a mceichel snippet from an au where jack and connor grow up together, but connor is in an accident as a teen that ends his hockey career before it even starts
“Hey, mind if I use the other half of the ice?” A voice speaks in the small quiet moment of Connor's wallowing, just as the tears freeze to Connor’s cheeks.
Connor sniffs and blames the cold before turning around to face the newcomer. It’s Jack. He knows Jack, they’ve played hockey on the same teams since Jack moved here. When they were both just eight years old.
That’s seven years. Seven years of playing the ice together, sharing jersey colours, team dinners together after tournaments and road trips on the same buses, playing road hockey in the summer and swearing they were going to play together in the NHL someday. Together. Musings of children that had no idea what life was like outside of the sport they were committing themselves to.
You're at the shoot with the guys and your sitting on the bench behind the wall jacks sitting on right...
And youre just in a lil devils hoodie or shirt (one of his obviously) and youre holding some of his extra gear he brings out just incase right
And he comes over during one of the lil breaks in-between shooting and tells you what a good lil helper your being and he cant wait to thank you properly and places his hat on your head
And hes like “keep it safe for me till im done”
WITH HIS LITTLE SMILE
Omg that boy would be so hot for you the WHOLE shoot just watching you mess with his extra gloves or stick and being oblivious to him staring at you.
@quinnylouhughesx43 was exposed to my thoughts about these so here is the transcript of our texts because this era of Jack Hughes has me feeling WAYS YALL
you know what, as much as it might make me angry, as much as i get overly passionate (sometimes on the internet), i am so grateful that i got into hockey when i did. it gave me a sense of direction, and it’s opened me up to endless possibilities as far as careers and paths i could take.
not to mention, this is, genuinely, in my opinion, the best era of hockey. there are guys like sidney crosby, who might be in the twilight of his career but is still clawing at glory every chance he gets. guys like connor mcdavid, who change the game fundamentally with the drop of a hat. guys like nathan mackinnon, auston matthews, jack hughes, connor bedard, who are only in the beginning of their meteoric rise. there are so many superstars that it is genuinely impossible to tear your eyes away.
and just think, the market of hockey is still relatively untapped. we’re seeing the surge of the PWHL, the programs created by players, teams, and communities alike to pull people in. while i recognize that the game has problems (as does every league), the future is so bright.
i want to thank you, hockey. you might not’ve known this, but you saved my life.