalie has to move to meet the shooter. good defencemen are great at knowing where a cross-slot pass is going to be and getting in the way, forcing the passer to either shoot themselves (less dangerous, because the goalie is likely already square to them) or reconsider (also less dangerous, because everyone else will have a worse angle than the target of the cross-slot pass)

jumping up in the play -- this one is mostly a task that offensive-style dmen do and it's not necessarily an indicator of quality, but if you're looking for forwards/trying to learn to watch the game it's also something to look out for ! when a team is in the offensive zone, dmen tend to stay back, aka mostly on or around the blueline (see point 1), but sometimes a dman will come further into the zone and much closer to the net -- morgan rielly is a great example of this, he does it all the time. they kind of transfer from strict defending to playing like a forward. this has both pros and cons -- pros, it acts as another forward in the o-zone, and cons it requires the other defenceman to cover more ice, so it really depends on the offensive skill of the dman.

[sorryjustafangirl]

babe for the weekend

a/n: this is a little different than what i usually write, in terms of boy and structure but i am really really proud of how it turned out, so i hope y'all like it too! the title comes from Taylor Swift's ''tis the damn season" and it quite inspired by it. this is for @broadstbroskis, one of the very first writers i starting following on hockeyblr. it was an absolute honour to write for her in @antoinerousselssel's winter fic exchange and i really really hope she enjoys it (and all its Swiftie references <3)

pairing: morgan rielly x fem!reader

word count: 8.8k+

warnings: a few swears, holiday setting (although not crazy prominent), childhood idiot friends to lovers?

disclaimer: this is a piece of fiction and this beautiful gif is not mine! p.s. i know he got engaged recently (to the figure skating love of my life Tessa Virtue; congrats to them!) but i was too deep in the fic to switch it when i heard the news. hope you still love it!

Morgan had been getting you out of trouble since the day you two could walk. You’d knock over a vase, and he’d find a way to blame the dog. You’d convince him to mattress surf down the stairs, and he put it back while you stalled your mom so she wouldn’t know. He would tell his mom that she “saw you walk up the stairs after dinner like hours ago” when you only snuck in his window four minutes before. 

That didn’t end when he left to play junior hockey or when he got drafted and you moved across the country for school. Despite being in the same city, you relied less on him to bail you out as you got older, but every once in a while, his number was on speed dial to decipher if a guy was phishing you or for a 2am pickup from the club. 

Granted, you’d saved him just as many times. You’d posed as his girlfriend to save him from puck bunnies and more than once told his mom it was you he was out with, instead of the girlfriend he wasn’t supposed to have. Every other week, he’d call with a question he was too embarrassed to ask his own mom (“is $10 too much for a carton of orange juice?”). 

You just never thought he’d be bailing you out like this. 

As the youngest of four kids (and the last single one), your parents were overbearing about your love life to say the least. But in the holiday season? It dialed up to 11. 

“Are you sure you’re alright though? We don’t want you to be feeling lonely.” Your mom brought up at the end of your weekly Zoom family call, complete with all your siblings and grandma. 

“For the last time, I am not lonely. I have great friends, I have a good job at an ad agency, and my credit card is paid off. I’m doing great!”

“But it’s a big city, darling. You’ve been out of school for years and you still haven’t told us about any guy. Or-or girl, if you’re into that,” she tried to reason.

“Mom, she isn’t lonely because she’s getting some!” Ben, your youngest brother, chimed in, making you cringe. 

“Grow up, dork,” Julie, your eldest sister, said at the same time your older brother, James, said “Nice one!”

“Kids, you’re making Grams blush, can you knock it off?” Your dad chimed in. Ben’s face flushed but that didn’t stop James from poking the bear. 

“Just think Mom, there’s less people to feed at Christmas!” 

“That’s what you take out of this? Your sister could be at risk for depression.”

“I don’t have depression!”

“You always talk to me with an iced coffee, I do get a little concerned.” “Rude!” “Hey! Ruby drinks iced coffees too and she’s not depressed.” “She’s in a relationship with you, I’d rethink that.” “You aren’t depressed when you’re in happy relationships, that’s what I know.” “Grams, that is not true.” “That’s what Cynthia at book club said!” “None of that changes the fact that your sister hasn’t had a boyfriend in a long time and I’m worried about her!” “She’s not that old Brenda.” “She’s not seventeen anymore Thomas, our daughter is getting older and if she wants kids–” “Kids? Mom, she doesn’t even have a boyfriend.” “That’s my point!” “Who said she wants kids?” “Julie, you’re a mother, you should know every woman wants kids!” “Grams, that isn’t true.” 

All of their overlapping voices seemed to get louder, rattling around in your brain, and you couldn’t take it anymore. 

“I have a boyfriend!” You blurted and the screen silenced. You relished the small moment of quiet before the sound exploded again. 

“What?” “Yes!” “Who is he?” “Is he coming home with you?” “What’s his name?”

“Woah, woah. One at a time please,” you nervously laughed. 

“What’s his name?” The smiles on your mom and Grams faces were so wide it was starting to freak you out and your brain froze. What’s a boy’s name what’s a boy name what’s a boy’s name??

“Morgan.” 

Your brain blurted out the name before you realized its implications. 

“Morgan?” Your mom’s smile widened. “Like our Morgan? The Rielly’s boy?” 

Shit, shit, shit. “You’ll have to wait to find out.”

“If they couldn’t get together in high school, no way it would happen now. I say it’s different.” “There’s lots of Morgans in Toronto! It’s a big city.” 

“Yeah, I call bullshit on this whole boyfriend thing,” your older sister Julie chimed in.

You felt blood starting to drain from your face “What?” 

“Oh c’mon! All we have is a name? You don’t want to share his job or what he looks like? You can’t even tell us if he’s coming back with you. You’re just faking it.”

“His work is busy, we haven’t decided if he’s coming back yet!”

“Two weeks before the holidays?” She raised an eyebrow and you pursed your lips. 

“Fine. I was going to surprise you instead, but yes he’s coming back with me. And he has blond hair. Happy?” Julie only shrugged but you could hear your grandmother rejoice in the background of the call. “Look, I have to go but I’ll see you all in two weeks.”

“With Morgan! Oh, I’m so excited to meet him!”

“Yes. With Morgan.” You ended the phone call and flopped into your couch pillows before letting out a scream. 

Where were you going to find a Morgan with blond hair to act as a fake-boyfriend to meet your family across the country?  

-----

“Just call your Morgan.” Your best friend, Ivy, said as the two of you sat in Fran’s, the best diner for burger and fries past Jarvis street, for your regular lunch chat.  

“No, it’d be weird! He’s known my family for a long time and we’re friends.” You shook your head while munching on your fries. 

“Those are exactly the reasons you should take him! Plus, you said his name. I don’t get why you’re making it into this big deal about taking him.” 

“Because it is!”

“But why? It’s not like you’re in love with him,” She said, dipping her fries in ketchup. 

“About that…” You trailed off, biting your lip waiting for her reaction. 

She dropped the food before it could get to her mouth. “No!”

“Look, it was when we were in high school! I was about to tell him when we moved out here, but then he was saying how there was so much on his plate and he was feeling a lot of pressure and I just didn’t want to add to that, you know?” You took a bite of your food before continuing. “I didn’t want him to resent me for telling him at such a crucial point in his life.” 

“And now?”

You shrugged. “I think I’ll always have some sort of feelings for him. He was my best friend growing up.”

“You’re going to have to be really good at hiding those feelings when you’re posing as boyfriend and girlfriend with him.”

“Who said I’m asking him?”

Ivy raised her eyebrows. “Where else are you going to find a blond-haired Morgan to bring home to your family across the country in less than two weeks?” You threw a fry at her, which she grabbed and put on her own plate. “Besides, there’s no harm in asking. He can always say no.”

-----

“Yes.”

“Really?” You asked a little too loudly, putting your coffee mug down a little too harshly, gaining the attention of others in the cafe the two of you routinely catch up in. But you didn’t care. You were expecting a little more skepticism from Morgan when you proposed him playing a fake boyfriend role in front of your family. 

“Yeah, ‘course. It’s my job to bail you out of trouble, isn’t it?” You playfully kicked him under the table. “Besides, I haven’t seen Vancouver or your family in a while. It’d be nice to go back to the old times.” 

“Oh my gosh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” You said, instinctively placing a hand on his arm laid across the table. “Okay, so I don’t know when your season ends but I’m hoping we can fly out for like three days maximum, so it’ll be quick, and we can use your job as an excuse so that’ll be good. For the story, obviously we just went out one day after being friends for a long time, so that’ll be easy. You asked me out. Five or six months is a good timeline for them not knowing but also you coming home so let’s stick to that. You can’t tell your parents because my mom will be furious if Shirley knew before her. Um, Ben, my little brother – you know him–, he’s bringing his girlfriend Ruby, but she’s chill so you’ll get along with her a lot. Drew, my oldest nephew, he’s Julie’s kid and then Charlie and Julie had Rebekah the year before last and Izzy, who is James’s wife, just had baby Taylor a couple months ago so the house is going to be chaotic. You should be writing this down, you know.” You slowed down to notice that Morgan was just staring at you. “I just said so much stuff you need to remember.”

“I know your family. Trust me, it’s going to be fine. I’ll remember all that,” He assured you, placing a hand over your arm like you had done to him.

“Are you sure? I just..I can’t have this go wrong. Julie already suspects the legitimacy of this…fake relationship.”

He squeezes your arm and sends you one of his smiles that makes your heart swell. “We’ve got this in the bag.”

-----

You’d both decided that it’d be easiest if you came to the airport together, so you said you’d pick him up from morning practice. You were waiting in the parking garage at the arena, scrolling through your phone, until you heard footsteps. Looking up, you see Morgan, Mitch, and Willy walking towards you. You give them a shy wave, and they all return with big grins, like they knew something they didn’t. Morgan came up to you, swung an arm over your shoulder and pressed a kiss to your temple. 

“Bye guys, safe travels,” He shouted over his shoulder, the two of you walking towards your vehicle. Once they were out of earshot, you turned to Morgan.

“What was that?” 

“What?”

“That forehead kiss!”

“Oh!” His smile grew a little. “I was practicing for this weekend. Was it okay?” His slight concern made your heart beat faster and you could feel heat starting to go to your face. 

“I mean, yeah, but like won’t the guys think that, you know, we’re—” 

“Believe me, the guys already think we’re together.”

“What?!”

He laughed. “They asked about my plans for the holidays and I said I was going home with you. They just assumed we were dating and it felt like a lot of work to correct them. It’s okay, I promise.”

“If you say so,” you hummed. You unlatched yourself from his arm as you approached your car but Morgan stopped in his tracks and started to laugh. 

“You’re still driving this old thing?” He was referring to your blue Honda you’d had since high school. 

“Excuse me, you named this thing and Louise is still in great shape so of course I still drive her. Now get in.” He holds up his hands in surrender. You buckled yourself in and turned the engine over. The dash lit up like a Christmas tree and the radio was uneven again, so you hit the console a few times before it started to come out of both speakers. 

“Great shape, sure.”

“Shut up.” 

-----

Despite the busyness of the Toronto Pearson International Airport during the holidays, the two of you seemed to breeze through security and boarding. It wasn’t until you stepped onto the airplane, you’d realized just how much anxiety you got from flying. 

Morgan offered to put both carry-on bags in the overhead bins and you gladly took him up the offer. You slid into your seat, immediately putting on the seatbelt and making it tight against your hips. 

“We aren’t flying just yet,” He teased, sliding into the seat next to you.

“I know, it’s just that I–nevermind, it’s silly.” You murmured with a strained smile. 

“No, what is it?” You met your eyes and you took a deep breath. This was Morgan, your Morgan. He’d seen you cry after you got root beer up your nose and he only laughed a little. 

“Airplanes give me a lot of anxiety and I hate takeoffs. It’s just really nerve wracking for me.” 

“Okay, well I’m right here. Would it help if I held your hand?” You shyly nodded, and Mo grabbed a hold of your hand, lacing your fingers together and rubbing his thumb over the back of your hand. You tried to take deep breaths but after the safety presentation, and the plane started to taxi, it got shallower and the grip on Morgan’s hand got stronger.

“I think it's time for a distraction. Want to help me out here?” He said, turning his body towards yours as much as he could. You nodded, trying not to focus on the bouncing of the wings outside your window. 

“What kind of pet names do you like?”

That was…not what you were expecting but it certainly is a distraction. “I don’t really know? I didn’t name our dogs, Julie or my parents did. Why?” You look over to Morgan to see him quietly laughing to himself. “What?” 

“I meant like, romantic pet names. So I can play this boyfriend role right, you know?”

“Oh,” you said, feeling your face heat up. “Uh, I don’t really know. My past boyfriends weren’t really into those.” You continued to take deep breaths as he pulled out his phone. 

“Okay, cool, I’ve got a list and we can just go through them?” You nodded and he started. 

“Honey?”

“We aren’t fifty years old Mo.”

“Sweetie?”

“I’m not five either,” you joked. At your attempt at humour, you say Morgan’s face lit up. 

“What about sweetheart?” Your grimace made him laugh and he moved on. “Kitten? Dear? Babe? Sugar plum?”

“You can call me babe. For the weekend, of course. I like that one.” 

“Of course, babe.” He winked. “And look, we’re in the air already. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

You looked out and the clouds were level, the city skyline peeking through like a scene out of a movie. You look back at him to see him already looking at you. Unable to say everything you feel for him in that moment (platonically, you tell yourself), you squeeze his hand. 

-----

As you touched back in Vancouver (still holding Morgan’s hand for safety purposes), it started to feel real. Real you were back in the city, real Morgan was here, and real that you were supposed to be acting like you’re in love. 

“Hey, I’ll be right back. Hold my bag for me?” Morgan asked, once you’d deplaned and entered the airport. You nodded and shooed him off, finding a place in the nearest lounge to wait for him. You pulled out your phone and started to catch up on messages when someone beside you cleared their throat.

“Sorry to bother you but did you go to Prince of Wales Secondary School in Vancouver?” You turned towards the voice to see someone so familiar but couldn’t put a finger on who.

“Um, yes. How did you know that?”

“I’m Abigail Brown. I think you were my lab partner in high school chemistry?” As soon as she said it, it was like everything rushed back to you. The two of you were good friends but just fell out of touch as years went on. 

“Oh my gosh yes! Oh my gosh, hi! How have you been?” You got out of your seat to give her a hug. 

“I’ve been really good! My girlfriend and I are headed to London for the holidays.”

“Oh fun! I’ve come back for the holidays with my uh..” You trailed off, thinking of what to call this arrangement. “Morgan Reilly, do you remember him?”

“Yeah, totally. Did he come back with you?” She asked, raising her eyebrows. 

“Yeah, we’re here together.”

“No way, that’s so sweet! Back in the day, everyone was wondering when you two would get together!”

“Oh, really?” You asked, surprised. You had thought that your crush on one of your closest friends was pretty discrete. 

“Yeah, a lot of us thought you’d be a cute couple. Turns out we were right,” she winked and nodded her head behind you. You turned to see Morgan coming back with two Tim Horton cups in his hands – one hot coffee for him and one Iced Capp for you. You tilted your head at his thoughtfulness. 

“My flight is boarding now, but it was so nice to see you again!” Abigail said, waving briefly to Morgan before leaving with her girlfriend. 

“Yeah, you too!” You called after her. “Is that coffee for me?” You asked, a wide smile on your face. 

“Because it is so ridiculously early, it is,” he said, placing it in your hands. “Who was that?”

“My high school lab partner. She thought we were together, actually.”

Morgan gave you a puzzled look. “Isn’t that what she’s supposed to think?”

“I mean, I guess, but we’re really just pretending for my family, so I didn’t think she’d think we’re together.” Morgan only hummed at your response and grabbed his bag. 

“Ready to head to your parents' then?” 

Like coming home, the two of you navigated through the airport easily and were on your way to your parents house in no time. Outside of the Uber, looking up at your childhood home, you felt your nerves getting the best of you again. The warm Christmas lights and the three cars in the driveway should’ve calmed you down, but instead had the opposite effect.

“Okay, so, again, we’ve been dating for five months, you asked me out. We kept it a secret, so your parents don’t know either. Ruby is Ben’s girlfriend. Drew and–”

“–Rebekah are Julie and Charlie’s kids. Rebekah is two years old. James married Izzy and their baby, Taylor, was born last month,” He finished with a smile. “Told ya I’d remember it. It’s going to be fine, let’s just go see your family?” He held out his hand for you to take and you cautiously placed it in his. He tugged you up to the front door, wrapping his arm around your shoulders to ring the doorbell. He left it over your shoulder and leaned down to whisper in your ear. 

“Trust me, we’ve got this.” He pressed a quick kiss to your cheek but before you could process what he was playing at, your mom had opened the front door.

“Oh, it is our Morgan! Thomas, I told you it was going to be him! Oh, come in, come in,” she ushered you in and your family all appeared, saying their hellos, taking your bags up to your room, placing drinks in your hands and leading you both into the living room. You settled in beside Morgan, your thighs touching each other as he reached over to entangle your hand with his.

“So, Morgan, my daughter hasn’t told us anything yet! How long have you been together?” Your mom said, once everyone was back together and catching up with the two of you. 

“Couldn’t have been too recent if you brought him home with you,” Julie said, her skepticism showing through. 

“Can’t be too long either since she never told us about him!” James said, nudging her.

Before you could get a word in and defend yourselves, Morgan spoke up. “We started dating five months ago. Might seem a little fast to come home for Christmas but I remember your family pretty well from when I was little. Plus, the schedule lined up really nicely this year so we figured, why not? But we decided to keep it to ourselves for the first little bit, with my job and everything. It can be a really hard adjustment. Especially with the media, I didn’t want them to freak her out.” 

“Aw, how sweet of you.” 

“Who asked who out?” Ruby said, curled up next to her boyfriend. 

“She asked me.” Your heart stopped as Morgan deviated from the plan you’d created. “It was nice, though, so I didn’t have to rack up the courage to ask her the same thing.” He turned towards you, meeting your eyes. To your family, you were recounting your first date and how you’ve been in love since. But Morgan was trying to get away with changing the story and you were civilly throwing daggers at him. 

“That’s nice. But you’ve got to get dressed, we’re still going cross country skiing this afternoon.” Julie said, standing up. 

“Why?” you whined. “We’re tired from traveling.”

“Then exercise will be good for you. And it’s tradition, you can’t deprive Morgan of that.” The smile she sent you was fake and you could tell, narrowing your eyes at her. 

“Yeah, babe, don’t deprive me from family traditions,” he commented, earning a small poke to his side, but you nodded, going to find your warm clothes. 

-----

Cypress Mountain was where your family always skied on Christmas Eve. It was a tradition passed on from your grandfather, who’d done it with his father, and your family liked to keep it alive. It was a thirty minute drive, forty five in Vancouver traffic, so your head fell to Morgan’s shoulder. Soon enough, he was shaking you awake.

“We’re here, sleeping beauty,” He said softly, unbuckling your seatbelt. “Ready?”

“The better question is if you’re ready. I’ve been doing this for years,” you laughed, getting out of the car and walking towards the lodge to get Morgan skis. 

“Please, I’m an athlete. I’ll be fantastic.” He grabbed your hand and your heart started to beat faster at the cute gesture, only to notice some of your family behind you, watching the two of you. Of course, it was only for show. What else would be for? You reminded yourself. 

Twenty minutes later, and you were still watching Mo struggle to clip his skis in, trying not to laugh when he fell over. 

“‘I’m an athlete, I’ll be fantastic’” you said, mocking him and he pouted. You unclipped your own skis and held your hands out to help him get up. 

“The key is this little latch here,” you said, guiding his foot into the ski. You did the same with the other before getting yourself ready. 

“Where would I be without you?” He said, as the two of you, slowly, moved to the track. 

“Probably still be on the ground,” you said with a cheeky smile. You knocked his poles with yours. “Want to go this way? It’s easier than the track they’re doing,” you said, referring to the rest of your family. 

He looked up at the hill your family, including your little nephew, were already halfway up and shook his head. 

“If this is a family tradition, and I’m supposed to be part of your family, I should do it with them. We can join them, I’ll be okay.” 

Morgan was right, for the most part. He got the hang of it pretty quickly, and soon enough you were both caught up to your family. He was smiling, and talking with your dad and brothers. You had time to catch up with Ruby and Charlie, who you never really saw in the family Zoom chats. 

Until you rounded the corner and saw Morgan standing to the side. You didn’t understand why until you saw what was ahead – the hills. For your family, including daredevil Drew, it was easy. But for a beginner like Morgan? You understood why he stopped. 

“If you want to turn back now, it’s okay. They’ll understand.” 

He shook his head again. “I’ve got to sell this boyfriend thing, don’t I? Just…can you go first?” You nodded and made your way down, gaining some speed before slowing down and stopping at the base to watch him. 

“You’ve got this, Mo, just do it!” You told him. He nodded at your words and came down slowly, mimicking the way you had just conquered the hill. His eyes were determined, the way you saw he was on the ice, and your smile got wider as he made it down successfully.

“Yes! You did it!”

That was, until he caught an edge and very ungracefully tumbled to the ground. 

“Well, you mostly did it. I thought you were supposed to be coordinated!” You said in a joking manner, maneuvering over to where he was trying to get up. 

“I don’t usually have these long things attached to my feet!” After his attempts, he held his hands out and you helped him stand upright again. 

“Are you okay? It looked like you fell pretty hard.” 

“My ego is bruised more than anything,” He mumbled. 

“Why? None of them saw your wipeout.” You nodded towards your family who were all ahead and had no idea of what had happened.

“But you did.”

“It’s not like you have to impress me,” You said, waving it off and starting to move along the trail. He only huffed, settling into pace beside you. 

-----

After making it back to the lodge in one piece, you all traveled back to your parent’s and sat down for a family dinner, albeit quick, as the kids’ bedtime was long ago. You helped your mom with the dishes while Morgan had “bonding time”, as he called it, with your brothers and Dad. 

“I’m glad you brought Morgan home, sweetheart,” she said, breaking through the quiet sounds of washing dishes. “He’s a catch and you seem really happy with him.”

You blushed, involuntarily, and nodded. “I am really happy when I’m with him.”

There were sounds of protests and laughter, so you peeked your head around to see Ben on the couch leaning over Morgan’s lap to ruffle James’ hair, only to get caught by Morgan in a loose headlock. Your dad was laughing at their antics and you joined him. It was nice to see Morgan be so carefree, especially with the stress of the season. 

“Hey!” Ben got your attention. “Your boyfriend is bullying me, tell him to stop!” 

“Maybe you deserved it,” You said, moving to be behind the couch. “Morgan is usually right.”

Morgan looked at you and only let Ben free once you gave me a small nod. You leaned down over the couch, wrapping your arms around his chest. At the slight display of affection, James gagged but thankfully, Izzy came down and whisked away her husband. Ben left shortly after that and you noticed Morgan’s head starting to drop. 

“Okay, we’re still on Toronto time a little bit,” You checked with Morgan, who was nodding along. “So we’re going to hit the hay, but Mom, I didn’t see the spare blankets for the pull-out couch?”

“Oh, you don’t need them, Ben has them.”

“What?” You asked, removing your hands from Morgan so he couldn’t tell how clammy they suddenly got. “Where’s Morgan going to sleep?”

“In your bed. It’ll be better for his back.” She answered. 

“Where am I going to sleep?” 

“In your bed.” She sighed when she saw the shock on your face. “Look, we trust Morgan. Besides, it’s a big bed and your dad and I aren’t under the impression you haven’t already slept together.” Her bluntness made you choke on your breath and Morgan patted your back, answering for you.

“Thank you Brenda. We'll be good, I promise.” 

“I know you will. And if you aren’t, know I’m not above telling your mother,” She said with a smirk. “Now, goodnight.” 

You both said your goodnights, and headed up to your room. Morgan shut the door behind you and you immediately started apologizing. 

“I’m sorry, I was certain she’d send one of us to the basement. She never let Charlie or Izzy sleep in the same room with my siblings until they were married,” you said, rummaging through your suitcase for pajamas. 

He waved you off and took a look around your room. It hadn’t changed much since high school, your parents leaving it unchanged for when you came back. The photos in the frames and on the walls were faded and each childhood trophy and trinket was covered in a small layer of dust – not enough for it to be untouched, but enough for it to be preserved. 

The sound of you digging through the closet for extra pillows broke him away from your walls. There were two blankets spread out on the floor and you dropped the pillows you’d found on the space above them.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting ready for bed,” You answered. “You can get changed in the bathroom.”

“Why aren’t you in the bed?” 

“Because you’re sleeping on the bed, hotshot. Can you please get changed, I want to sleep.” He huffed but nodded, slipping out of the room. When he came back to see you curled up on the floor beside the queen sized bed, he let out a small sigh and moved towards you. 

“I’m not going to let you sleep on the floor. Please come sleep on the bed?” He said, standing over top of you.

“I…I don’t want it to be weird.” You said, suddenly interested in the fraying fibres of your blanket. 

“It’s not going to be weird. I promise. Please?” You turned to see him with his puppy-dog eyes and you started to break.

“I don’t know Mo…”

“I’d feel better if you slept in the bed, babe, please? For me?” At that, you relented, nodding your head. He helped you up, gathering the blankets from the floor and laying them over you in the bed. 

He slipped in beside you, a large margin of space between the two of you. It was silent as you got comfy and you turned off your side table light. Morgan hadn’t followed your lead, so you looked over to see him looking at his side table. 

“Remember when we took this picture?” Morgan said, pointing to the only frame on the table. You didn’t even have to look at the photo to know which one he was referring to. It was the last day he spent in Vancouver before the draft and it was a few days before your graduation date. You’d taken your car to the North Shore and hiked to Lighthouse Park. The serenity of being able to see far into the ocean and see the downtown skyline was the place both of you had gone to clear your mind. You’d taken a silly selfie together but it was the one physical memento of your last time together in Vancouver. It was when you almost confessed your feelings to him. 

“Of course I do. It was a good day.”

“Do you think about it a lot?” He asked, and you turned your body to face him. 

“I mean, sometimes, yeah. Do you think about it a lot?”

He nodded, his eyes fixated on the picture. “Yeah. Reminds me of when life seemed normal.” 

You stayed silent for a few moments, watching his eyes begin to get hazy looking at the picture. “Are you okay, Mo?”  

He just nodded curtly, and turned off the light. “Goodnight.” 

You couldn’t lie and say his behaviour didn’t feel like a thousand cuts to your heart but you said goodnight before turning to face away from him, like he’d done to you. 

-----

The sun shining in from the window woke you up in the morning. You started to stir, stretching your arms and legs, but stopped when you felt arms around you. You slowly turned your head to see Morgan close to you, his arms wrapped around your waist. Sometime during the night, he must’ve moved to start cuddling you. You thought it should feel weird, being so close to your friend like this, but all you felt was a sense of calm. Being hyper aware of his arms, you shifted slightly to face him. 

You took the opportunity to look at him, really look at him. Not on the TV, through his hockey gear, not in the cafe when he was conscious that anyone could recognize him, but when he was just him. The sun was shining on him, giving his skin that soft golden glow. The lines on his forehead were almost nonexistent and his beard was filling out nicely. He looked so peaceful here, like he wasn’t one of Toronto’s biggest stars. You looked at him, your face softening as he started to stir under your gaze.

“Morning sleeping beauty,” you teased in a quiet voice, the same way he’d done to you yesterday. 

“Hmm, what time is it?” His voice was raspy and it took everything in yourself not to kiss him right there.

“Early,” you answered and he hummed in response. He slowly opened his eyes and must’ve noticed how close he was to you because his eyes got increasingly wider. His eyes met yours and when he didn’t see any panic or disgust in them, he relaxed, a small smile coming onto his face. 

“Morning babe,” He said, pulling you a little closer to him. 

“Nobody’s around, you don’t have to call me that.”

“What if I want to?” 

You looked up at him, eyes wide in shock and your lips parted. What did he say? It might have been a shock to your brain, but your body seemed to long for a closeness to him. Your heart wasn’t beating faster, no, it seemed to slow down, as if the idea of a relationship with him was the only thing to calm you. 

You noticed his eyes glancing down at your lips and you swallowed. Was he…what was he doing? He started to lean his head towards you and you felt yourself leaning in as well. He was close enough you could feel his breath hot on your face and see the grey flicks in his eyes. You started to close your eyes, his hand caressing your waist from under the covers, and —

“Auntie, Auntie! He came! Santa came! You have to get up! Come see!” Drew yelled through the door, pounding away as if you didn’t hear him. You broke away from Morgan, the small bubble popped by your nephew.  

“We’ll be right there Drew!” you yelled back, rubbing your forehead and getting out of bed. You left Morgan in bed, running downstairs to start some coffee, desperately needing to clear your head. What just happened? 

“Morning, sweetheart!” You sighed as your mom walked into the room, too chipper for how early it was. “I’ve got the pajamas for you and Morgan.”

“Morgan too?” It was a tradition to dress in matching pajamas on Christmas morning but you didn’t think it was something your parents would enforce for him. 

“Yup. Go get changed, I want to take photos soon.” She placed the two pajama sets in your arms and you trudged upstairs. You figured Mo was still laying in bed so you didn’t knock, just charged right in. Maybe you should’ve knocked. But then you wouldn’t get to see Morgan shirtless. Your brain short-circuited until you saw him looking back at you and you shut your eyes.

“I’m sorry, I forgot to knock! My mom wanted me to give you these. Matching pajamas and photos before gifts is a family tradition.” You tried to pull out his pair with your eyes closed but Mo just laughed when he saw you struggling. He came closer, his distinctive cologne invading your senses. He took one of the pairs, hopefully his size, from your arms.

“You can open your eyes, it’s okay.” You slowly opened one eye to test the waters, to see he was still without a shirt. You stared at him as long as it is socially acceptable to look at your best friend shirtless, before rushing out of the room to get changed yourself. 

You beat Morgan downstairs, and got started on the coffees. After buying him many hungover wake-up coffees, you knew his order by heart. You brought them out to the table, your sister and her family having their portrait taken in front of the tree. 

Mo came up from behind you, wrapping his arms around you and taking a whiff of your coffee. He recoiled at the hint of chocolate. 

“Yours has vanilla creamer, don’t worry,” you told him, taking a sip while watching Taylor get her first family photo in front of the tree. It was so nice to see the smiles across your family’s faces as you had this tradition. When it became Ben and Ruby’s turn, you noticed Drew starting to get a little antsy, his eyes fixated on the big box with his name on it. 

“Okay, sweetheart, yours and Morgan’s turn,” your mom said, clearing the area for you two to sit. 

“Oh, Mom, Drew’s looking a little antsy. We can skip ours–”

“No!” Mo interrupted you, taking one last sip of his coffee before tugging you along to sit in front of the tree. You gave him a look and smiled shyly. “It’s our first Christmas together. I want a picture. Please?” 

“Well, since you asked so nicely.” You turned to the camera, plastering a smile on. You were pretty close to him, your legs touching and his arm around your shoulders. Near the end,  Morgan pressed a kiss to your cheek and you blushed, the sound of the camera clicking long forgotten as you stared into his eyes. 

“Auntie, can I please please open my presents from Santa now?” Drew said, once again interrupting the moment between you and Morgan.

“Of course, baby, but you have to open the ones from me and Morgan next, deal?” He shrieked and scrambled over to the boxes, ripping into his wrapping paper. You stood up, grabbing your coffee before watching your nephew and niece on Christmas morning.

“Look at how cute you two are together,” She said, tilting the camera towards you. The first one was a cute photo. Morgan had his lips pressed against your cheek and your face was scrunched up in joy. She switched it to the next one, where the two of you were looking into each other’s eyes. He had the softest, earnest smile on his face. “I swear, I haven’t seen any people so in love since Ben met Ruby. I’m so glad you brought him home.” 

“Thanks, Mom.” You put on the best fake-smile you could, and turned back to the kids, trying not to think about how they two of you did look in love. But it wasn’t real and your stomach sunk. You took a seat on the couch, talking to Rebekah about her new doll and watching Drew drive his toy cars across the coffee table. 

“Who are these from?” you dad asked, holding up some small packages wrapped in blue paper.

“Oh, those are from me sir.” Morgan spoke up from behind you, moving to sit beside you. “There should be one for everyone.” Your dad nodded and handed them out to everyone while you turned to your fake-boyfriend. 

“Mo, I told you you didn’t have to bring anything,” you said, eyeing everyone tearing into their small gifts. 

“Now what kind of boyfriend would I be if I didn’t?” He winked at you, before turning to see their reactions. You were glad you’d turned too.

Everyone was holding up a different variety of a Toronto Maple Leafs keychain. Ben held one with a bottle opener on it and Drew held one that had skate on it. Some of them had the shape of Ontario with them or a special spinny part in the middle.

“You’re really banking on us liking you, eh?” Julie said, holding up her Rielly jersey keychain. 

“I’m planning on sticking around for a while. I figure you’ll be fans sooner or later,” he laughed off your sister’s hazing and assured your parents it was the least he could do. He turned to you. “And I didn’t forget you either.”

“What? No. Babe, I thought we were doing gifts back in Toronto?” If you’d known, you would’ve gotten him something, but he seemed unfazed. He brought out a medium box and placed it in your lap.  

“Are you sure? I didn’t bring anything for you,” you whispered to him. He just nodded and told you to open it. You ripped into the wrapping paper, opened the box, and tore out the tissue paper only to stop.

“You didn’t.” 

“I did,” He said, his face growing. “Bring it out, let’s see it.”

You lifted out of the box a dark wash denim jacket, the same one you’d been trying to rationalize buying for the past three months. It was your size and you couldn’t help but run your fingers over the seams, tracing the buttons. 

“Check the inside,” Morgan said, leaning over your shoulder. You turned your head to see him slightly blushing, and you turned to the jacket’s inside as quickly as you could. Inside there was a small label stitched in. Upon closer inspection, you read what it said and your breath hitched. 

 You’ve got a smile that could light up this whole town. Don’t forget it. Love, your Morgan

“Mo, I don’t even know what to say. This is-this is perfect. I love it, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” He pressed a kiss to your temple, before slipping out of the room, both empty mugs in his hands. Your heart started to beat faster again, and as you stared down at the inscription, you had to remind yourself that it didn’t mean anything special. He was acting like your boyfriend, but he wasn’t your boyfriend. This was all fake, and this must’ve been a part of it; a show for your family to make sure you didn’t get in trouble. 

You shoved those feelings deep inside you, instead focusing on the Christmas spirit your family had. The living room was full of laughs and someone had turned on the Christmas music. Morgan came back and sat beside you, his arm resting comfortably over the back of the couch and you couldn’t help but curl into his side. The kids came over and asked to play with Morgan and he eagerly agreed, switching from playing cars to dolls to lifting them up to play the airplane game. Like the Grinch, your heart grew three sizes watching him interact with your family – the way he was so patient and sweet with them meant everything, even if he was just pretending. 

Later, your Grams arrived and Morgan was quick to win her over as well. You bit your lip, trying to stop from smiling so wide as you watched him help her with her coat, and lead her over to where he was sitting. 

“Do you mind holding her for a few minutes?” Izzy said, coming over with Taylor in her arms.

“Of course not! Come ‘ere, darling girl.” You rocked the baby in your arms, sometimes looking over to where Morgan was. Sometimes you even catch him looking at you. You took Taylor’s little hand and waved at him, and he over-enthusiastically waved back, making you laugh. 

“You picked a good one, you know? The two of you are really adorable together.” Izzy said, coming back to take her daughter from you. 

“Thanks Iz. He’s just…” You trailed off, trying to describe the situation. “I couldn’t imagine doing all of this with anyone else.” And it was the truth. From the plane ride to skiing to the gifts this morning, you couldn’t fathom bringing back a stranger and pulling this off in the same way. 

“Sounds like you’ve found the one then.” Her comment made you choke on air and turned into a full coughing fit. Before you knew it, Morgan was beside you, his blue eyes full of concern. 

“Are you okay?” His hand was rubbing your upper back as you continued to cough. You nodded as best you could, and he turned to get his cup. When you seemed to be finished, he handed it to you. 

“Here, drink. It’s water.” You gulped down the water and sighed. 

“Thank you.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?” 

“I’m good, thank you. I’m just going to get my lip balm; will you be okay on your own for a while?” You asked, placing a hand on his arm. 

“It’s your family, not war,” He laughed. “Go, I’ll be fine.” 

You smiled at his comment and gave him a quick cheek peck before making your way out of the room. In the bathroom, you took a breather, trying to stop your cheeks from blushing. Whatever you were doing with Morgan, it felt real. But it wasn’t, and you had to keep reminding yourself of that before you got hurt. 

When you exited, Grams was standing outside the door. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realize someone was waiting,” you said, quickly leaving the bathroom but she waved you off. 

“Oh, I haven’t been here that long. But dear, my goodness, that Morgan. He’s a keeper, dear. You hold onto him, you hear me? With him, you’ll be happy for the rest of your life.” She said, patting your cheek before walking past you to the bathroom. You stood in shock for a moment at her words, before taking a deep breath and moving on. 

You were just friends. 

You repeated that to yourself as you sat next to him, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. You repeated it again when he moved your legs into his lap, caressing your ankle. You said it again when he snagged the race car, arguably the best Monopoly piece, only to give it to you, taking the lame iron for himself. 

“Hey, can I talk to you?” Julie said, tapping your shoulder, just before Monopoly (another family tradition) started. You nodded, and lifted your legs out of Mo’s lap. You pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before following her into the kitchen. 

“What’s up?”

“I wanted to apologize.” You furrowed your brows a little bit. “You know, for thinking your relationship was fake? It was wrong for me to think your relationship wasn’t serious but…I was just trying to look out for Mom and Dad. You don’t see how worried they get when you say you don’t have anyone in that big city. You’re the youngest, they’re always going to worry. And it’s just …You never even remotely told me about anyone and I didn’t want you to be faking it, just to get them off your back. But I was wrong and I’m sorry if it seemed like I was doubting your relationship. He’s perfect for you, and you seem really happy together.” 

It was everything you’d been wanting to hear – that even the most skeptic of your family bought your lie and was happy for Christmas. But no relief came like you thought it would; only a lump forming in your throat. “Thanks Julie, that…that means a lot. Would you excuse me please?”

You slipped out of the room, taking the stairs two at a time. You paced around for a few moments, before sitting on the edge of your bed, placing your head in your hands. You’ve gotten in too deep now and it’s going to hurt everyone — yourself included — when you have a ‘breakup’. Your mom will resent Morgan, sweet sweet Morgan, and he’ll probably get chewed out by his own mother, and it’ll all be your fault. You did this to your family, to Morgan, to yourself. 

“What’s wrong?” Morgan said, leaning against your doorframe. 

“Julie thinks we’re dating. Like for real. They all do. ” At your words, he pushed off the wall and sat beside you on the bed, his hands dangerously close to touching yours. You move them into your lap before you can’t function. 

“And that’s a bad thing?”

“Yes.”

“I thought that was the whole point of this? To make them think we’re dating?”

“No, it was. It’s just….” You trailed off, looking down at your hands. 

“It’s just what?” 

“It’s too much, okay!” You stood up and turned to face him. “Like you’re here. You’re in Vancouver again, with me again, in my parent’s house like we’re fifteen again! You can’t be around like this and expect me not to think about the road not taken! And it doesn’t seem to bother you! And I don’t like lying! I don’t need to be lying to both our families, your teammates, my friends! I don’t need to be lying to myself that I don’t enjoy this! It feels wrong. I know we lied a lot as kids, but it feels different this time. It feels like people are going to get hurt and I don’t think I was prepared for that.” 

He took a moment. “We don’t have to lie, you know.”

“What do you mean? We’re fake dating; fake indicating lies.” You crossed your arms across your chest. 

He took another moment, taking a deep breath. “We don’t have to be fake dating. We could…be dating for real.”

“What?” you whispered.

“Can I be honest here? Like really honest?” He asked, and you could only nod slightly. “I thought you would’ve got your head out of your ass by now. I thought you had feelings for me.

"Why do you think you said my name? You could’ve said any other name but you said mine. You could’ve found any other Morgan in Toronto but you asked me. You could’ve come clean to them! There were a thousand ways you could’ve gotten out of this but you didn’t! I thought that meant we had something special; that you were finding excuses to bring me here.” He sees your blank, shocked face as a sign to continue. 

“And now that we’re here? Back in our hometown? It just all rushes back to me about how I didn’t tell you how I felt. Then I spend the days doing your family traditions and seeing you so happy with Drew and Rebekah and thinking that I could’ve had this a long time ago. But I was a coward and I don’t know if I can make the same mistake again.”

“What are you talking about?” You said breathlessly. 

“When we were at Lighthouse Park that day, I almost told you I loved you. But I didn’t. And I went to Toronto and tried to forget the huge regret I’d made. I can’t- I can’t do that again. I love you. I have loved you since we were kids. I didn’t want you to be tied down when you moved out so I didn’t say anything and I tried to forget how I felt about you. But in two days, you’ve made me fall for you all over again and I can’t go back to how things were. I won’t. I don’t want to be your fake boyfriend when I am irrevocably in love with you. I want this,” He stood up and walked closer to you, his fingers reaching out for yours. “I want this to be real.” 

“Mo…holy shit.”

“Yeah. It’s a lot, I know.” He went to step back, to give you space after everything he said, but you held onto his hand tighter. 

“No, like holy shit, I was going to tell you I loved you that day too.” One of your hands traveled to rest on his cheekbone as you caressed his soft skin. “I didn’t want to give you more pressure as you started your career; that wouldn’t be fair. But some part of me has always wanted this to be real.”

“Really?” The corners of your mouth started to lift up as you nodded. “Can I kiss you?” He asked, ever the gentleman.

“Please.” And less than a second later, his mouth was on yours. Maybe it was a good thing you waited so long, because this was better than anything you could’ve imagined at eighteen. His hands found your waist, and pulled you closer, deepening the kiss. 

When you finally pulled away for air, you pressed your forehead against his. “Wow.” 

“You’re telling me.” You giggled at him and played with the hair at the nape of his neck.

“Guess you can tell the team we’re dating for real life now.”

He laughed and pulled you in for another kiss. “For real life, eh?”

“For real life. As long as you’ll have me. ”

“Forever then, babe.” He winked, squeezing you tight. “Now let’s go join the family, yeah? Gotta beat my in-laws at Monopoly.”

His antics had you in laughter all the way down the stairs, but you wouldn’t have it any other way. There was happiness because of him.

taglist (join here): @heatherawoowoo @4ambagelbites @typical-simplelove @2manytabsopen @stars-canucks @lorrmorr @fallinallincurls @plds2000 @barzysandhughesbaby @yummygoldenfood @drei-mrssvechii @bananarantanen @pulpfixion

[iceflwers]

𝓻𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷 “𝓽𝓲𝓷𝔂” 𝓯𝓲𝓼𝓬𝓱𝓮𝓻 !

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ THE BASICS !

— ❥ FULL NAME: Raven Marie Fischer.

— ❥ NICKNAMES: Ray, Ray-Ray, Tiny (used by many NHL players), Smiley, weirdo (used by enemies and haters), freak (used by enemies and haters), dollface (by Dominic only, no longer used), baby (by Willy only), sweetheart, honey, princess (by Willy only).

— ❥ DATE OF BIRTH: June 24th, 1996 (Cancer).

— ❥ BIRTHPLACE: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

— ❥ CURRENT RESIDENCE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

— ❥ SPOKEN LANGUAGES: English, French (not fluently), Swedish (not fluently), Russian (not fluently), Czech (not fluently), American Sign Language (not fluently).

— ❥ ORIENTATION: Panromantic, asexual (sex-repulsed).

— ❥ GENDER IDENTITY: Cisgender female (she/her pronouns).

— ❥ OCCUPATION: Journalist for the Canadian Football League (formerly), journalist for the National Hockey League.

— ❥ FACECLAIM: None.

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ PERSONALITY !

— ❥ HOGWARTS HOUSE: Hufflepuff (loyal, hard-working, compassionate).

— ❥ MYERS-BRIGGS TYPE: INFP - The Mediator (empathetic, open-minded, self-isolating).

— ❥ ENNEAGRAM TYPE: Type Two - The Helper (warm-hearted, sincere, sentimental).

— ❥ MORAL ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good.

— ❥ LOVE LANGUAGES: Physical touch for both giving and receiving.

— ❥ SKILLS: Writing, jewelry making, singing, baking, cooking, acting, memorization, speed writing, charming people, speed reading, reading body language.

— ❥ LIKES: Her family and friends, her hedgehog, her job, musicals, gifting her homemade bracelets to people, rewatching her favorite movies, watching all kinds of sports, being cozy, listening to music, dancing, making people laugh.

— ❥ DISLIKES: Rude people, discrimination of any kind, loud or sudden noises, scratchy clothing, mushy food textures, her ex, entitled people, high heels, how hard it is for her to read social cues.

— ❥ FEARS/PHOBIAS: Needles, people being angry or disappointed in her, dating another person like Dominic, having a panic attack or meltdown in public.

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ RELATIONSHIPS !

— ❥ FAMILY: Phoebe Fischer (mother), Lewis Fischer (father), Oscar Fischer (pet hedgehog), John Tavares (father figure), Brad Marchand (uncle figure).

— ❥ FRIENDS: Mitch Marner, David Pastrnak, Joseph Woll, Austin Matthews, Quinn Hughes, Nico Hischier, Linus Ullmark, Trevor Zegras, Morgan Rielly, Matthew Knies.

— ❥ ACQUAINTANCES: Remainder of the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, Jeremy Swayman, Brady Tkachuk, Connor McDavid, Jack Hughes, Luke Hughes, Tessa Virtue, majority of NHL players and coaching staff.

— ❥ ROMANTIC INTERESTS: Conner Lucas (first crush), Nick Browne (former crush), Schuyler Beauregard (former crush), Jeremy Harper (brief relationship), Dominic Cormier (ex-boyfriend), William Nylander (current romantic interest).

˚✧ ₊˚ʚ FUN FACTS !

— ❥ Growing up, Raven watched all kinds of sports, since her father was a big fan of NASCAR and both kinds of football and her mother loved baseball and hockey. Phoebe Fischer, however, is a diehard Oilers fan, and was just slightly disappointed when her daughter turned out to start rooting for the Maple Leafs.

— ❥ A few months after she was diagnosed with autism, Raven wound up having to move classes at school, as her teacher beginning to give her accommodations because she now had an official diagnosis caused most of the other children in her class to pick on her on an almost daily basis.

— ❥ At five foot four, Raven is still three inches shorter than Cole Caufield, the shortest current player in the NHL. Plenty of her friends say this is proof that her nickname Tiny fits perfectly, but she insists that they’re all just giants.

— ❥ Ever since gaining popularity with NHL fans, Raven has made a habit of making a load of homemade bracelets before every game she reports at and handing them out to female fans beforehand. She wants to help foster a better sense of community for female fans, knowing how much animosity young women can face from male fans when trying to get into a sport.

— ❥ She has also become an outspoken advocate for more inclusivity within the league, as well as queer and disability rights and greater education and support for those with disabilities and mental illnesses. She hasn’t always stayed out of trouble with the NHL bigwigs for some of the statements she’s made, but she’s never backed down and she doesn’t plan on stopping - besides, she has a great group at SportsNet always ready to support her, as well as a pretty good-sized group of tall hockey men who are used to throwing punches willing to fight back against anyone who tries to hurt her.

tagging @lovings4turn, @hiya-itsamber, & @theopenlocker !

─┈ ♡ copyright © 2024: you do not have permission to copy, translate, or repost my works, nor to use my oc ideas or plots.

[travisdermotts]

I'm just wondering why others who did the same thing were not- well Perron got 6 games, so Reilly getting 6 games sounds right

i mean sure?

but perron hasn't been the only one to cross-check someone in the head this season (heck his cross-check happened as a result of not one but two headshots to larkin that rendered him unconscious - neither of which resulted in a suspension)

ross colton cross checked timo meier in the face (right after boarding hughes) and wasn't suspended

this cross check to the neck of jared mccann resulted in only a one game suspension for mangiapane

then this week when pospisil cross checked marchand in the face and nothing came of it

and there are so many more suspensions that had to do with checks to the head, none of which resulted in a suspension longer than 5 games.

if it's gonna be 6 games for one, then why isn't it 6 games for everyone? why are they so wishy washy with head contact? and why aren't they giving even more severe punishment to those that do this multiple times a season and are known "enforcers"?

(also for future reference it's "Rielly" not "Reilly")

[isles-queen]

A Christmas Gift

Back from yet another hiatus!

I will be quite honest that I have no idea who's in anymore (fortunately seems like Seguin's a classic), so please, please, please send requests!

In my inbox, I do have oldies that are of Seguin, Tom Wilson, Morgan Rielly, Roman Josi, Auston Matthews, Michael Latta, Jason Demers, Johnny Gaudreau, Henrik Zetterberg, Andre Burakovsky, Aaron Ekblad, some AHL players, etcetera. Again, I have no clue who's in/fans are interested in anymore! So let me know either through inbox or messages!

——————

Request:

Would you please write one where Tyler Seguin's wife is a hot mess, forgot some key ingredients, and is making a mess of most of the dishes for the first Christmas dinner she's cooking for Tyler and his family. Tyler doesn't care and is very sweet about everything. In the end they figure out her forgetfulness and temporary insanity is because she's pregnant.

——————

"Breathe in ... and out... In... and out." Tyler straightened in his stance and narrowed his eyes at you, feigning annoyance. This man only knew how to annoy, not to be annoyed, so his eyes gleamed with playfulness. "I see no breaths coming in or out of you when you're glaring at me like that."

With your knuckles turning white from gripping the edge of the counter, not feigning annoyance, you chided, "Because you chanting 'in and out' for the past two minutes isn't going to breathe life back into the ham I left burning in the oven."

His eyebrows shot up instantly, and he retorted, "Well, I sure hope not. That'd be one terrifying zombie pig, in my opinion."

"Tyler," you groaned, head dropping between your outstretched arms in defeat. You stared at the floor below, where out of the corner, you spot a splatter of mashed potatoes from the bowl you managed to knock over earlier that distracted you from pulling out the ham in the first place.

When Tyler's rested his hand on your back, you felt at the tip of your tongue the urge to snap at him to not touch you right now, but there was a reason this man married you not too long ago: He knew you better than yourself (or at least close enough).

He gently moved his hand up your back and over to your left shoulder then slipped his other hand to your right shoulder and began to give your back a small massage. For the years of massaging sore or tense muscles, whether for injury or anger, for himself and teammates, Tyler learned which muscles and pressure points were needed to help relax a person.

A sigh involuntarily escaped your lips, and you found yourself straightening into a standing position. You melted into his hands that consumed your body, yet were surprisingly (but also not) delicate along your skin.

You bit your lower lip to hold back a smile when his lips grazed the lower part of your neck that met your back before moving left to where your neck met your shoulder and finally up your neck to right below your ear. His breath tickled the sensitive skin over there, and a shiver ran down your spine.

"Ty," you murmured, any sort of anger or frustration as lost as the cinnamon sticks you misplaced for the mulled wine. "This isn't exactly the time or place for this."

Tyler's hands slipped away from your shoulders and down to wrap around your waist, drawing you against his toned body where you can faintly feel his muscles underneath his buttoned flannel long-sleeve pajama top. His family tended to love wearing matching flannel pajamas for Christmas, which you were not left out of the tradition by wearing your matching flannel sweatshirt.

Not deigning you a verbal response, Tyler instead nibbled on your earlobe and squeezed you a bit tighter against his --

"Do you need help in there?"

You jumped at the sound of Tyler's mom and immediately sent an elbow into his hard stomach. Even though he gave a loud "oof," you knew better than anyone that an elbow from you was nothing compared to an elbow from a 190-plus-pound hockey player. He chuckled, as he loosened his grip on you.

"Behave, sir!" you scolded, narrowing your eyes at him but this time feigning annoyance like he did to you earlier.

He raised his hands in defense, struggling to maintain an innocent pout when he clearly wanted to burst laughing. "I've been a good boy this year, Santa, I swear!"

You snorted. "More like a naughty boy, if I'm not mistaken."

His pout turned into a sinister, seductive smirk, as he immediately wrapped his arms around you again and pulled you into his chest, your hands resting on his pecs. "If that's what you prefer," he purred, capturing your lips with his in a painfully slow, sensual kiss.

You couldn't resist this kiss and found yourself standing on the tip of your toes, wrapping your arms around his neck, and drawing him closer.

"Tyler Paul Seguin!" Tyler instantly groaned and pulled his head away, leaving you now pouting for more, even though you should've been the one to stop him from tempting you. "Stop distracting your wife please!"

"Yeah, Tyler Paul Seguin," you echoed with a playful push to his chest, though he unsurprisingly didn't budge. "Stop dis--" A wave of nausea hit you, and you immediately clasped your hand over your mouth, as a rapid tingling sensation climbed up your throat.

With a step back, Tyler popped out a hip and slapped his hands on both his hips. "Now that's just rude. My kisses aren't that gro--" Before he could finish that word, you bolted out of the kitchen and into the hallway bathroom where you ran past his sister, Candace, who watched you in alarm.

"Are you okay?" Candace asked, automatically following you into the bathroom and catching your hair before it was caught in the crossfire of your vomit.

Unable to respond, you focused your attention on puking into the toilet. You vaguely heard Tyler calling out your name and felt his hands on your back again.

"What's going on?" either his sister or mother asked in the background of you hurling up your guts while Tyler's deep, concerned voice responded, "Not sure. Y/N's been like nearly every day for the past week."

"Every day?" whomever asked, and Tyler provided confirmation. A muffled "I'll be back" was the last thing you heard of their conversation.

By the time your stomach calmed and you successfully flushed the toilet without feeling an urge to throw up again, you rested your back against Tyler's legs, as he sat against the lip of the bathtub. You closed your eyes while he switched from massaging your shoulders into rubbing gentle circles behind your ears.

When you opened your eyes again, you found a white stick with a white screen and a blue tab shoved before your face. You absentmindedly accepted it and kept holding it in front of you before you processed what you were holding.

Eyes growing like saucers, you immediately sat up and away from Tyler, only to turn around and meet his dark brown eyes that were just as wide as yours. Smiles creeping on both of your faces, you uttered at the same time, "No way."

[1634archive]

1634archive navigation

disclaimer: i’ve edited none of these pics beyond removing the gettyimages (or other stock site) watermark , and i don’t own them obviously. they’re as the photographers edited/posted them, and i’ve copied and pasted the legitimate captions from the site entries as a way to provide the context and allow you to go back and find the source image if you’re interested. i’ve also weeded out some pics that felt redundant or lower quality, but other than that, the entire 1.1k+ photos tagged with mitch marner and auston matthews from getty are posted on this blog, as well as a couple hundred from other sites like usa today and the canadian press. i will try to continue to update this as seasons go on as well. the tagging system is listed below! enjoy!!

first and foremost: for randomized fun, click this or the ‘random’ link in the bio to get your 1634 pic of the day 

tagging system:

if you’re looking for a specific date, the posts are tagged as ‘mm.dd.yy’ (i.e. april 10, 2021 is tagged as ‘04.10.21’) (yes, the american way, it’s habit)

if you’re looking for a specific leafs player that isn’t auston or mitch, they’re tagged by just their last names (i.e. william nylander is tagged as ‘nylander’). 

if you’re looking for a specific opponent, they’re tagged by just team name, not location (i.e. pittsburgh penguins are just tagged as ‘penguins’).

pro tip: if you’re wanting to search multiple tags on mobile or on the desktop blog, just put a comma between them in the search bar (i.e. if you want photos of 1634 with morgan rielly from the year 2019, search ‘rielly, 2019′)

years:

2016

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

type:

arrival (fit pics/walk in)

handshake (hallway pre game)

warmups

anthem (post warmup pre game)

game (all in-game)

overhead

bench (anything near bench)

celly 

practice

locker room

media

gloves

fans (any pic where fans are framed prominently)

my own personal favorite pics

events:

playoffs

16-17 centennial classic

all star game

2021 blue vs white intersquad game

any specialty/warmup/third jersey games

22-23 heritage classic

non-hockey events

most common photographers:

mark blinch (our lord and savior)

kevin sousa

claus andersen

andre ringuette

julian avram

andrew lahodynskyj

steve russell

list of less occurring/non-leaf photographers here.

some of the other most common leafs:

morgan rielly

william nylander

john tavares

michael bunting

justin holl

tj brodie

if there are any other specifics someone would like tagged, feel free to shoot me a message on this blog or my main. i’ll be revisiting and tweaking this blog lots in the future (potentially making it more than just a picture archive but we’ll see), and i’m not opposed to retagging for certain things that would be helpful to all the web-weavers and narrative tellers out there. 

hope a single other soul gets some use out of this! ❣️❣️❣️

[rymurrsneckbeard]

Hello all, it's that time again! Self-promotion time!

Chapter 2 is up!

Reminder, this is William Nylander/Morgan Rielly fic: Transversal Parallel Theorem

I'm only posting every other week so probably I'm going to be linking each chapter when I post it. It won't completely overwhelm your dashboards, just one little bit of self-promo twice a month.

An hour into the flight, after they've been offered a meal and a drink, Will settles in his seat, hood up over his head, earbuds in but turned low, and he's out almost instantly. Sure, even with the luxury of the team's plane the seats aren't exactly meant for sleeping, but Will's slept in less comfortable places than this. The plane is dark when he finally stirs, the rest of his teammates either asleep or keeping to themselves, and Will yawns and snuggles back into the warmth of -

Of Morgan's arm, draped around his shoulders.

Will blinks his eyes open again, glancing forward to where he can see Johnny sound asleep, head lolled to the side, mouth dropped open. Gio is up there too, reading light glaring off his scalp. Mitch is sprawled, taking up two seats and probably snoring loudly. Everything else appears normal, outside of that thing where he's cuddling with Morgan.

Morgan hadn't been in the seat next to him before. Calle sits by him for most flights, and today had been no different. Only Calle is now sitting up front with Liljegren. And Morgan is right here with him.

[ruslangazizov]

Hi! My friend and I are getting into hockey and we’re kind of wondering what the vibe on Max Domi is?? I’m kind of seeing mixed messages about him so we were wondering why you like him so we can figure out what his deal is and if we should try to pay attention to him more on the leafs. Thanks!

hi anon!! just wanna say before i get going that i’m in love with this ask and you by extension for asking, and i’m sorry this took me so long!

now on to the propaganda (this is long i’m not sorry)

i’m obligated to preface this by saying i’m hugely biased as a Leafs fan who grew up in Southern Ontario. my dad has always been a pretty big Tie Domi fan, so liking Max just seemed like a natural continuation of that.

baby Max with Mats Sundin, then-captain of the Leafs. he’s just a little guy,,

born March 2nd, 1995, in Winnipeg, Manitoba, one month before Tie was traded (back) to the Leafs, Max spent his childhood in Mississauga, Ontario, roughly half an hour west of Toronto. at the age of 12, following some health complications at a hockey tournament in Detroit, blood work revealed that Max had type 1 diabetes and celiac disease. 

not the end of the world, clearly, but a pretty significant shock for a kid with aspirations of greatness. of course, he was able to manage it, with time, and when i finally read his book i’ll tell y’all more about it i promise.

these pictures make me emotional,, a couple of Domis, a couple of decades apart,,, except Max looks about 200% cuntier

anyway

scored a hatty in his OHL debut (slay). won consecutive OHL championships with the London Knights in 2012 and 2013 (double slay). selected 12th overall by the Phoenix (now Arizona) Coyotes, and signed a three year ELC (!). won gold with Team Canada at the 2015 WJC, and was named the tournament’s best forward (huge W). traded to the Montréal Canadiens in 2018, to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2020, to the Carolina Hurricanes (via the Florida Panthers) at the trade deadline of March 31st 2022, to the Chicago Blackhawks in July of 2022, to the Dallas Stars in March 2023, and finally signed as a free agent to our beloved Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2nd 2023. he’s been on seven different NHL teams since he was drafted. 

sadly, as i’ve only been a hockey fan for one calendar year, i cannot provide much insight into his time with NHL teams other than the Leafs. i have ordered and am waiting for his book to come in so i can better rotate him in my mind, but i encourage anyone who knows more about his other teams’ lore to add to this post or send me what you know, so i can share it with the world. (pls i wanna know everything about him ever)

what i can say is that him and Mitch Marner were teammates on the London Knights for two seasons, (13-14 and 14-15), the second of which saw Max as captain and Mitch as an alternate captain. the season after, Mitch was named captain in Max’s stead. seeing them back together on the Leafs brings joy to my little London Knights heart.

now back to him as a Leaf. 

the current Leafs points leaders, as of December 30th, are as follows:

William Nylander - 48P (17G 31A)

Auston Matthews - 44P (29G 15A)

Mitch Marner - 38P (14G 24A)

John Tavares - 31P (11G 20A)

Morgan Rielly - 27P (4G 23A) 

Max Domi - 21P (3G 18A)

the first five of these are pretty much to be expected, but there’s my close good friend Max Domi right there too :) he’s doing his part, and even if he’s not the biggest scorer, assists are just as important and valuable :) if i have to kill y’all with positivity for this i will :) i love him dearly :)

also, he currently sits at 389 career points, and he’s nowhere near done, while Tie Domi earned 245 points in his entire career of 1020 games. nobody can say shit to me about him not living up to his dad’s legacy (Note: Tie also sits at third in NHL history for penalty minutes with 3515, but that’s a stat nobody will ever surpass. ever. the current PIM leader in the NHL is Corey Perry, and he only has 1392.)

and now i’m not about to sit here and pretend i know how to quantify the skills of an NHL player, let alone describe them in great detail. i do not. however, what i do know is that i love watching him play and make plays. in my eyes, he is a good player, and this is the Max Domi Propaganda Blog so if you want something less biased i can’t help you, sorry :’)

this love began in a preseason game against the Habs, on Oct 2nd. his first game as a Leaf in Toronto, he scores a tip-in against his former team, and he shrugs it off like NBD. for those of you who were following me at the time, you know i was not normal about it then and i am not normal about it now. i think about that celly every goddamn day. 

much to my great sorrow, they Leafed this game up and lost in OT 5-4. but either way, this was the moment that definitively kicked off the Rick eastoncowan Domishka era. 

and the only time Max ever seems to get a scoring chance, it’s either on a breakaway or from a spot that would have been absolutely NASTY if it went in. my mans only wants sexy goals, which is a stance i respect immensely. 

his first regular season goal… didn’t give him any points. it was beautiful, and a game winner, but since it happened in a shootout, it didn’t count towards his points totals. personally, i think this is bullshit, but now is neither the time nor the place for me to get into my issues with some of the NHL’s rules. (Nov 10, 2023, Flames @ Leafs)

Domishka bardownski SO winner,,, you were so beautiful and so unappreciated but i will never forget you </3

now.

Max’s first real goal as a Leaf.

for those of you who followed me at the time, you may recall this post:

a post that the Hockey Gods took to heart

and obviously i followed through. what do you think i am, some kind of quitter?

and, again, unfortunately, we Leafed that one up, too. we lost it in OT again, so still no Domi belt pic for Rick :(

now i’m not going to go back and gif all 18 of his assists, because i don’t think y’all care quite that much about Visual Proof of all of them. for your convenience, though, i did go back and track down whose goals he had assisted on, and the results aren’t super surprising IMO

Calle Järnkrok, Nick Robertson (assisted on 5 each)

Matthew Knies (assisted on 4)

William Nylander, Morgan Rielly, Mitch Marner, Timothy Liljegren (assisted on 1 each)

anyway, now for what is quite possibly my favourite game that i didn’t actually get to watch live.

December 16, 2023, Penguins @ Leafs, a decisive 7-0 victory.

it was also a 3 point night for Max, two of which helped to complete Matthew Knies’ Gordie Howe hat trick, the first since Daniel Winnik in 2015. but a goal and an assist are only two parts of it, the third being a fight. a fight which Knies initiated against John Ludvig after he knocked out yet another of Max’s front teeth with his stick. a fight which was Knies’ first ever. i’m still mad i didn’t see this happen live, but i’ve rewatched the game in its entirety twice, and the highlights too many times to count. this game sparked my undying love for the 23-11-16 line, which is a line i still pray keefe will bring back.

and so, we have a goal and a fight, and we have an assist to finish off the hat trick, and none of it would have happened without Max :)

and speaking of fights, Max has had a couple of em himself in his time as a Leaf so far. granted, if you ask hockeyfights dot com, he didn’t win either of them, but that’s not what matters. what matters is that he looked beautiful doing it, whether it was against Ian Cole (VAN) or Sam Bennett (FLA), especially with the fun added bonus of him flexing his full head of hair at Bennett’s bald dome. as an aside, i fucking hate Sam Bennett, so Max trying to fight him was… well it made me feel things. all i’m gonna say.

max’s third goal was also gorgeous. stunning. amazing. another beautiful bardown, the sound of which lives on in my dreams.

this is getting far longer than it really needs to be, so i’ll take a step back and give you my true, honest thoughts.

Max Domi has been a very helpful player for the Leafs since he got here. he obviously has the drive to play here and to play well here, and 21 points is nothing to be ashamed of. you know who else has 21 points as of me writing this? Alex Ovechkin. and now i’m not saying they are players of the same caliber, but Max is 6th on the Leafs in points, and Ovi is tied for first on the Caps. 21 points is still 21 points, no matter where in the standings someone is. Max was born to be a Leaf, and nothing makes me happier than to see him here and thriving on the team he’s loved since he was a kid. he takes shots, blocks shots, defends his boys and is defended right back in turn. 

and i would not be Rick eastoncowan if i didn’t mention that i think he is hot. like stupid hot. especially without his teeth. fuck, the heart wants what the heart wants, and damn if my heart doesn’t want this tiny toothless idiot. 

[techtow]

The Dynamic Stars of Toronto Maple Leafs: Matthews, Marner, Rielly, and Nylander

In the world of hockey, few teams capture the imagination quite like the Toronto Maple Leafs, and at the heart of their success are four players who stand out: Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, Morgan Rielly, and William Nylander.

Auston Matthews: The Goal-Scoring Maestro

Leading the charge on the ice is none other than Auston Matthews, known for his exceptional goal-scoring prowess. The hashtag #AustonMatthews is a tribute to this dynamic player whose skill and finesse make him a force to be reckoned with. Leafs fans eagerly follow his every move, anticipating the next jaw-dropping goal.

Mitch Marner: The Assist King

Teaming up with Matthews is the remarkable Mitch Marner, hailed for his playmaking abilities. The hashtag #MitchMarner celebrates the assists, incredible passes, and overall on-ice vision that make Marner an integral part of the Leafs' success. Together with Matthews, they form a duo that keeps fans on the edge of their seats.

Morgan Rielly: Defensive Excellence

On the defensive end, Morgan Rielly shines as a stalwart for the Leafs. The hashtag #MorganRielly is a tribute to his defensive skills, leadership on the ice, and ability to thwart opponents' attacks. Rielly's presence is a reassuring sight for Leafs fans who know that a strong defense is key to victory.

William Nylander: Offensive Versatility

Completing the quartet is the versatile forward, William Nylander. With the hashtag #WilliamNylander, fans celebrate Nylander's ability to contribute both in scoring and setting up plays. His adaptability on the ice adds another layer to the Leafs' offensive arsenal.

Toronto Maple Leafs: A Team Effort

The collective force of Matthews, Marner, Rielly, and Nylander is what makes the Toronto Maple Leafs a formidable team. The hashtag #LeafsLB (Leafs Leafs Leafs!) reflects the unity and support of the fan base, rallying behind their beloved team.

As the season unfolds, the excitement around the #TorontoMapleLeafs grows. Fans following #LeafsLB eagerly await every game, knowing that with Matthews, Marner, Rielly, and Nylander leading the way, there's always a chance for victory.

In the world of hockey, the Toronto Maple Leafs are not just a team; they are a symbol of passion, skill, and unwavering fan support. Follow the journey of Matthews, Marner, Rielly, and Nylander through the hashtags that unite fans and players alike. #GoLeafsGo!

[puckgoss]

ASG anon again!

Damn, I wish I knew more about that. A colleague that works for the Leafs told me that Matthews likes to keep up with his sports. He follows updates of the NHL, PWHL, and golfing. Don’t know if they were watching that weekend though 🤔

I’ll try and remember a few memorable interactions:

McDavid and Matthews: the most hockey conversation ever. Two dudes who are all about the puck, so funny watching them both talk to each other in (I know I use this word a lot but it’s the best way to describe it) such a bro way. “Dude” “Yeah dude” “Oh no, yeah, for sure” “No really dude” “Holy!”

I remember now I forgot to include something I should have said way before. Filip Forsberg was so cute with the kids backstage, full-on dad mode. Very wholesome moment with Trocheck’s kids and he carried them in such a natural way (Vincent should learn to be better for his kids). I am rooting for him this season!

Morgan Rielly and Sam Reinhart are super tight! Didn’t know how much before. On drafting day it was so funny Reinhart said to Rielly to “pick the beasts then pick him”. Funny because I actually really enjoy watching Reinhart play more than I enjoy Rielly but that’s just me haha

Boone Jenner and his wife are adorable. Heard the news about their son and it made me super sad because all he talked about was becoming a dad. Feel for him and actually like him a lot. She’s also so supportive of him, their whole family was there and she looks genuinely into the game unlike other partners.

Sebastian Aho and Jeremy Swayman are now good buddies too. Don’t know if they were before. Aho is clearly an introvert, but so polite in the same way Swayman is so I can see how they vibe.

Got the vibes Kaprizov doesn’t really like Kyle Connor. Ignored him all weekends except at the beginning. Also side eyed him. Not kidding. Like a high school girl haha don’t know why. Will let you know if I find out anything!

they would not survive a day lol. i get it's not everyone's cup of tea but it's not like i'm going and sending them weird shit abt their fanfics, i stay in my lane and they should learn to stay in theirs

mcdavid & matthews: they played together during the NHL world cup thing in 2016 and spend a lot of time at media events etc together so it makes sense they were chatting etc!

trocheck: wow do better buddy

forsberg: that's very cute, i think his wife is expecting too

rielly & reinhart: i've actually posted abt this before - they've been friends since childhood! they grew up together :)

boone jenner: really nice to hear abt him and his fam. that news of them losing their baby was so sad. really hoping for the best for them

aho & swayman: aw that's sweet!

kaprizov & connor: the wild and the jets were feuding all season lol some very contentious games so that doesn't surprise me

[laurenairay]

eloping with morgan rielly like right before the season starts and only telling very close family and friends and he just shows up to training camp with a ring on his left hand and waits for the boys to catch on

haha oh I love this idea! And I have thoughts:

Maybe it's because he's a pretty chilled laidback guy. Maybe it's because he gets enough press/public attention in his day job. Maybe it's partially to play a bit of a prank on the team. But I could definitely see Mo eloping and keeping things very close to the chest. Like, Gards knows, maybe even Soupy, but neither of them are on the team anymore (*sob*) so it's pretty easier to get them to agree to stay quiet.

Besides, he seems like the kind of guy who would like a small secluded wedding. A tiny little chapel in Vegas - maybe just both your parents, grandparents and a friend each to act as maid of honour and best man, and that's literally it. Well, and Maggie of course, Mo has to have his dog there (duh).

All wedding documentation processed quietly and efficiently, all photos taken promised to be kept quiet until the season starts, just a sweet special moment for the two of you.

And then down to a tiny beach house in Cali for your honeymoon, a week of quiet bliss and walks on the sand and not leaving your bed other than to eat. Perfection. Mo is such a big part of the Leafs and you love that of course, but it does mean sharing his attention with the team and the world a LOT, so this time is just yours and you cherish it.

Mo would definitely love saying 'my wife' and calling you Mrs Rielly, I can feel it. He'd get that sweet little smile, looking so pleased with himself, and he'd be even more affectionate that usual.

And when it's finally time to get back to training with the team, he still wouldn't say anything to them. Definitely leaning towards a prank vibe; maybe the two of you thought it would be funny to see who would actually notice the ring on his left hand.

Psst, it's Mitch. Just as everyone is about to get on the ice, when Mo is about to put his gloves on.

("Mo wtf" "when?!" "why didn't you tell us?" "why didn't you invite us?" "why so secretive?")

Sure, the team is late out onto the ice but it's worth it for the happiness Mo would feel. He would've enjoyed keeping things private and to himself, definitely, but the joy and congratulations he's feeling right now? He loves it. He married you, and he wants the whole world to know.

He will give you a heads up about Mitch and Auston planning a wedding party as soon as he finishes practice though.

[flexstrikeforce]

What to Expect from the Toronto Maple Leafs

In just one short month, the Toronto Maple Leafs will kick off the 2023-24 season, and with many changes from the front office to the players, there is a lot to unpack. Firstly, they’ve hired a new GM, Brad Treliving. Tre has slowly put his mark on this team early, not being afraid to sign the big free agent players, like Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi. He has signed players that will help this team now, and help us with a playoff push. Getting to the players, they’ve signed Bertuzzi, Domi, John Klingberg, and Ryan Reaves, the latter I am not so excited about. We have signified that we are a team to compete and that we will put everything out on the ice night in and night out. Lets look at some of the new guys and what they can bring to the table.

Tyler Bertuzzi: Grinder, can play in the dirty areas, and fills a deep hole that we have in our LW position. Can score and make plays, but more importantly will not back down from a challenge and do his best to beat players to the puck.

Max Domi: A true grinder. Dedicates his game to the physical side of hockey. A small guy, but like his dad he isn’t afraid to go after guys to get the puck, and he isn’t afraid to put the body on a guy to make a play. A great fit to the 3rd line, or the Tavares line if Knies does not work out.

John Klingberg: A good offensive defence man, but a horrible defence man, if you know what I mean. He is one of the worst defensive players that the NHL has, and it is noticeable. His upside, he can easily be our PP2 QB, and when Rielly isn’t on, he fills the Rielly role on LD2 very nicely. Not too sure what to expect, so I will be optimistic.

Ryan Reaves: So bad. I hate this signing with everything in me. This is the biggest waste of 1.35M that I have ever seen. Hate it and hate it more each day. 

This team that they have built is the best Maple Leafs team that they’ve had in a long time. A true first line with a threat coming right back to it in the Tavares line. The defence still isn’t all that good, with 2 guys who can’t defend a pylon, but they’re paired with guys who can shut things down. The goaltending, well that’s really up in the air. Sammy and Wall are two good goalies, but Wall might be ready to make the jump intoning a true starter. If Sammy doesn’t do well this year, and Woll steps up, were looking at the new goaltender for the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team overall, is looking a lot better than they did last year and years prior. We have a true identity and we are not a team to be messed with. Now, the real question is, how far are they willing to go to get to the top? 

They have a gruelling schedule ahead of them, with many other teams getting better, and the top teams have stayed atop the league. The Maple Leafs are determined to finally make that jump to the next tier, and with the core still in their prime, they are ready and willing to finally show what they are capable of. 

[professionalpuckbunny]

To this day, I can't help but chuckle when remembering that guy like Morgan Rielly single-handedly humbled all the other blokes in the league by dating Tessa fucking Virtue. The guy is an absolute legend for that and she is an absolute queen.

she’s incredible, I just can’t see her having as much chemistry with anyone other than Moir. I guess that just shows how good they were