#Brett Howden imagines

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

seasons with you

summary: the first year of your relationship with Brett is breathtakingly easy; the seasons pass in a blink of an eye.

warnings: none

word count: 4.6k

note from the writer: I’m in love with this idea and this sweetheart

FALL

“Are you excited for tonight?”

The question was probably a dumb one. Of course, a professional hockey player was excited for the opening night of the season. But you had to ask, because you were absolutely ecstatic about it and wanted an in to express it. Brett probably knew already, you had been at his apartment for fifteen minutes to spend some time with him before he had to leave for the rink and the entire time you had been bouncing from room to room.

“I’m excited that you finally get to come see me play.” Brett teased as he exited his bedroom in his game day suit. Your relationship was new, a little more than a month, but you were certain that you’d never get used to just how handsome he was. There had been preseason games, but between work and school you hadn’t had the chance to make it to one yet. Though, you had opening night circled on your calendar with a promise that you’d be there.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” You grinned, pulling Brett in the moment he started to lean down for a kiss. You were certain you would never be able to deny him anything, and you didn’t want to when his lips felt as sweet as they did against yours. Kissing him was easy, just like everything else when it came to Brett.

“Did you see where the tickets I got you are?” He questioned, pulling away just enough to mumble the words against your lips before stealing another peck.

“I did, and I don’t even want to know how much they cost you.” You shook your head, retreating back to the kitchen where you had been snacking on the limited amount of food in his cupboards. “Ice level seats at the Garden on opening night? Probably more than my rent.”

Your comment earned a laugh and a shake of the head from Brett, and the sound alone was enough to bring a smile to your face. Though you weren’t exactly the most comfortable with him spending money on you, you knew how much it meant to him that you were there. He leaned down for another kiss, and suddenly all your problems melted away.

Hours later and you found yourself sitting in the very seats Brett had gotten you. It didn’t take much brain power for you to figure out why he had chosen that spot. It was in the Rangers warm up area, with a hole on the plexiglass where a cameraman usually stood right in front of you.

The stadium came alive as the home team skated onto the ice, and though it was mesmerizing how they managed to skate in circles so seamlessly without running into each other, your gaze was trained on your boyfriend. He spotted you immediately, his smile widening as soon as you locked eyes, but he took a few laps and some shots on goal before skating over to you.

“Hi.” He spoke through the camera hole loud enough so you were able to hear him. A few more people crowded around you, but otherwise it was just the two of you. “I like that jersey.”

“Thanks, my boyfriend made me wear it.” You teased, tugging at the bottom of the white jersey you had gotten a week prior. The number twenty-one and Howden were emblazoned on the back, no doubt Brett was having a field day seeing you in his number.

You wouldn’t have minded chatting with him for the rest of warm ups, but Kreider decided to mess with Brett and checked him into the glass in front of you. The older player smiled and gave you a wave, before skating off with little more than a playful shove from your boyfriend.

Brett gave you a smile before returning back to the warm ups, and you watched as he skated around with a lightness and ease you had only seen through your television screen before. He was grinning the whole time, stopping by your seat no less than six times before they had to get off the ice to prepare for the game.

And as much as you loved admiring Brett, when he wasn’t on the ice your focus was on the action. And there was a lot of action. The Rangers scored first, Zibanejad with a one timer, and you cheered along with an entire stadium. But then the Penguins managed to tie the game just before the end of the first period. Five minutes into the second, the Penguins scored again, but the score was evened quickly after with a slapshot from Trouba.

You slumped on your seat when the Penguins scored again, and held your breath when the play was reviewed. The crowd let out a simultaneous groan the moment they heard that the call on the ice stands, that it was a good goal, and you joined in. The second period ended with the visiting team up one, but then the third started off with a bang. Buchnevich with a tip-in and an assist from Kreider.

Time was running out and with the game tied, everytime anyone got a shot anywhere near the goal you were gripping the seat in anticipation. A minute and thirty seconds left on the clock, you had practically resigned yourself to the fact that this game would be going into overtime.

But then, the Rangers and the Penguins were making a line change and there must have been a mistake on the guest bench because suddenly the Rangers were on a breakaway. Your heart stopped in your chest as you spotted who had the puck—Brett. He was making a breakaway attempt on goal with time dwindling away and the closest defender was seven paces behind him. The crowd grew louder as he got closer, and you were pretty sure you weren’t breathing but that didn’t matter at the moment because—

Top shelf, blocker side.

You don’t really remember when you jumped to your feet, or when you started screaming, but it didn’t matter because your voice was lost in the rioting stadium. Brett was skating, away from the goal and away from his teammates you were rushing to celebrate with him and it took you a moment to realize he was skating towards you.

He slammed into the glass in front of you, smiling and pointing at you for a second before his linemates were on him and crushing him into a hug. You slammed on the glass, excitement and adrenaline rushing through you. You couldn’t take your eyes off of him as he led his linemates to the bench for high fives. He looked so happy and you couldn’t believe it had taken you so long to go to one of his games.

The final buzzer sounded and the crowd was still cheering from Brett’s goal, and you knew you could take your time heading down to the locker room area to meet him. No doubt he was going to have interviews, he played amazingly, got the game winning goal, and was even named second star of the game.

When he finally came out he was grinning from ear to ear and wasted no time in pulling you in for a hug.

“Congratulations!” You cheered while still pressed into his chest. You could feel him chuckle and press a kiss to the top of your head, and you pulled back just enough so he could land his next one on your lips.

When he finally pulled back and let you go, you didn’t move far. Your arms were still loosely around his torso, and he had one around your shoulders. He was smiling down at you, and though he usually was, the win and the goal on opening night clearly had put him in a great mood. And when he spoke next, you could hear his joy in his words, coupled with an honesty that had you leaning into him more.

“You’re my good luck charm.”

WINTER

“This is why I moved to the city.”

Your comment earned a confused look from your boyfriend, but you didn’t mind. He was still grinning at you though, but you barely noticed as you took in the city around you.

“Because of the lights?” He questioned, looking between the string lights set up in the trees in the park and your beaming smile. You nodded, tucking yourself closer into his side as a breeze blew past you. When you told him that you wanted to go for a walk, he was a little skeptical. It was nearing the end of January and freezing cold at night, but you seemed so excited that he couldn’t find it in himself to say no. And he was really glad that he didn’t.

“I grew up stargazing, the lights are like having a clear sky every night.” You confessed, gaze flicking between the boy next to you and the sights around you.

Brett had never really thought about it before, but now that you had brought it up he couldn’t help but agree with you. Maybe he did actually like the lights, but he had a feeling that it had more to do with the fact that you were absolutely entranced with the view.

“C’mon, I need to warm up.” You dragged Brett out of his thoughts, pulling him over to a hot chocolate vendor. He watched as you interacted with the older man that ran the stand, unable to help the smile that grew on his face as you ordered. You chatted with the vendor as he served you, the infectious cheer that you brought with you everywhere brightening up the man as you paid and left.

Brett was certain in that moment that he had struck gold in finding you. You were everything that he could ever want in a partner: kind, funny, and willing to put up with his crazy NHL schedule. He had already called his mom about you at least ten times—a month—since you started dating. He endured the chirps from his brother about how much he cared for you, and Brett even threw in a few about how his brother acted the same way with his now sister-in-law.

It was that thought that had completely leveled him the first time he had it, that he cared for you the same way his brother cared for his wife. He had known for a week, at the very least, that he loved you and that you were it for him. The problem arose when he tried to tell you so. He was almost certain that you felt the same way, but there was a nagging thought that maybe you didn’t, that you weren’t as invested in your relationship as he was. And it was that fear that had his mouth going dry and palms getting sweaty if he even thought about telling you.

But with the lights shining on you in the perfect way that they were, he knew he was going to combust if he tried to wait a moment longer.

He had once again been lost in his thoughts, and you squeezing his hand brought him back to reality only for him to realize that you had stopped walking. You were watching him intently, a brow quirked up and he knew you were silently asking him what was up.

“Can I tell you something?” As soon as the words left his mouth, he regretted them, because they sounded bad. And he could tell you felt the same as he watched a mix of confusion and nervousness flash across your face. His eyes widened as he quickly tried to backtrack and reassure you that everything was fine all at the same time. “No! Not like—nothing bad, I promise.”

“Okay…” You trailed off, wondering what could have gotten him so flustered so quickly. He was fine moments before, if not a bit spacey, and you briefly wondered if that was part of the problem, too. Something was on his mind, you just weren’t sure what it was.

Brett steeled his nerves, sucking in a breath as he contemplated just exactly how he wanted to word his confession. You were looking up at him with a confused look, the adorable way your brows furrowed together, and your lips pouted just slightly distracting him for a second, long enough to have him forgetting anything he might have had planned to say.

“I love you.” He blurted, closing his eyes in a kind of wince that told you he was kicking himself for his clunky delivery. You, on the other hand, were completely ecstatic with the way things had panned out. It wasn’t perfect, no, but it was exactly what you wanted. It was real and honest, and you could tell for a fact that he meant it.

Your response was an easy one. You had been feeling the same way for some time, you could pinpoint the exact time when you knew you were done for. He had just gotten in late from a road trip, a week and a half on the west coast, and instead of heading back to his own apartment after getting back he showed up at your doorstep at nearly one in the morning. It was all tired mumbles about how he sleeps better with you and it took exactly zero convincing for you to let him spend the night.

Brett was still waiting for you to respond, other than the beaming smile you were giving him. You could see the panic in his eyes, how he thought that maybe he had screwed things up with you if you didn’t feel the same, and you couldn’t help but let out a breathy chuckle at how he ever could think that you didn’t love him back.

“Okay, well don’t laugh at me.” He teased in an attempt to bring some of the normalcy back to the conversation, though you could just hear how tense his words were. You playfully rolled your eyes, using your conjoined hands to tug him closer and down towards you.

You kissed him, smiling at the way he tasted like the hot chocolate you both had been sipping on. You could feel him relax under your touch, the hand that had been holding yours let go of you and moved to the back of your neck to keep you in place against him an extra moment longer. And when you finally pulled back enough, you could see the grin you no doubt were sporting mirrored on his face.

Your next words were easy to say. You felt them deep inside your bones, and knew without a doubt that you meant them. That nothing you had ever said could match the certainty with which you delivered the sentiment with.

“I love you, too.”

SPRING

“What’s all this?”

It was your first season dating a hockey player, but you had been a fan of the sport for longer. You knew it sucked being knocked out of the playoffs after clinching a wildcard spot, but you never had to experience it up close.

So when the Rangers were eliminated in the third round after seven hard-fought games, you weren’t sure how Brett would react. He was quiet after the game, barely saying anything as you spent the night at his apartment. There were lots of cuddles, and when you woke up before him, you took it upon yourself to make breakfast.

And that’s where Brett found you, waking up half an hour after you to see you in little more than one of his old oversized shirts standing in front of the stove as you made pancakes. You smiled at him over your shoulder, happy to see that he looked a little better than the night before.

“Making breakfast, thought I’d surprise you.” You confessed, sighing in content as he wrapped his arms around your middle from behind you. You leaned back into him, giggling at the way his playoff beard scratched your neck as he nuzzled into you. “At least now you can finally shave.”

You felt a sense of pride as he chuckled, no matter how half-hearted it was. His laugh was easily one of your favorite sounds, and it was disheartening to see him so down. One of your arms rested atop his forearms wrapped around you, the other holding the spatula you were using to flip the pancakes.

“Are those chocolate chip?” He questioned, and now it was your turn to chuckle. You nodded, twisting your head to the side to press a quick kiss to his cheek as his head was still resting on your shoulder.

“I figured we could have a cheat day, you earned it.” Your comment earned a hum of satisfaction as he slowly rocked you side to side. Part of you felt a little guilty in savoring just how clingy he was being as a result of being eliminated from the playoffs, but you also knew this was exactly the kind of comfort he needed. And if it meant that you also were smothered in attention and affection from the man you loved, then you weren’t going to complain.

You stayed wrapped up in Brett for the remainder of the time it took you to cook, and even when you were eating he didn’t let you get very far. When you stood to start cleaning up, as an extra treat, since usually when you cooked he cleaned, Brett disappeared down the hall for a moment only to return with a bluetooth speaker.

It was a common occurance whenever you hung out, when Brett said he was always listening to music he meant it. He turned on one of his playlists, one you recognized as having softer, slower songs and he joined you at the sink in cleaning up. The two of you working together meant everything got done much quicker and soon enough you were shutting off the sink and drying your hands.

You went to ask him what he wanted to do next, expecting maybe a movie or something similar, but he clearly had different plans as he swept you into his arms and started slow dancing. You chuckled, letting him lead and stealing kisses whenever you could.

After the first slow song ended, you slipped out of his arms, much to his protest. Picking up his phone, you changed the song to one a bit more quicker and upbeat. If you were going to dance in the kitchen in your pajamas like fools in love, you were going to do it right.

Moving back to him, you spotted the tired grin he was wearing. Pushing yourself onto your tip-toes, you stole one more kiss for good measure. You started twirling and dancing and giggling around the kitchen without a care in the world, and though Brett was still feeling a little disappointed at not being able to make it further in the playoffs, he couldn’t truly be upset when the person he loved the most was laughing and wearing his clothes.

“Thank you.” He mumbled before leaning in for another kiss as you spun into his chest, his arms locking you in place against him. You didn’t respond at first, too caught up in him and how handsome he was, even though he had yet to brush his hair and his pajamas weren’t the most stylish things in the world.

“I’d do it again, but I won’t have to.” Your words confused him, but he was still grinning slightly at the light and certain tone you spoke with. “Rangers are getting the cup next season, I’m speaking it into existence.”

“Don’t let some of the guys hear you saying that, they’ll accuse you of jinxing it.” Brett chuckled, looking down at you with the utmost admiration. You were practically melting under his gaze, wondering how he managed to get you every time with just how often he looked at you with that much love in his eyes.

“They’ll thank me when they win.” You teased, waving a hand nonchalantly. He let out a quiet, breathy, laugh and shook his head in mirth instead of replying. A lull fell in the conversation, and though it wasn’t awkward, it did give you an opportunity to think about the one thing you had been putting off considering. “So… what now? When are you leaving?”

It was a fair question, considering that this was your first time experiencing the end of the season. Brett’s work was done in New York and soon enough he’d be heading back to spend the offseason with family. There was no obligation for you to follow, or even for him to invite you, but it felt weird thinking that you’d spend the next couple of months apart, especially since you had been nearly inseparable since you had gotten together.

“I was thinking that maybe you could come with me, at least for a couple weeks. My parents love you, I’m pretty sure they would kill me if I didn’t at least invite you.” You chuckled at his comment, knowing he was just teasing but your heart swelled at the thought that his parents liked you. And really, there was no way you could ever turn down the opportunity to see his hometown with him.

“Well, I can’t disappoint your parents, you know.”

SUMMER

“I know what you’re thinking, and it’s not a good idea, I promise.”

You were having a great time. Brett’s parents had rented a lake house and invited both their sons along with their significant others. The boys were swimming in the water while you tanned on the dock alongside Brett’s sister in law.

It was great, Brett’s niece was swimming with her father and uncle, her gleeful cheers the only thing breaking up the chatter and the soft music playing. His dad was on the grill up by the house and his mom had slipped inside to get a refill on her drink.

But then you spotted Brett grinning at you mischievously, and you just knew he was planning to splash you. Hence, your warning.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He defended himself, acting as if he was completely innocent. You knew it was an act, you were still drying off from earlier when he had thrown you over his shoulder and jumped into the water, but you couldn’t find it in you to be annoyed. Not when you had started everything by pushing him in the first chance you got.

“Leave her alone, Brett.” His mom teasingly warned, having just returned from the house and setted back down in her deck chair she had brought out. As she spoke, you bent over the side of the dock, reaching a hand in the water just enough before splashing him. His niece let out a shriek that resembled a laugh, and Brett alternated between wiping the water off of his face and chuckling at you.

“You two were made for each other, I swear.” His sister in law commented and you simply grinned wider, eyeing Brett carefully to make sure he wasn’t planning anything in retaliation.

Later that evening there was a bonfire, and everyone had called it a night long before you and Brett were ready to. You had started the night sitting in different chairs, but at some point you had gotten up to make a s’more and didn’t make it back to your own seat as Brett pulled you into his lap.

“This is nice.” You murmured, watching the flames of the fire dance. Brett’s brother had thrown a couple logs on before he left fifteen minutes ago, so it was set for a while before you had to force yourself to get up. You were dreading, somehow extremely comfortable curled in up in his lap with a blanket haphazardly tossed across your legs.

Brett hummed in agreement, his chest vibrating underneath where you were pressed against him. His lips pressed against the top of your head and his hand that had been resting on your leg started to rub back and forth soothingly.

“I love you.” Brett copied your quiet tone. He told you that several times a day, everyday, but you were certain that you’d never tire of hearing him say those three words. It made your chest warm and heart race, and never failed to put a smile on your face.

“I love you, too.” His hold on you tightened a bit more at your words, the simple action letting you know the sentiment affected him the same way it did too. Silence fell over you, only filled with the crackling of the fire and the distant chirps of crickets and any other insects and critters that were in the trees surrounding the house. You were completely content, and you would’ve been fine with never having to get up ever again.

“Do we have to go back to the city?” He mused, earning a groan from you. There was still time before training camp and preseason and everything else that came with being adults and having careers, but that didn’t mean it stressed you out any less.

“Don’t remind me.” Your reaction earned a chuckle from Brett, the sound, like always, was music to your ears. “My landlord keeps messaging me about whether or not I’m renewing my lease in September.”

There was a hidden question in your statement. You were asking without really asking if Brett wanted to move in with you, that being the natural next step in your relationship. You had known for a while that he was it for you, and though it hadn’t been quite a year since you had started dating you were more than ready to take the leap.

Brett had mentioned offhandedly a few times about sharing his space with you, mostly comments about how he wanted to wake up to you as often as he could. You were at his apartment more than you were at your own, and had even developed a routine of being at his place already when he came home from roadies late at night. The first time he had come home and found you already asleep in his bed, waiting for him, the domesticity of it all nearly knocked the wind out of him.

But he had never seriously brought up moving in with you, and you were starting to get nervous that maybe he was having reservations about your relationship. Those fears were completely unfounded, you knew, but you couldn’t help but have your irrational moments.

“Don’t renew your lease.” Brett said casually, and even though you were practically drained from the sun and the lake and the few beers you had earlier in the day, the statement seemed to give you your second wind. “Move in with me.”

“Yeah?” You hated how breathy the one word was, your tone giving away just how excited you were by the offer. You tilted your head up to look at him, only to be met with his stunning smile. “You want me to?”

“I’d be crazy to not want you to.” He chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to your forehead that had you grinning even wider. Like everything with Brett, it was easy to agree, easy to give him another kiss, easy to spend the rest of the night whispering ‘I love you’s and other sweet nothings while planning which of his teammates you’d bribe with a home cooked meal to help you move your stuff to Brett’s.

“Let’s do it.”

[patagucci34]

Chicken

Here is another one of my poorly written pieces...same deal here, the timeline doesn’t totally make sense, but I really don’t care that much. There is also a lot of Brady in this piece, because who doesn’t love Brady? 

Anyway, there might be some swearing... 

Word count: 7200ish

Enjoy :) 

Brett and Y/N met his first season playing for the Rangers. Y/N had grown up with Brady Skjei, so when she moved out to NYC for college, she ended up spending a lot of time with the Rangers.

When Y/N first met Brett she was really smitten. She thought he was really attractive and didn't really think he would ever go for a girl like her. Brady had introduced them at a party, and although Brett had been very nice to Y/N,  she was so awkward that she avoided him for the rest of the night.

The next time Y/N ran into Brett was outside of the arena. She was waiting for Brady by his car so they could go to lunch. She was so engrossed in her Twitter feed that she hadn't noticed the man standing to her right until he cleared his throat. Y/N looked up startled by the noise and her cheeks went red when she saw who it was.

"I'm sorry, Y/N, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh, uh, no problem, I guess I should be more aware of my surroundings…"

"What are you doing here?" He inquired.

"Oh, I'm waiting for Brady. We're grabbing some food."

"Ohh, nice. He might be a little bit…he was just getting into the locker room when I was leaving."

Y/N chuckled a little, "yeah, I'm used to his tardiness…"

"So, you guys are close?"

"Yeah, we grew up together in Michigan, our families are good friends."

"Oh, well that's nice to have someone here in the city. Have you lived here long?"

"Yeah, this is my fourth year, I'm a senior at NYU."

"Ohh, that's awesome, what are you studying?"

"English.…"

Brett grinned at her tone, "why do you say it like that?"

"I usually get some shit for it, it's not a good 'money-making' career."

"Yeah, but if you're really good at it, it is…"

Y/N smiled, "yeah, I guess you're right. Hopefully I am…"

"I'm sure you are…and I guess as long as you enjoy what you do it's worth it."

"Says the guy who gets paid big bucks to play the sport he loves…" Y/N said with a smirk.

Brett laughed at her comment and before he could reply they were interrupted by Brady.

"What's so funny?" He asked walking up to the pair.

"Your face." Y/N said as she walked past both of them and climbed into Brady's car. Brett had started laughing even harder and Brady glared at Y/N before bidding farewell to his teammate.

Y/N had put on some music for their drive to the restaurant and they both sang along. Once they got to their table they studied the menu with little chit chat so they could order when their server came by.

"So, Brett…" Brady asked suggestively as their waitress walked away.

Y/N blushed but rolled her eyes staying silent hoping if she just doesn't respond to him he'll drop it.

"I know you have a hard on for him…" Brady pushed.

"Oh my god, Brady. Don't be gross. I barely know the guy anyway."

"Oh stop, you were so awkward after I introduced you to him the other night at the party."

"I wasn't awkward this time…"

"No, but you were red as a tomato…"

"I was not!"

"Were too!"

Y/N dramatically sighed, "okay, maybe I think he's really attractive…but it's not like anything is ever going to happen…"

Brady smiled triumphantly, "I knew it."

Y/N rolled her eyes and threw her straw wrapper at him. He giggled a little before changing the subject knowing he put her through enough torture already.

~~~~~

It had been a few weeks since Y/N and Brett's exchange outside of the arena. She had seen Brady a few times but the time was busy with training camp and pre-season and Y/N was getting into the groove of her classes. The team was having a party to celebrate having made it through training and of course, Brady invited Y/N. Y/N and her roommate Jess were at their apartment getting ready. Y/N had changed about twenty times, knowing Brett would be there. Y/N definitely wasn't the skinniest girl in the world and she knew it. Most of the time she was okay with her body, except for when she hung around with Brady's friends. Although his closer friends didn't tend to intimidate her as much, she tried extra hard to look good when she would be around the whole team and their wives and girlfriends. Even Brady's girlfriend, who Y/N absolutely adored made her feel a little insecure.

Jess walked into Y/N's room to hurry her along.

"Come on, Y/n/N. You look amazing, stop changing."

"Are you sure? You can see my stomach in this."

"Y/N. You look hot. Now let's go."

Y/N rolled her eyes but put her earrings in and shoes on and they were out the door.

Brady was hosting, which made Y/N feel more comfortable already. Y/N didn't bother knocking, instead opened the door right up and they said hi to people as they made their way to the kitchen to grab a drink.

"Y/N, Jess! Glad you made it." Y/N turned around at the familiar voice and gave Brady a hug. "How was your week?" He asked.

"Stressful, I'm ready to get drunk."

Brady chuckled a bit but made his concern known, "okay, but I better not find you hugging my toilet again…"

Y/N blushed at the memory from a few months ago over the summer. Y/N had just been dumped, if you can even call it that, by some dumb guy she would hook up with over the summer when she went home. Brady had been throwing a 4th of July party and by the end of the night, Y/N was puking in Brady's bathroom.

Y/N and Jess mingled for a bit before parting ways when Jess started talking to some guy who was friends with Brady and Trouba. Y/N had been in the corner talking with Gracia and a few of her friends when they were interrupted by Brendan grabbing Y/N to be his pong partner. Y/N quickly said goodbye and walked over with Brendan.

Y/N was excited to play, especially with Brendan, they had been partners for as long as she could remember and they always ended up winning. However, when she saw who they were playing against, she got a bit flustered. Standing across the table were Brett and Brady. Brady shot her a smile and she glared at him, but he just laughed as they began playing.

"Come on, Y/N, what's your deal tonight?" Brendan asked after she missed the 4th cup in a row.

"I'm sorry, I don't really know…"

"Well, figure it out, I can't lose to Skjei and Howden." Y/N rolled her eyes when Brendan slapped her ass and handed her the pong ball. He shot her a smile and a wink. Luckily, this one went in so she was free of his criticism for another round. Although, she didn't miss the confused look Brett's face when he saw their exchange. She shook her thoughts away and refocused on the game.

Thankfully, they pulled out the win, Y/N improving a little throughout the game, but Brendan really carried their team.

"I'm gonna take a little break." Y/N said to Brendan, giving him an apologetic smile and before he could protest she walked down the hall to Brady's room.

Y/N downed the rest of her drink and flopped back on Brady's bed and sighed. She closed her eyes for a few minutes. She sat up quickly as she heard the door opening, hoping it wasn’t Brady and Gracia coming in for the night. She relaxed a little bit when she realized it wasn't them, but grew anxious again when she realized it was Brett.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you…again." He said a smirk.

Y/N smiled, "it's okay, I scare easily…"

"What are you doing in here?"

"Just need a breather, what about you?"

"Same. I love the guys already, but they're a lot."

Y/N chuckled at Brett and agreed, "yeah, they're kind of crazy."

Y/N scooched over on the bed signaling for him to sit down. He took the hint and sat down next to Y/N and lied back just as she was before.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your alone time."

"It's all good, I should probably be getting back anyway…" She said as she went to stand up.

"Wait," Brett called just as she opened the door. Y/N stopped and turned around expectantly, "what's the deal with you and Brendan?"

Y/N couldn't help but laugh a little, "what do you mean?"

"Well, when we were playing pong earlier, I saw him, um, slap your ass…"

"Ohh, yeah, it's okay. He's just like that…I guess." Y/N responded not really knowing how else to put it. "But it's okay, really."

"So, you two aren't like hooking up or anything?"

"Oh god, no."

Brett smiled at your insistence. "Good to know…have a good night Y/N."

Y/N burrowed her eyebrows when she left the room not really knowing what that meant. Of course, she had butterflies from the whole exchange but she couldn't help but think about what he said for the rest of the night.

Jess had left with that guy she had been with all night, so Y/N decided she would head home too. She made her way around the party to find Brady.

"Hey," she said walking up to him, "I'm heading home."

"Where's Jess?"

"Oh she went home with that Miles guy."

"Why don't you just stay here?"

"Why would I do that?"

"I don't want you going home alone."

Y/N rolled her eyes, "Brady it's not that far. I'm going to take an Uber, I'll be fine."

"No, you can just stay here."

"Brady, I want to go home."

"I realize that, but even an Uber alone can be unsafe."

"Brady, please."

"Sorry, Y/n/N."

Y/N sighed and walked away annoyed. She decided since Brady wouldn't let her leave, she would get a little more drunk.

A little while later, Y/N found herself on the couch, the party had significantly died down, but there were still a few people there. Just as she finished the last of her drink, she went to stand up and get another one, but as soon as she stood up she stumbled a little bit and she felt a hand on her back to steady her. She looked up and blushed when she saw that it was Brett.

"Easy there killer." He said making sure she was steady before letting go. "You've had a few since I last saw you…"

"Yes...and need another…" she said as she started to walk away. He quickly followed her and steadied her again as she tripped into the kitchen.

Brett was relieved when he saw that Brady was in the kitchen, he didn't really think it was a good idea for Y/N to keep drinking but didn't think he had the authority to say anything.

Brady looked up and saw Brett steady Y/N as she tried to grab another drink. He grabbed the liquor bottle from her hands and put it down. "That's enough, Y/N."

Y/N glared at Brady, "I'm fine, Brady. Give it back."

"Yeah right, you just about fell over trying to pour yourself a drink. You're done."

"Come on, Brady, you're no fun." Y/N pouted.

"Remember what I said? No puking in my toilet tonight."

"Well, it would be in mine if you had just let me go home…" Y/N mumbled.

Brady raised his eyebrows and Y/N conceded and put the cup down. Brett had to keep from laughing at how comical the whole exchange was. They really were like brother and sister.

Brett took this as his chance to say goodbye.

"I'm headed out man, thanks for hosting."

"Yeah, no problem, thanks for helping this one…" Brady responded pointing over to Y/N as she glared back at him.

Brett chuckled a little bit, "no problem. Have a good night, Y/N."

Y/N seemed to forget all about her issues with Brady and blushed as she waved goodbye to Brett.

Brady was the one to roll his eyes this time and turned Y/N around and led her to his guest room. Once Y/N was all tucked into bed Brady turned to leave the room.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Brady. Sorry I was acting like a brat." Brady turned back around and walked back over to Y/N and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"No problem, Y/n/N. Next time I'll just embarrass you in front of your boyfriend…" He said giggling at himself.

"Very funny."

Brady ruffled Y/N's hair and left the room. Y/N sighed and rolled over to grab her phone. She hadn't really looked at it much throughout the night, but when she opened Instagram she saw that she had a follower request from none other than Brett Howden. She smiled to herself and passed out before she could even accept it.

~~~~~~

A week later, Y/N found herself getting ready for the Rangers first home opener. She had rushed home from class to give herself as much time as possible because she wanted to look good. Although Brett had followed her on Instagram, she tried not to read into it, because a lot of the guys followed her on Instagram and she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Once she got to the arena she texted Gracia to see where she was at and then met up with her and some of the other WAGS.

"Are you coming out after, Y/N?" Gracia asked as they walked to their seats with drinks in their hands.

"I'm not sure yet… I was going to meet a few of my friends out, but we'll see."

"Why don't you have them meet up with us?"

"Yeah, I guess I could do that."

The Rangers ended up with a win, which was very exciting and meant the guys would be in a good mood. Y/N decided to text Brady after the game instead of going down to the locker room so she could go home and get ready.

She had gone out with her friends and decided she would meet up with the guys later in the night. Y/N tried to take it slow tonight because this guy from school, Connor, she had been talking to was out with them and she was hoping they would be going home together.

When they got to the club where the guys were, she found them at their usual booth and introduced everyone to each other. Y/N tried to keep it casual with Connor, although Brady was usually chill around guys with her, she was worried he would go into overprotective mode and ruin things for her. However, that only lasted a little longer as Y/N had a few more drinks in her and they went to dance.

Y/N had lost herself in Connor, they were making out and having a great time dancing together.

"I'm gonna run to the bathroom." Y/N yelled into his ear as the song changed.

"You wanna get out of here after?" He asked.

Y/N nodded and headed towards the bathroom. He followed her off the dance floor but walked towards the booth where his friends were to tell them that they were leaving.

Brady's ears perked up when he heard Y/N's name being mentioned in the same sentence as 'going home with.' He looked over at the guy and studied him trying to determine if he would let it happen or not. He looked around trying to spot Y/N and noticed that Brett looked annoyed.

Brady nudged him, getting his attention, "what's up, man?"

"Nothing." Brett huffed glaring at Connor.

Brady grinned a little, "you have a problem with him?"

"What? No." Brett replied a little quickly.

Brady laughed out loud this time, "go stop it."

Brett looked over a Brady confused.

"Go stop him from taking her home…."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"Because, that would be mean."

"I mean, I was just trying to figure out if I should let it happen myself, but if you really think so, I guess I'll let it be."

Brett contemplated a little more, but sat back and sighed. Brady shook his head at the rookie and took another drink.

Just a few minutes later, Y/N made her way over to Brady to say goodbye.

"Hey! I'm headed home." She said giving Brady a quick hug  then turning to leave hoping to dodge his questioning.

"With who?" Y/N rolled her eyes and turned back around to talk to Brady.

"My friend."

"Which friend?"

"Connor."

"That guy?" Brady asked, pointing over at him, knowing full well who it was.

"Yes, that guy. I know him from school, he's fine. Any other questions, dad?"

"Where are you going?"

"My place."

"Okay, be safe."

Y/N smiled at Brady and looked over at Brett.

"Night, Brett!" She said cheerily as she walked back to Connor and they headed outside to their Uber.

~~~~

The guys had the next day off so a group of them went to brunch. Y/N met them there and gave Brady a hug before she sat down.

"How was your night?" Brady asked, not so nonchalantly.

"It was good. He was very nice to me…"

Brady smiled at her admission. "Good, I don't want to beat anyone up on my day off."

Y/N laughed at Brady before asking how the rest of his night was.

"It was good, we didn't stay too much longer after you…you should ask that one how his night was…" Brady replied, pointing over to Brett. Brett was in the middle of the conversation and hadn't noticed Brady pointing towards him. Y/N looked at Brady with a puzzled look but Brady just shrugged it off.

Y/N kept stealing glances at Brett the whole brunch. She of course, was still smitten with him, but had come to terms with admiring from afar. A few times he caught her looking and she tried to avert her eyes but it was probably pretty obvious.

After everyone had finished, they all went their separate ways. Y/N had walked to the restaurant because it was only a few blocks away, so she started her walk back home.

"Y/N, wait up!" She heard from behind her, she was startled at first, but then relaxed when she remembered the voice.

"You really like scaring me, huh?" She asked with a smile on her face.

He blushed a bit, "I'm sorry, I really don't mean to."

"It's okay, I'm just messing with you…what's up?"

"I just saw you walking this way and figured we could walk together."

"Oh, yeah sure, do you live this way?"

"Yeah, just a few blocks down."

"Oh really? Me too."

Brett smiled and they continued walking.

"So, how was your night last night?" Y/N decided to ask, Brady's comment unable to leave her mind.

"Oh, it was okay, how about yours?"

"It was good."

Y/N noticed that Brett had started acting a little weird when she brought last night up. But she still wasn't sure why Brady told her to ask him.

They walked in silence for a few minutes before Brett spoke up. "So, um, that guy you were with…is he your boyfriend?"

"No, um, just a friend from school."

"Oh, do you hang out with him a lot?"

"Um, I mean, I guess kind of…we have most of our classes together."

"He seems nice."

"Yeah he is." Things had gotten very awkward and Y/N was starting to wonder if Brett was upset about Connor. She had a hard time entertaining that idea because she didn't think Brett was attracted to her.

Thankfully, Y/N’s place was coming up so this could come to an end.

"Well, this is me. Thanks for walking with me, Brett."

"Have a good day, Y/N." He said as he waited for her to get inside, she waved once punched in the code and he waved back as he walked down the street.

Y/N immediately called Brady.

"Hey, Y/N, what's up?"

"What do you know?"

"I'm sorry???"

"What do you know about Brett."

Y/N heard Brady chuckle on the other end of the line and she grew impatient.

"Seriously, Brady. Why did you tell me to ask him about his night?"

"Did you?"

"Yes and it was super weird."

Brady laughed some more.

"Brady!!"

"Okay, okay, sorry. He hasn't actually said anything to me, but I think he was jealous of your boy last night."

"What? Why?"

"Really, Y/N?"

"What?"

"Because he likes you ding dong."

"I seriously doubt that."

"Why? And don't you dare say because of what you look like."

"Well, it's true."

"Clearly not, he was all annoyed when that guy came over and said you guys were leaving."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I told him to do something about it but he didn't want to because he didn't think it was fair to you."

"Hmm..true, but interesting."

"When did you ask him?"

"Just now, we walked home together."

"He lives near you?"

"Apparently, we got to my place before his…"

"Y/N, he definitely has the hots for you."

"I don't know, Brady…"

"I'll dig around some more, but I'm pretty sure…"

"Okay fine, just don't be obvious."

"Am I ever?"

Y/N rolled her eyes even though Brady couldn't see her, "yeah, kind of. Anyway, I gotta do some work. I'll talk to you later."

"Later, kid."

~~~~~

The guys had been gone on a road trip for a few days, but Gracia invited Y/N over for dinner the night Brady was supposed to be getting back. Y/N went over early to help her make dinner so it would be ready when Brady got home.

Gracia received a text from Brady and smirked at Y/N when she read it.

"What?" Y/N asked.

"Nothing, Brady just texted, he's on his way from the airport now." She said conveniently leaving out the part that someone else would be joining them.

Y/N started setting the table while Gracia finished cooking.

"Oh, we need one more place setting." Gracia grinned as she saw Y/N setting the table for three.

"Who else is coming?" Y/N asked just as the door opened and revealed Brady and Brett following behind him.

Y/N immediately blushed and raced back into the kitchen to grab another place setting. Brady followed her in and gave Gracia a kiss, then turning to Y/N to give her a hug.

"I could kill you." Y/N said as Brady squeezed her tight.

"You love me." He said letting go, grabbing the plate and silverware from her hand. "Don't be rude, go say hello to our guest."

Y/N followed Brady to the table and looked over at Brett.

Brett smiled at Y/N and greeted her with a hug.

Y/N was shocked as he had never touched her like that.

"Hi, Brett. Congrats on the goal…"

"Thank you. Were you watching?"

"Of course."

Brett smiled again as Gracia and Brady brought the food to the table. They all sat down and talked about the road trip and the guys asked the girls what they were up to while they were gone.

Y/N and Brett had actually really hit it off and it wasn't awkward like it usually was. When it came time to leave, Y/N was actually kind of bummed. Brady could sense that Y/N was having a good time, so he tried to get them to ride home together.

"You taking an Uber home, Y/N?"

"That was my plan."

"Are you going home Brett?" Brady asked, turning towards the rookie.

"I was planning on it."

"You guys should share and Uber, you live near each other right?"

Brett and Y/N looked at each other and shrugged.

"Works for me." Y/N said.

"I'll order an Uber."

"Thank you so much for dinner!!" Y/N said giving Brady and Gracia hugs.

"Thanks for helping, Y/n/N. You know you're welcome anytime!"

"Dinner was delicious, thank you." Brett said, giving Gracia a hug. He then waved at Brady, "see you tomorrow, man."

With that, Y/N and Brett were headed down to their Uber.

"That dinner really was amazing, do you cook like that often?" Brett asked once in the Uber.

"Not really that much, my kitchen isn't as nice as theirs. But I like to cook."

"I wish I could cook, I usually eat at the rink or do take out."

"Well, I’ll make sure to invite you the next time I make a meal.” “I’d really like that.” Brett said smiling at Y/N.

Y/N blushed at how Brett was looking at her, she didn’t want things to turn awkward but she didn’t really know what else to say.

They ended up just making small talk until they approached Y/N’s place.

“Thanks for letting me share an Uber with you…” She said, stepping out of the car.

“Anytime, have a good night!” He called after her.

“Thanks, you too!” She said, waving as the car started moving again.

~~~~~

Once inside, Y/N did a little dance, she was so happy Brady had invited him over for dinner. She already started thinking about when she would cook next.

She sat down at her desk to do some work when her phone buzzed. It was a text from Brady.

Is he there?

Is who where?

Is Brett at your apartment?

What? No, why would he? 

Are you kidding me, I sent you two home together for a reason.

Oh my god, Brady. We had a nice talk in the Uber…

Well I was hoping you would invite him inside.

Why would I do that? 

Seriously? You guys were having a good time.

Yeah but that would have been weird if I invited him in, and my place is a mess right now.

Well clean it up, sister.

I’m rolling my eyes at you right now. I have work to do, goodnight!

I’m not done talking about this....he likes you, but he’s too chicken to do anything about it.

Once she saw the last text Brady sent, she decided to skip the texting and call him instead.

“Yes?” Brady said, picking up the phone.

“Wait, he likes me?”

“Yeah, that’s what he said on the roadie. That’s why I invited him over for dinner...but I guess you’re both too chicken to do anything.” “Well, excuse me, he’s like really hot, it’s intimidating.”

“You’re ridiculous, he’s not that attractive.”

“Speak for yourself!!”

“Just get over it and make a move.”

“I mean I told him I would invite him over the next time I cooked…” “Perfect. We’ve got Friday night off, have him over.” “Doesn’t that seem a little soon?” “You’re overthinking this. Just invite him over Friday night, I’ll text you his number.”

Y/N sighed, “okay, fine. Thanks, Brady.” “Anytime, kid. Have a good night.”

~~~~~~

The next day, Y/N mustered up the nerve to text Brett. She typed, deleted, and re-typed about 15 messages before she finally pressed send.

Hey Brett! It’s Y/N, Brady gave me your number...I was wondering if you were free Friday night? I’ve got Chicken Parmesan on the menu…

Y/N had sent the text a few minutes before class began hoping that being in class would be a good distraction. She started to overthink things though because she hadn’t felt her phone vibrate. She was bummed when she got out of class and saw that he still hadn’t responded. She told herself it was because he was at practice, so she went to the library to distract herself more. She had gotten into writing an essay and by the time she was done, she was happy to see a text from Brett.

Hey, Y/N :) I would love to have dinner Friday night...is there anything I can bring?

Y/N smiled to herself at his response. She put her phone down and made some final edits on her essay and printed it out before she texted him back because she didn’t want to seem eager.

Just yourself...and maybe some wine? ;)

Y/N was surprised when her phone dinged just a minute later.

I can definitely do that...I’m very excited to see you again.

Y/N blushed at his responde and debated what to say back… she decided on a simple ��I can’t wait to see you either :)’ and figured the conversation would be over. When her phone buzzed a few minutes later she figured it was one of her friends, but was surprised again when she saw that it was Brett.

How is your day going?

It's not so bad, I'm done classes for the day, but I have a lot of work to do :( How is your day?

I'm sorry you have a lot of work to do, that's unfortunate…my day is alright, practice was good, I'm just hanging out for the rest of the day. Although I feel kind of guilty when you have a lot of work to do…

That's very sweet of you…it's okay. It's not actually that bad, it's just work I really don't want to do and have put off until now…

I'm a big procrastinator too…it's my downfall.

It's the worst…I really need to break that habit.

I guess I'm probably not helping right now…I'll let you get to it. I'll see you Friday night ;)

Have a good day, Brett :)

Y/N put her phone in her pocket as she walked down the street to her apartment and couldn't stop smiling. Just as she approached her apartment she got a call from Brady.

"Hey Brady, what's up?"

"Nice to see you made your move…"

Y/N rolled her eyes, "does he tell you everything???"

"Well, not everything, but I've been trying to help him out with this so he let me know as soon as he saw your text…"

"I guess I owe you a thank you…"

Y/N could sense Brady's smug look on his face through the phone.

"Yes, you do, and you're very welcome."

"Is this the only reason you called?"

"Mostly, I was gonna ask if you wanted to get lunch too?"

"Yeah, sure. Where are you?"

"I'm at the apartment, I'll meet you in 30?"

"Yeah, just text me where."

~~~~~~~~

The next two days went by pretty quick and Y/N found herself scrambling around the apartment cleaning up and preparing dinner. Her roommate was staying at a boy’s place for the night and she was glad to have the place to themselves if everything went well…

Once she had things mostly put together she hopped in the shower and put some light makeup on. Her stomach was in knots as she finished putting her mascara on and looked at the time. Brett would be getting there any minute now, so she quickened her pace and went back into the kitchen to finish up dinner.

Just as she was taking the chicken out there was a knock on her door. Y/N set the chicken down and walked over to the door where she took a deep breath and tried her best to compose herself before opening the door. She smiled as she took in his appearance. He had nice dark jeans on with a very well fitted button up. He was also holding flowers in one hand and wine in the other. Y/N blushed and stepped back so he could come in.

"You look beautiful." He said kissing her cheek.

Y/N's cheeks flushed at his compliment, "thank you."

Brett looked around the apartment for a minute, "this is really nice."

"Thank you, it's a bit small, but we made it pretty cozy."

"Yeah, it's very homey."

Y/N chuckled at his comment and took the flowers from him as she led him into the kitchen and grabbed a vase.

"These are beautiful, thank you."

Brett smiled and put the wine on the counter.

"Dinner is almost ready, sorry, I was hoping it would be done by the time you got here…"

"No worries, is there anything I can do to help?"

"I think I'm all set…thank you though." Y/N said with a smile as she grabbed two wine glasses from the cupboard. Brett opened the bottle and poured them each a glass as Y/N finished up with dinner.

Just a few minutes later they were sitting at the table enjoying dinner.

"This is amazing…"

Y/N blushed, "thank you."

"Where did you learn to cook like this?"

"I guess, just my mom? I used to love helping her in the kitchen, she taught me a lot."

"That's really cool. You've got me hooked. I'm glad I live just down the street…" he said winking at Y/N.

Y/N blushed yet again, her face basically a constant shade of pink.

They fell into a comfortable conversation, talking about their families and talking a bit more about your relationship with Brady.

"Were you always this close with Brady?"

"I guess not really, he was always around, but him and my brother used to torment me…"

Brett chuckled a bit, "I can definitely see that…"

"Yeah, but as we grew older, Brady obviously left home for hockey and stuff, so we didn't see him as much. We really kind of reconnected here in New York."

"Did your brother play hockey?"

"Yeah, he just played locally though, he was more into baseball."

"Did he play in college?"

"Yeah, he played for Michigan."

"That's cool, did you play any sports?"

"Yeah, I played soccer, hockey, and lacrosse."

"Oh, wow, 3 sports huh?"

"Yeah, I mean, I wasn't super serious about any of them…I guess hockey more than the others, but I decided against pursuing it in college so I could come here."

"You were gonna play in college?"

"Just for a d3 school…but I really wanted to be here at NYU, my family was pretty upset, but they got over it."

"I guess we'll have to go skating soon, I'd like to see what you got…"

Y/N laughed at that, "not much right now, I haven't really skated much recently, I haven't even been at all this season."

"We'll definitely have to change that…"

As the conversation lulled they took their dishes to the kitchen and cleaned up a bit before making their way to the couch to watch a movie. However, they didn't really watch much of the movie. They just kept talking and talking and eventually ended up cozying up to each other.

Brett had reached over Y/N to refill their wine glasses and as he sat back they found their faces very close to each other. Y/N looked into his eyes and they stayed like that for a few moments before Brett made a move.

"Can I kiss you?" He asked softly.

Y/N had barely nodded her head before Brett's lips crashed into hers. It was the most passionate kiss she had had in a long time and she found herself melting into his touch. They made out on the couch a bit before they decided to take things into the bedroom.

Y/N had the most fun with Brett than she had with another guy in a long time. They finished the night off cuddling in bed. Y/N always felt awkward after…not knowing how to have the conversation of if they were staying or not, but Brett seemed to think a conversation wasn't needed. He got out of bed and went to the bathroom, Y/N got up as well putting a shirt on, assuming when he got back he would get dressed and leave. But much to Y/N's surprise, he climbed right back in bed and looked at her expectantly.

"I'll be right back." She said as she made her way to the bathroom and took off her makeup and brushed her teeth. She hurried back to bed where Brett was waiting. They soon fell asleep and Y/N slept the best she had in a long time.

The next morning, Y/N stirred as she felt the warm body separate from her. She whined a bit which Brett returned with a chuckle.

"I've got to get to morning skate. I'll see you at the game tonight?"

Y/N sat up a bit and took in his appearance. He was slipping into his jeans but was still shirtless. Y/N bit her lip as she admired his chiseled chest.

"Yeah, I'll be there." She said sleepily. Brett smiled at her pleasantly then leaned over to kiss her goodbye.

"Good luck!" Y/N called after him and then fell back asleep.

~~~~~

Brett realized as he left her apartment he really didn't have much time to get to the rink. He reluctantly decided to just go straight to his car and drive to the rink, although he knew he would get chirped for his appearance.

He turned out to be right. As soon as he got out of his car he met a few of his teammates going into the arena and they immediately started laughing.

"Walk of shame into the arena, man? That's rough…" Brendan Lemieux joked as they walked the halls to grab some food.

Brett however, kept walking so he could change into some sweats, hoping to avoid further embarrassment.  

Much to his dismay, when he went back to grab some food, more guys had arrived and everyone started laughing and cheering him on. His face grew red and he tried to ignore most of the comments. He sat down at an empty table and ate in silence. However, Brady made his way over and clapped his shoulder.

"So, dinner was good?" He asked, smirking at the young player.

Brett smiled a bit, "yeah, it was really good."

"Good, but now I feel like I need to have the talk with you…"

"The talk?"

"If you hurt her, I'll kill you."

"Ah, that one…I don't think I could, man. She's amazing."

"Yeah, she really is. Treat her right…and maybe next time get up a little earlier…"

Brett scoffed, "yeah, believe me, I will never be doing this again…"

Brady chuckled a bit, and they ate in silence.

~~~~~

Y/N slept in pretty late, but woke up with a smile on her face as she remembered last night's events. She checked her phone and saw a text from Brady.

Way to go, Y/n/N. You managed to get Brett chirped for the rest of his life…

What?!

He showed up looking a little rough in his clothes from last night…

Oh my god…why didn't he change?

He didn't have time…

Oh no, it wasn't too bad was it?

Nah, the guys just keep laughing at him and they probably won’t let him live it down for a little…but he'll be fine. Did you have a good time?

Yes, a very good time. Thanks for helping me out Brady.

Anytime…just be careful, okay?

I will. I'll see you after the game tonight?

You bet!

Good luck, Brady!! <3

~~~~~

The Rangers ended up with a win tonight, Y/N found herself waiting down by the locker rooms with Gracia as she usually would. They were talking with a few of the other wags while waiting for the guys to come out.

When Gracia spotted Brady, she gave him a hug and kiss. Once they were done Y/N gave Brady a hug too and congratulated him on the win.

"Your boy should be out soon." He teased.

Y/N blushed a bit but rolled her eyes trying to ignore the butterflies she felt in her stomach. She hadn't talked to him after he left this morning and she was a little nervous. Although he left after giving her a kiss, she was nervous about how he was feeling, especially after running late to the rink this morning.

Her nerves quickly subsided as she spotted him approaching them with a big smile on his face. She stepped forward and he gave her a hug.

"Great job, tonight." She said in his ear.

He thanked her while letting her go and he greeted the other Wags around him.

"Are you going out tonight?" He asked, turning his attention back to Y/N.

"I think so…are you?"

"I am if you are…" he said with a smirk. Y/N smiled but before she could say anything back to Brett, Brady ruffled her hair to get her attention. She rolled her eyes and tried her best to fix her hair.

"We're gonna head out, you want a ride?" He asked.

"I can bring her home…" Brett offered as he looked over at Y/N to get her approval.

Y/N smiled and nodded her head in agreement.

"Alright then, I'll see you guys later." Brady said as they walked off.

Brett turned back to Y/N, "you ready?"

"Yeah, let's go."

They talked a bit about the game on the drive to their apartments and as they approached Y/N's apartment she started to thank him for the ride.

"Do you want to share an Uber out tonight?" Brett asked.

"Yeah, sure."

"Cool, I'll come over around 11?"

"Sounds good, see you soon." Y/N said as she stepped out of his car and made her way inside.

~~~~~

Just a little while later, Brett found himself at Y/N's apartment again and they went out and met some of the other guys. Y/N always had fun with the guys, but she was having even more fun with Brett at her side. As the night went on and people started trickling out, Brett and Y/N decided to leave too. This time, returning to Brett's place where they spent another amazing night together.

The next morning, Y/N woke up next to a sleeping Brett. They had the morning off, so he didn't have to jet off to practice. She got up quietly and went to the bathroom to freshen up a bit before Brett woke up. When she returned, Brett was sitting up in bed looking at his phone. He looked up when he heard her come in and smiled as he put his phone down and patted the spot next to him. Y/N climbed back into bed, they cuddled a little before things got a bit heated and they went for another round.

"I'm starving." Brett exclaimed as he moved off of Y/N and laid back down on the bed.

"Do you have stuff here? I can make us breakfast…" Y/N offered.

"That would be amazing."

"Alright, then. Let's go, you're helping me this time." Y/N said getting out of bed and putting a shirt on. Brett followed in suit and they made their way to the kitchen.

After they ate, they hung out on the couch all day watching TV until Brett had to go to a team meeting.

When Y/N finally got home, she laid in bed and thought about how great life was right now.

[going-full-shmoo]

could you do one with brett howden and meeting the team?

Hi anon! I don’t know much about him, so I hope I did him justice. This one’s a bit shorter.

REQUEST HERE / RULES

he’s obviously a bit nervous because he knows, like anything potentially personal, he could be chirped by the rest of the team

they will absolutely do their best to make him go bright red when you are introduced to them

so, he avoids it for a little while to spare him the embarrassment

however, eventually they start asking, you start asking, and he can’t avoid it anymore

everyone was going out for drinks after a very successful game, and Brett invited you along with them so they would finally get off his back

the first, and somewhat safest person, he introduces you to was his old roomie Chris Krieder, who in his usual lovely fashion, welcomes you with open arms

he then follows that with just about every embarrassing thing he remembers about Brett from when he lived with him

both of you are laughing so hard your ribs start to hurt, and Brett is filled with instant regret

but he sees how happy that you all are from finally meeting each other that he just goes along with it

he goes to each teammate, and their partners if they’re there, introducing you to them

each of them, just like Chris, welcome you with open arms, telling you that they had heard a lot about you

you were obviously very flustered at all of the welcoming smiles and everything and how casual they were with you, despite just meeting you

many of his teammates joked that he never really shut up about you, and that he’ll always find something new to tell them

even through all the teasing, however, they really did like you, and they could see just how happy you made him

to them, that’s all they could really ask from you

“Hey,” you could hear Chris speak to you “You take good care of him, all right. He seems to really like you. I hope you stick around for a while”

“I plan to” you smiled at him before going back to your boyfriend

you were grateful to know that some of the most important people in Brett’s life respected you and trusted you with his heart

it only solidified the feelings you already had for him, and you knew that, just like you had promised, you would stick around for a while

[nhlbadimagines]

Imagine...

you are brett howden’s dog

[captain-mcdavid]

9 with brett howden Please!!!

“you’re just way too good for me”

“Brett,” You sigh when you see him slumped against your frame, smiling brightly when you swing the door open. “I told you not to come. Go home.”

He side steps you, and even drunk he still manages to make it look smooth. You roll your eyes when he wraps his arms around you from behind while you close the door.

“This is home,” You can feel the shit eating grin in his voice when he says it, and you can’t help but smile too, turning in his arms.

“This is not your home,” You say, trying to contain your laughs. He’s looking at you like he wants to take you straight to bed, and it’s not helping that he’s biting his fucking lip. Those big green eyes are boring into yours and you already know your resolve is crumbling. Just like it always does with him.

“You’re my home,” He drags out the o and you try not to laugh. “You’re my baby,” He starts to sing loudly and you gasp, slapping a hand over his mouth.

“Pipe down, B!” Your nickname for him slips out oh so easily and he groans into your hand. You pull it away and he makes a biting motion.

“I love it when you call me that,” He leans in, pressing his forehead to yours and you suck in a deep breath. He shakes his head slightly, running his nose back and forth over yours. You giggle pushing him away.

You haven’t noticed but during your interaction Brett’s hands have slipped down to butt, and they’re now resting comfortably in your back pockets.

The way he’s looking at you is so distracting. You can barely speak under his gaze right now. “How- what, how did you get here?”

“Grandpa Jim Jim drooped me off,” He replies trying to lean in again. You turn your head though, chucking at his ridiculous name for Jimmy.

“Can I sleep here?” He asks suddenly and your eyes widen, panic setting in. Good god what was gonna happen tonight? You can’t trust yourself for more than an hour with this boy.

“I don’t- Brett, I’m not-“ You try to figure out how to say no nicely, but he’s looking at you so intently with those green eyes and you have no power. “Okay. Stay here,” You slip out of his arms and into the hallway, opening the linen closet for an extra pillow and blanket, only to see Brett walking straight past you when you turn around.

He’s peeling off his coat as you follow him, hoping he’s not going exactly where you know he is.

“Brett,” You try (halfassed) to stop him when he swings open the door to your room, tossing his jean jacket over the chair. Then he’s pulling the hoodie off his head, revealing his bare torso.

God damn Brett.

You’re done for now.

You shake your head as he continues to strip, trying to bust yourself with something so you’re not just staring at him while he undresses, even though that’s what you know you want to do.

You turn and walk out of the room, going for a glass of water to bring back. Then you head for the medicine cabinet in your bathroom, looking for those magic pills. When you come back Brett is underneath your covers, patting his hand on the mattress, beckoning you over.

Shaking your head, you set the glass of water on the bedside table, putting the tablets down beside it.

Then you crawl in beside Brett, settling in against his chest. He holds you close, pressing a kiss to your forehead. “God woman,” He mumbles and you laugh. “You are just way too good for me.”

[bretthowden]

Doesn’t Brett Bowden look like Justin Bieber? Or maybe like his cousin? Lol

lmfaooo no omg don’t do my boy like that 😭

i mean i kinda see it? they have a vague resemblance like maybe they could be cousins? idk.

now all i can think about is brett rolling up to training camp in three years looking like present day greasy haired justin beiber help  

[the-penalty-box-imagines]

Koala

Author: Emmalee Player/Team: Brett Howden/Team Canada Prompt: (#73) height difference kiss Rating: Pg-13 Word Count: 600 Words A/N: Okay wtf Brett is 6’2”??? Idk why but i thought he was a smol boi/ oh well he’s so cute and very popular lmao. Enjoy!!

“I’m scared now,” you say, stopping in front of the door frame to the clown section of the haunted house.

“What? Why?” Your boyfriend asks, turning around to face you. Other people from your group brush past you.

“I just…I don’t do clowns, okay? I don’t know why. I just find them creepy,” you say, tugging on his arm.

“Okay, we don’t have to go through if you don’t want to. There’s an exit right here.”

“No, I don’t want you to suffer. You go through, and I’ll meet you outside.”

“That’s ridiculous. We’re not splitting up. We’ll both go together.”

You sigh and glance at the exit sign. You take a deep breath. The damn sacrifices you make for this boy.

“You know what. It’s fine. Let’s just go through. I’ll be fine. I mean, it’s all fake anyway,” you say, smiling through the pain.

He grins at you and grabs your hand. “It’s gonna be great. I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you. If you get too scared, just tug on my jacket and we’ll leave.”

“Okay,” you whisper and hug close to him. You kind of close your eyes for most of it. Actually all of it pretty much. Surprisingly, it seems a lot less scary when you can’t see anything. Probably because it seems less real when you can’t actually see anything happening.

“Ouch, babe. Can you let go?”

You slowly open your eyes to see your boyfriend standing an arm’s length away from you. Your hands are gripped so tightly around his arm that your knuckles are white.

“Oh shit. I am so sorry,” you say, releasing him. “God, I’m sorry. Was it like that the whole time?”

“Yeah, pretty much,” he says, chuckling.

“Ugh, I’m so sorry.”

“Please stop apologizing. You did great! I mean sure you closed your eyes, but at one point someone jumped out and touched your arm, and you didn’t even move! I think that requires serious celebration,” he says energetically, taking your hand.

“Wait where are we. going?”

“To play some games?”

“Sweet!” You say. After you finish your ice creams, you walk over to one of the basketball games. You figure that your 6’2” boyfriend can probably get enough baskets to win you something. Sure enough he wins you a huge stuffed koala.

“Maybe next time we go through a haunted house, you can squeeze that thing instead of cutting the circulation off to my arm,” he says, laughing.

You smack him on the arm and hug your koala. “Thank you for everything,” you say, hugging him tightly.

“Woah, what do you mean everything?”

“For tonight. For being so supportive in the haunted house and letting me amputate your arm. And for my buddy,” you point to the koala. “Just for being so wonderful and patient with me and loving.”

He smiles and leans down a little. You place your hands on his chest and stand up on your tip-toes to reach him. His arms snake around your waist and lift you up so he can kiss you easier. When you pull back, he puts you down and runs a thumb over your cheekbone.

“It’s what I love to do. I love to love you. It’s fun and exciting, and sometimes painful,” he says, grabbing his arm. You roll your eyes. “But in the end it’s all worth it, because you are the best woman I have ever met, and I can’t imagine a day without you.”

You blush furiously.  

“God I love you. Don’t ever leave me.”

“I’m not planning on it.”

[leafsbabe]

Imagine getting into a stupid fight with Brett Howden when you guys are out clubbing because he got all jealous and pissy when a guy flirted with you despite the fact that you two aren’t together and he ends up shouting that he’s in love with you mid argument and you shut him up with a rough kiss and it ends up with hot floor sex in the middle of your apartment and like as he’s pounding into you you just go and tell him he should’ve just told you next time and he just kisses you harder

okay but accidentally confessing your love during an argument is one of my favorite tropes even though i know it might not be the best and i like this a lot

[pucksnsticksnhockeyboys]

an act

prompt: “Who said we’re pretending?” / number 15 off of this list with Brett Howden.

summary: Brett needed a date to an event and it’s only after you meet Coach Quinn that you realize he’s been introducing you as his girlfriend all night.

warnings: swearing

word count: 2.2k

requests are currently open!

Your plan for the day did not involve you leaving your couch—unless you needed a refill on snacks or water. It was your favorite way to spend a cold Saturday, especially when you were able to get all your work done early and had nothing else planned. Your plans were ruined by a knock on your front door, a groan falling past your lips as you dragged yourself to the peephole. 

When you spotted the boy on the other side, you were suddenly cursing yourself. Of course he had to show up at the one time you looked like a total bum. Your hair was a mess, you hadn't even ran a brush through it since the time you woke up, and your oldest pair of faded black leggings covered your legs. The only thing that made you look even remotely presentable was the extremely large New York Rangers sweatshirt you had found in your apartment. Though it did belong to the boy standing on the opposite side of your door, so you hoped he wouldn't mind.

“Hey?” You greeted, opening the door wide enough for the tall boy to enter. He seemed off, not even waiting for your typical hug before he set off towards your living room while your back was turned, busy locking your door. The two of you had a very physical friendship, it wasn't strange for him to hug you tight or drop the occasional kiss to your forehead. Your brows furrowed, but you traced his steps, spotting his discarded coat on your coffee table. 

So he planned on staying a while. Not that you would ever turn him away—he could ask you to jump and you would ask how high. Ever since you had bumped into him at your favorite cafe, the two of you had become fast friends. You had always hoped that one day, just maybe, you would be more that friends. But he had given no indication that he reciprocated feelings, so you were left to quietly pine away.

“Brett?” You asked, dropping onto the couch next to the hockey player. His green eyes refused to meet yours for a moment and you let your mind race, trying to think about whatever could had gone wrong in his life to achieve such a reaction from him. “What’s wrong?”

“I need a favor.” He spoke hurriedly, a blush blooming on his cheeks. Your brows furrowed once again as you waited for him to find his words. “I’m supposed to bring a date to this work thing and I really don’t want to ask anyone else—”

“So are you asking me?” You interrupted, trying your hardest to ignore the hope blossom in your chest at the thought of him wanting you as his date. Brett nodded once, his face screwed up in a way that told you he was nervous you were going to reject him—if only he knew just how improbable that truly was. “Then yeah, I’ll go with you.”

“Oh thank god.” He sighed, tension leaving his body as he flopped back onto your couch. You giggled, copying his actions and slumping backwards, letting the sound of whatever show was playing currently fill the easy silence between you two. You focused your stare on the television as you felt Brett place his arm on the couch behind you, his fingers brushing your shoulder. You felt juvenile, you were wearing a sweatshirt and were positive his actions were accidental, but it made butterflies flutter inside of you. “It’s tonight, by the way.”

“Brett!” You exclaimed, slapping your hand against his chest. He raised his arms in surrender, but the undeniably attractive smile on his face made it hard for you to stay annoyed at him for long. “That’s so last minute!”

“You already promised.” He reminded you, watching as you pushed yourself off the couch. You groaned, knowing that you wouldn’t be able to back down even if you wanted to. “It starts at eight, by the way.”

“You’re fucking dead, Howden.” You threatened, retreating to your room to shower once you realized it was half past four already. You heard him laugh, the sound making a smile appear on your face.

He had left your apartment once he heard your shower running, and you figured he was off to get himself ready. By the time you were tugging on your heels there was a knock on your door for the second time that day. This time, you didn't bother with checking the peephole as you were expecting Brett.

Though nothing could have prepared you for the sight before you. Brett stood, in an extremely well fitting suit, with a bouquet of your favorite flowers in his hands. You both stood still for a moment, drinking each other in until you were worried he would spot the blush rising to the tips of your ears. He cleared his throat, gaze dropping to the floor as he stuck out the flowers for you to take. Your smile widened at the gesture, loving how adorable he looked standing awkwardly in your doorway.

“One second.” You told him, grabbing the bouquet to put in a vase. You heard him follow you into the kitchen, you could feel his gaze on you as you worked at the sink. When you turned around, he was right behind you—the running water must have masked the sound of his footsteps.

Your smile died on your lips as you noticed the serious look on his face. You tried to take a step back, but you bumped into the counter. He still hadn't said anything to you, and that only heightened your confusion. Just like earlier that day, his silence clued you in that something was off with him. You just wanted your smiley, chatty, and cuddly best friend back.

“Brett?” Whatever else you planned to say to him died on your lips once one of his large hands was brought up to cup you cheek. Your eyes fluttered shut for a moment, until they snapped open when you felt his thumb brush over your lips.

“You look beautiful.” He muttered. You were nervous, wondering if he could hear your heart beating or if you would be able to stand much longer on your legs that were quickly turning to jelly. Your wide eyes never left his, trying to figure out what he was planning on doing. His gaze flickered to your lips before back up to your eyes. 

And suddenly his head was dipping down to yours. Your eyes closed, anticipating the feeling of his lips on yours. Except, what happened next was that Brett’s phone went off and he jumped away from you, as if he had been caught doing something he wasn't supposed to. A sigh fell past your lips, gaze trained on the floor as Brett talked on the phone.

“That was Chris, we have to go now, though.” He explained, shoving his phone into his pocket. You nodded, refusing to meet his gaze as you pulled on your coat. 

The entire drive to the venue was in silence, your mind racing thousand miles a minute as you thought about what could have possibly gotten into Brett. You were pretty certain that he was going to kiss you—which you would have easily returned—but you weren’t sure where that had come from.

When you actually arrived at the venue, Brett made sure to open the door for you and linking your arm through his as he led you in. Your gaze flicked through the crowd, searching for the few players on Brett’s team that you knew. Kreider spotted you, waving slightly to catch your attention.

“I’ll get you a drink, you can go talk to Chris, if you want.” Brett mumbled in your ear, the proximity of his lips to you had a shiver run down your spine. You nodded, not trusting yourself to meet his gaze in fear you might melt right then and there. He pressed a kiss to the top of your head, and you momentarily closed your eyes, leaning slightly into the feeling of his lips on your hairline.

You separated, making your way through the crowd and into the open arms of Chris, who was probably your second closest friend on the team. The two of you chatted for a while, your gaze occasional drifting across the room to find Brett. Sometimes you’d spot him talking to some men in business suits—your drinks in his hands as he kept getting stopped by person after person. Sometimes he’d catch your eye, waving slightly to you from his conversation. At some point, A man you recognized to be Coach David Quinn came over to you and Chris. You had never met him before, but you were easily able to recognize him, lord knows you’ve seen enough Rangers games to be able to.

“You must be Brett’s girlfriend. It’s nice to meet you finally.” Quinn said, causing you to choke on a cough and Chris to laugh loudly. You were certain your face was crimson red and you couldn’t even figure out the words to say when Brett himself appeared, finally handing you your drink which you greedily drank. 

Chris still hadn't stopped laughing.

“We’re not together.” You spoke, unable to look at anyone and instead focused all you attention on the cup in your hands. Chris had quieted down, but only after your elbow connected with his side. You knew whatever hit you tried to give him was no match for anything he received on the ice.

“Oh! Brett just introduced you to me as his girlfriend.” At Quinn’s words, you spun at looked at the tall boy who had yet to speak on the topic. There was an obvious blush on his cheeks, but his brows were furrowed at you as if he had the right to be confused.

“He did?” You questioned, though your stare didn't leave Brett’s face, searching for any motive for his actions. If he was trying embarrass you, then he no doubt succeeded. 

“Come on, coach.” Chris said, picking up on the tension in the room. He and Quinn left, and you gave Brett an accusatory look.

“Girlfriend?” You questioned, crossing your arms as if you were scolding a small child. Before he could respond, you continued. “Why are you pretending we’re in a relationship?”

“Who said we’re pretending?” 

You could've strangled him. Your eyes went wide and your lips parted in shock, unable to think about anything other than what he meant. There was no way you had forgotten him asking you out, which meant you were definitely pretending.

“Am I missing something?” You questioned, finally finding your voice. You were confused, and you wanted answers. 

“I mean, aren’t we pretty much dating?” Brett continued to mystify you. His words were doing nothing to lift the veil of confusion that surrounded you and you were letting yourself get your hopes up. When you refused to respond, he continued. “We do couple stuff all the time.”

“Yeah, as friends.” The word felt bitter on your tongue, and it seemed to even effect him as he screwed up his face. 

“Do you think I treat my friends the way I treat you? I have never kissed Chytil.”

“On the forehead!” You were quick to brush off his joke, wanting to make sure  he wasn’t able to distract you. Though, from the way he was grinning at your frowning figure, distracting you would not be a hard task at all.

“I know you like me, so why aren’t you excited about this?” You stopped pouting at this, instead dropping your jaw in shock. You tried to think about what could have given you away, you were certain you had been so careful to make sure your feelings stayed hidden. He chuckled at your reaction, causing you to roll your eyes and cross your arms. “I saw you texting your friend about me.” 

Your blush deepened, knowing just when he had found out. You had left your phone unlocked and on the texts, completely forgetting what you had been discussing. Brett hadn't acted like he had seen, but you had been stressed for a few hours about it.

“And I mean, I did try to kiss you earlier, too.” Brett continued, explaining hints that you had somehow missed. “And I asked you to be my date tonight. So, you're my girlfriend.” The words came out easy, and you narrowed your eyes at him.

“You haven't asked.” You reminded, not lifting your annoyed stare from his smirking one, even as he rested his free hand on your hip, tugging you closer to him. 

“We’ve been together for weeks.” 

“News to me.” You shot back. Your stubborn streak was showing as you refused to let him win this. You weren’t going to turn him down, clearly, but you just wanted to hear him say the words. You needed the confirmation.

“Fine.” He huffed, though you could tell he was being dramatic by the way he was unable to stop the smile on his face, even when he rolled his eyes. You raised a brow at him, and he responded by squeezing your hip. “Will you be my girlfriend?”

“Don’t sound too excited.” You teased, despite the swirl of butterflies in your stomach that had you gripping the cup in your hand tighter. Brett chuckled, once more placing a kiss to your forehead. “But yes, I will.”

“Thank you.” His smile was wide, reaching his eyes and you couldn't help yourself, pushing yourself to to your toes to kiss him quickly. When you pulled away, somehow, his smile was bigger.

“So, besides your coach, who’d you lie to tonight?”

[whatever-dude]

Kind of a freak play, Howden lost an edge and then got hit by Forsberg, ended up crunching into the boards head first and had to be stretchered off. It was really awful…

Thank you!! I read an article that said when it happened so I went and watched it (once was enough for me but they kept replaying it.) It was really terrible to watch. I cant imagine how awful everyone felt, especially Forsberg. I truly hope Brett is ok and that the tests and stuff are just precautionary (tho I doubt it). I'll post any updates about him on here!

[andrewuttaro]

New Look Sabres: GM 11 - NYR -  Egg Laid

Madison Square Garden has been a bad place for the Sabres for a few years now but there may be only two meaningful narratives when it comes to Sabres-Rangers. One is that the Rangers have managed one of the quicker rebuilds in the National Hockey League of the salary cap Era. The other is who’s the best NHL team in New York State? Which one of those am I going to waste words on? Which one do you think is most fun? Yeah, we’re the best team in New York State right now! Fight me, I mean it! Next week we play the Islanders and I’ll revive this silly narrative. Josh Allen and the Bills first two games inspired me, what can I say? Back to the best club in this state: the Buffalo Sabres got to play the Rangers at each major moment of last season like a thermometer up your ass. We got em shortly before the ten-game winning streak and for a deflating loss in the New Year. The three games against this New York last year were frustrating. That trend continued tonight. I think they handed us our first real stinker of this season. The losses in Columbus and Anaheim didn’t have this sting or score line so I think this is the big egg laid we were fearing. I’m going to take the Ralph Krueger approach and make shortcomings an opportunity for improvement! As you can imagine in a game Vladimir Sobotka and Marco Scandella were the only goal scorers there were a lot of players not playing to potential or pay grade. I want to throw a fit about this one but that will probably be reduced to a few naughty words here or there. I don’t have enough negative vibes from this 2019-2020 Sabres team to muster a rant. Sorry, rant in the comments. While you’re doing it: like, comment and share this blog. Maybe that will help this be one of very few eggs laid by this New Look Sabres team this season. We can only hope, eh?

The first period was twenty minutes of digging a hole. Rasmus Dahlin and Colin Miller were on a pairing tonight and that is not untried. Tonight however it was completely bow-legged. Both defenseman looked lost and sent passes to places the other was not as if they weren’t even talking. It culminated in Rasmus Dahlin’s worst play as a Sabre. He is transitioning the puck through the neutral zone and back passes it. I want to defend him and say he thought Miller was there, but nobody was there, not even close! Artemi Panarin was there to pick up the puck and streamed right in on Carter Hutton and wrapped around him to get the Rangers the early lead. Now let me tell you: I could write an essay about how this fanbase cannot handle good players. We misjudge them and unduly punish them. We chase them out of town and we elevate average joes to be heroes. Dahlin is going at a point-a-game pace right now, he’s not a blackhole but he has not been fire either. He’s made a lot of poor choice with the puck and been directly responsible for three goals against now through 11 games. This one is the most egregious. That doesn’t mean he needs to go to Rochester for a conditioning stint you unbearable dumbass! Even players with half Dahlin’s talent need to be allowed some leash in their first couple seasons. He’ll be okay. We’re allowed to criticize him, but we also need to be able to let him figure it out. He will figure it out. Hopefully this isn’t a narrative for much more of the season… oh, Brett Howden scored and Dahlin didn’t check the guy who got the puck to him? Uh oh, tonight’s going to be a bloodbath for anyone who uses computers isn’t it. Shit. The Sabres got a powerplay chance to inspire some hope and it got one shot. ONE SHOT! Bad turned to worse in the dying minute of the first period when Ryan Strome scored a redirect to put the Rangers up 3-0. That’s quite a hole by anyone’s measure.

This year’s Sabres are motivated machines. Even staring down 3-0 you’d be forgiven for thinking a comeback was possible. This game was a real bastard because it gave you just the evidence you would need to believe a comeback was possible. Marco Scandella scores a second chance through a forest of blue and red defenders and the score is 3-1. I’m no hater, the Sabres are undefeated in games Scand-ezzy scores in. If he’s knocking pack bangers anything is possible, right? No, you see this was the first game frustration really truly got to the Sabres. They were boxed out of the Ducks game because those assholes cheat, they lost this game because they lost hope. One thing I loved to do for Sabres-Rangers games was make fun of Jimmy Vesey. Now Greasy Vesey is a Sabre and I was one of the foolish few who really felt a goal breakthrough was in order for him tonight. Not only was I wrong, Vesey got a little bump and didn’t return in the third! That’s the kinda game this was. I’ll be honest, I really lost hope when Tony DeAngelo scored. He got a great pass and caught Hutton out of position to put the home team up 4-1. Hutton was making good saves this game, the final result really isn’t on him I don’t think but he probably wants that one back… probably the Panarin goal too but yeah, you need a defense in front of you and that just didn’t show up tonight. It’s worth mentioning that the Rangers are not a good team. Yes, they’re better than their record coming into this game but they’re very young and they’re not exactly clicking yet. The middle period got chippy and what had largely been a neutral ice battle turned into a Rangers rout. But wait, not unless Vladimir Sobotka has something to say about it! Okay so Dahlin and Skinner had a lot to do in that play but our favorite pinata got the final touch so that’s goal for him. Do note Henrik Lundqvist was in net so that goal will look awfully weird when we look back on it. It maybe THE highlight of Sobotka’s season.

I am happy to report the Sabres excuse machine is a little rusty. It hasn’t been worked all that hard this season so far. I was seeing a lot of tweets about the bad ice in MSG. That feels like the poorest of poor excuses. I’m not saying it isn’t based in fact, but it didn’t have a meaningful impact on the game. I heard the refereeing excuse too. Sorry fam, the zebras didn’t decide this game, the powerplay falling silent might have. The third period didn’t have anything worth watching from a Sabres perspective. I don’t really feel the need to be the Sabres optimist after this one. What am I going to say: they outshot the Rangers 33-24! Like what would that be for? This was just a stinker. It was an egg laid. Ryan Strome added another and Chris Kreider added one at the end just for salt’s sake. It will be interesting to see how Ralph Krueger and the coaching staff respond to this. Late in this game you saw him play around with the lines to no avail. After the game Krueger said, “It was a very strange game… we lacked puck management and damaged ourselves”. It will be interesting to see how the players respond to this! How about some words from the room! Marcus Johansson: That was bad. Rasmus Dahlin: I got the puck to far from my body… that’s a learning for me [sic]. Carter Hutton: We gave up a lot of east-west plays… we couldn’t get a whole lot going when we did have the chances. To Hutton’s credit he acknowledged poke checking Panarin wasn’t the best move on that first goal against. They’ve only lost twice before this and in both instances they came back with a vengeance in the following game. They fly to Detroit now for a game tomorrow night that poses a mighty fine chance for a rebound effort. Make that effort. If these guys come out flat against the Detroit Red Wings, a team so certifiably bad this year they’ve sent NHLers down to their farm club, then there will be hell to pay.

If you have an idea for greatest game against let me know. That’s my reoccurring segment with every divisional matchup this 50th Anniversary season. What was the most significant game in Sabres history against the game they’re taking on? Tomorrow night it’s Detroit. If you want to get you mind off this egg take a stroll down Sabres Memory Lane and let me know what you think is the best game against the Red Wings in Buffalo Sabres history. The New York Rangers will take this win as a big boost after a brief losing streak. You know why? The Sabres are good. They prepared for this game thinking they were taking on a tough opponent. They ended up taking on a relatively easy opponent. Small solace, the Sabres are a team opponents prepare for now. Let’s hope it stays that way.

Thanks for Reading.

P.S. Maybe this isn’t the best time to say this, but I still love Henrik Lundqvist. He needs to choose if winning a Cup is something he wants

[thrashermaxey]

Lining Up: Under-The-Radar Adds For Championship Week

  In this week’s installment, we focus on a few players with low-ownership in fantasy leagues that can help you secure your league’s championship. Using Dobber’s Line Production Tool, we compared even-strength point production around the league over the past 10 games. I compiled a list of the highest scoring line for each team at even strength. Here’s the list…

#

Team

Line

Points

1

Florida

Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov

36

2

Calgary

Matthew Tkachuk – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik

27

3

Vegas

Jonathan Marchessault – William Karlsson – Reilly Smith

25

4

Edmonton

Zack Kassian – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl

18

5

Toronto

Zach Hyman – John Tavares – Mitchell Marner

16

6

Boston

Brad Marchand – Patrice Bergeron – David Pastrnak

14

7

Tampa Bay

Tyler Johnson – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov

14

8

Washington

Carl Hagelin – Lars Eller – Brett Connolly

14

9

Chicago

Brendan Perlini – Dylan Strome – Alex DeBrincat

13

10

Montreal

Tomas Tatar – Phillip Danault – Brendan Gallagher

13

11

San Jose

Kevin Labanc – Joe Thornton – Marcus Sorensen

13

12

St. Louis

Pat Maroon – Tyler Bozak – Robert Thomas

13

13

Winnipeg

Kyle Connor – Kevin Hayes – Patrik Laine

11

14

Carolina

Nino Niederreiter – Sebastian Aho – Justin Williams

10

15

Philadelphia

Claude Giroux – Sean Couturier – Oskar Lindblom

10

16

Columbus

Josh Anderson – Matt Duchene – Ryan Dzingel

9

17

Dallas

Jamie Benn – Tyler Seguin – Alexander Radulov

9

18

Vancouver

Loui Eriksson – Bo Horvat – Tanner Pearson

9

19

Anaheim

Rickard Rakell – Devin Shore – Jakob Silfverberg

8

20

Los Angeles

Alex Iafallo – Anze Kopitar -Dustin Brown

8

21

Nashville

Colton Sissons – Calle Jarnkrok – Craig Smith

8

22

Rangers

Pavel Buchnevich – Brett Howden – Brendan Lemieux

8

23

Minnesota

J.T. Brown – Eric Fehr – Marcus Foligno

7

24

Pittsburgh

Dominik Simon – Nick Bjugstad – Patric Hornqvist

7

25

Ottawa

Mikkel Boedker – Brian Gibbons – Anthony Duclair

6

26

Arizona

Richard Panik – Christian Dvorak – Clayton Keller

5

27

Buffalo

Johan Larsson – Zemgus Girgensons – Kyle Okpsoso

5

28

Islanders

Anders Lee – Mathew Barzal – Jordan Eberle

5

39

New Jersery

Kenny Agostino – Kevin Rooney – Kyle Palmieri

5

30

Colorado

J.T. Compher – Carl Soderberg – Colin Wilson

3

31

Detroit

Tyler Bertuzzi – Dylan Larkin – Anthony Mantha

3

  Matthew Tkachuk – Mikael Backlund – Michael Frolik

The Flames had scored 33 goals in seven games (averaging 4.71 goals/game) leading up to Monday’s matchup against the Kings, where they failed to get on the scoreboard. While Calgary’s top line of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm has gotten the most attention this season, the team’s second line has also been extremely good – especially recently. You don’t need me to tell you that Tkachuk has been great, but his point-per-game production (76 points in 76 games) means you’re not going to find him on the waiver wire. Fortunately, his two linemates are much more attainable in fantasy leagues with 34% and 4% ownership, respectively.  Backlund has seven points in his last eight games and has fired a whopping 33 shots on net during that span, an average of four shots a game! However, if you’re looking for power-play production, Backlund is probably not your best option as he’s tallied just two points with the man-advantage this season. Similarly, Frolik hasn’t registered a power-play point this season, but he has provided stretches of great even-strength production. In his last eight games, Frolik has put up 10 points but it’s worth mentioning that all 10 of those points were scored in four multi-point games, meaning he was held off the scoresheet in the other four games. The way I see it, Frolik is either going to tally a few points this week or none at all.

  We’ve briefly discussed each member of this line individually, but their production as a unit is comparable to some of the best trios in the league. Tkachuk, Backlund and Frolik have played together for just under 400 minutes this season and have managed to outscore their opponents 27 to 12. In the process, they’ve controlled 59 percent of the shot-share and have created 58 percent of all scoring chances generated while they’re on the ice. What I find especially interesting is the impact that  Frolik has had on this line. As a result of injuries and line shuffling, Backlund and Frolik have played almost 400 minutes this season with wingers not named Frolik. Essentially, what we’ve seen is that a trio of Backlund, Tkachuk and a random Flames’ winger is much less successful than the Tkachuk-Backlund-Frolik line. Without Frolik on their line, Backlund and Tkachuk have been outscored 15 to 16 at even-strength and their possession numbers are significantly worse (Line Stats from NaturalStatTrick.com).

  {youtube}8hqXWRBQiG0{/youtube}

    Zack Kassian – Connor McDavid – Leon Draisaitl

Since being drafted 13th overall in 2009, Zack Kassian hasn’t done much to live up to the high expectations that were set for him when he entered the NHL. Even this season, he has a mere 24 points in 72 games and it’s hard to imagine him being a valuable fantasy hockey asset unless your league consists of one category and that category is ‘hits’. Well, strange things can happen when you’re thrown on a line with two players who have combined for over 200 points this season. Kassian has scored six goals in his last 12 outings and has averaged a respectable two shots per game over that span. He also has 28 hits during that stretch, a category in which he’s provided relatively consistent production over the course of this season. Another thing to like about Kassian recently is his ice-time, which has consistently been near 20 minutes over the past month. Unfortunately, Kassian isn’t a part of Edmonton’s power-play so he won’t be providing you with any points in that category.

  Look, I get it. It’s the fantasy hockey playoffs and your championship is on the line. You’re hesitant to use one of your few adds on a player that has just 141 points in 459 career games. But the beautiful thing is, you’re not relying on Zack Kassian for production, you’re relying on  McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. I don’t think there’s a more reliable duo in the league. Can we take a second to appreciate the huge step forward Draisaitl has taken this season? He tallied an impressive 70 points in 78 games last year and has already smashed that mark with 95 points in 75 games this year. He sits fourth in league scoring and only Alex Ovechkin and John Tavares have scored more goals this season. Then there’s McDavid, but you don’t need me to tell you how good he is. I’ll simply remind you that he has 108 points in 71 games this season and sits second in league scoring behind only Nikita Kucherov. When’s the last time a team had two players tally 100 points and still missed the playoffs?

  The Kassian-McDavid-Draisaitl line has played about 200 minutes together this season, during which they’ve outscored opponents by a margin of 17 to 10. The trio has controlled 54 percent of the shot-share and 54 percent of all scoring chances created while they’re on the ice (Line Stats from NaturalStatTrick.com). Essentially, they’ve outshot, out-chanced and outscored their opponents. Sounds like a recipe for success!

  {youtube}79DgvhSr2Go{/youtube}

  Notable Lines from Last Game

  Using Dobber’s Line Combination Tool, I found a few lesser-known players who may be more valuable going forward, based on their linemates from the team’s most recent game. It is important to note that some of these lines can be broken up just as quickly as they were assembled.

  Alexander Nylander with Jack Eichel and Conor Sheary (Source)

  J.T. Compher and Alexander Kerfoot with Nathan MacKinnon (Source)

  Jayce Hawryluk with Vincent Trocheck and Mike Hoffman (Source)

  Sven Baertschi with Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser (Source)

  Alex Tuch with Paul Stastny and Mark Stone (Source)

    from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/nhl-line-combinations/lining-up-under-the-radar-adds-for-championship-week/

[the-penalty-box-imagines]

Game Face

Author: Emmalee Player/Team: Brett Howden/Team Canada Prompt: (#11) I almost lost you kiss Rating: Pg Word Count: 500 Words A/N: Enjoy!!

“I almost lost you to him, didn’t I?” Brett asks, his thumb stroking your cheek.

“What do you mean?”  You ask, tilting your head to the side.

“I mean you almost chose him instead of me, because I was a lousy boyfriend.”

Your eyes go to the floor and trace the laces of your shoes. You sigh deeply and look back up at him.

“I’m not going to lie to you. You almost did. I was really, really mad at you when you cheated on me. Do you have any idea what that felt like? I felt worthless, taken advantage of, used, lonely. And no one could have fixed that situation but you.”

He looks down at the floor and gulps hard. Your fingers gently push his head up so that you can look into his eyes.

“But you did fix it. Sure, it took you a few days, but you did. You apologized in the most amazing way, and you really showed me that you felt bad about what you had done. I know how hard it is for you and how much pressure you are under right now, especially with the whole World Juniors thing happening. I forgave you, and I’ll do it again. You’re fine. Just never do it again,” you say, sweetly but firmly.

And every word of what you say is true. You were really hurt when he betrayed you, but you also understand how stressful his life is and how hard it is when you can’t see each other frequently. You regret that you haven’t been there enough for him lately. He’s had very few people to support him through the process, and a lot of the reason for that is partly your fault. Even though he hurt you, you love him too much to give up that easily. You just wish he would forget about it now.

“Of course. I won’t ever, ever do anything like that again. You didn’t deserve it, and I hated the way I made you suffer. I’m sorry,” he says, his eyes glossy.

You sigh and shake your head. “Brett, it’s really okay. I’ve moved on and so should you. Come on, you have to get ready to compete tomorrow. It’s not that far away, and this is not a good game face,” you say, gesturing to his red cheeks and tousled hair.

He chuckles and smiles up at you. You smile back and brush some hair out of his eyebrows. He leans forwards and connects his lips to yours. His hands pull you tight against him and secure your place with him. When you pull back you bite your lip.

“I love you, Y/N,” he says, kissing your cheek.

“I love you, too, Brett,” you respond, stroking his cheek. “But enough of this touchy stuff. Show me your game face, dude.”

He makes a really horrible “game face” at you.

“Eh, needs some work,” you say.

“Needs some what?” He shouts and attacks you with kisses.