A Night to Remember: Hockey Years

Once when I was young I nearly froze in one of the coldest arenas in southern Minnesota. The boys’ hockey team was heading to Fairmont, MN for the first conference game of the season and I was more than excited. When I headed into our home arena in Albert Lea, I went to the Coaches room and brought out equipment into the hallway, setting it against the cemented wall by the wooden benches. Burke, one of the hockey players, said hi to me and kept making me laugh each time I came into the hallway.

The back doors were always kept locked and the boys would knock on the glass and I would run back to open it for them. Today, it was Beeker who was at the back door, which was still locked, and Tim, one of the team captains, said, “Don’t,” but I was already running towards the back doors calling, “I have to!”

When I was coming back from putting equipment on the bus, I looked over to where the boys were putting their hockey bags in the trailer behind the bus and met Joseph’s eyes. The sunset reflected just perfectly off of him and we both seemed to be more than captivated by each other. I seemed to pause mid-step, captivated in his eyes, before letting my eyes drop and heading inside.

On the way to Fairmont, I talked to the managers and prayed for the guys’ safety, which I ended up doing before every game for the rest of the season.

When we got to Fairmont’s arena, I let all the boys out first and then grabbed both camera bags, the sock, and the pair of white boards. I held the door to go inside Fairmont’s arena and so many of the boys said, “Thank you.” I truly don’t deserve to have been a manager to those guys.

The boys put all of their equipment into the pair of locker rooms they got to use, and then the guys started handing me their water bottles which I immediately started filling up. Coach and Addi taught me how to use the camera, which turned out to be extremely easy and I ended up doing it during every game for the rest of that season.

The Fairmont’s Peewee girl’s hockey team had practice and so our hockey guys had an hour to warm up and stretch until they officially warmed up at 6:30 on the ice. I brought over the boards, sock, and health kit to the bench on the opposite side from the guys’ locker rooms.

Joseph handed me his water bottle, which was a new green gatorade water bottle compared to his usual black one that he gave Beeker instead since he hadn’t had one. Some of the guys got dressed in their jerseys and gear as it got closer to the game, standing by the glass watching the girls practice. I brought over water bottles and Joseph was right next to Beau by the gate. The way Joseph stood by the glass made him look like a model, a really good looking one too.

He looked over at me when I was bringing water bottles to the bench and when I got to the bench. After I had put the water bottles into the slots, I looked up and his gaze immediately met mine. I headed back around the rink and as I got over to where the nets were, I watched the girls practicing. A little girl with blond hair pulled back into a ponytail looked at me through the glass. I smiled at her the way a mother smiles at her daughter and she smiled back so sweetly; I met Joseph’s eyes as I looked up from her gaze to his and he had clearly already been staring at me, not even trying to hide it with that grin across his face. As I rounded the corner, heading back towards the guys’ locker room, Joseph pushed back his hair and looked up at me which only made my knees weaker. Not helping the state I was in whatsoever.

Laney Behrends, Josh’s sister who I had grown extremely close to, was there and she called, “Jaya!” and I turned around, not sure who it was at first. But when I saw who it was, I gave her a huge hug as I absolutely adored the woman.

I opened the gate for the boys to go out for warm ups, with Dakota, our goalie, in front.

After the guys came off the ice, I was literally shaking because it was so cold! If you know me, you know that I hardly ever get cold, so this was a huge setback from reality for me. Laney had sat right in front of the guys’ locker rooms on the bleachers so I bundled up close to her as she had just gotten a tan so she was radiating off a ton of heat. She wanted to give me her blanket but I politely declined it because I felt bad about taking it away from her and I more than wanted to ask Joseph if I could wear his jacket.

Addi, one of the managers, helped me start up the camera when the first period was about to start and then went back down, sitting with Amaya, another manager, in the bleachers.

Doing the camera was more than nerve racking as I had never done it before, but once I got the hang of it I actually really enjoyed doing it. Eli, one of the youngsters on the second line, scored three goals throughout the game, but also got a 5 minute penalty. It was so cold above the ice; I was shaking and lost feeling in my fingers in the first five or so minutes of the period.

After the first period, I stopped recording and sprinted down to the boys saying, “Nice job,” especially to Dakota as they all headed into the locker rooms. Dakota handed me his water bottle and I filled it, bringing it over to the bench.

I cuddled up against Laney and I was shaking so hard that Laney said worryingly, “You’re shaking!” She wrapped her blanket halfway around me as I leaned closer to her. She kept trying to offer me her blanket but I said that I wanted to wear Joseph’s jacket and was too nervous to ask.

When the guys started coming out from the locker rooms, I sprinted up the stairs but the door on top was locked; an older man kindly opened the door for me and let me in.

Second period, I was more than shaking. The temperature seemed to have dropped drastically in Fairmont’s arena.

We lost two of our players to penalties in the period, but Joseph made a goal which led us up 4-0 by the end of the second period.

After the second period, I sprinted down and gave Dakota a fist pump as he came out. I really

curled up next to Laney as I was shaking even worse than I had been before.

Laney said, “You either ask Joseph for his jacket or you take my blanket.” I told her that I felt bad and she said to her mom, “See! She’s too innocent and nice.”

I called Ladlie’s name when he came out of the locker room and he turned to me but an older man walked between us. After he went by I asked, “Could you ask Joseph if I could wear his jacket? Only because I’m literally shaking and he doesn’t have to say yes, he can say no. Make sure he knows that he can say no!” I got that point across clearly. Ladlie nodded and opened the locker room door calling, “Joseph!”

I curled up back into Laney, still shivering. I heard the door open, turning around, Tim was grinning so stinkin’ big with Joseph’s jacket in his hand stretched out towards me. All the guys were crowded around the door, staring and smiling at me as they called, “OUUU!!!” I took the jacket and slipped it on as the guys headed over to the gate. Joseph, of course, was the last one out and I thanked him quietly as his eyes took me in.

Joseph’s jacket was so warm and I didn’t even feel the cold anymore, not with his jacket and all its warmth. It was more than perfect. Laney grinned at me calling, “Bye Jaya!” as I sprinted up to the camera.

Eddie and Beeker surrounded Joseph, patting him on the back and looking up at me from the ice. I tried not to grin, pushing it out of my head and focusing back on the game at hand.

Joseph ended up scoring a goal and when he looked up at me, I couldn’t hide the grin that overtook my face. All the guys on the bench noticed that too, and they were all grinning at me from the bench. Both of his goals that he had made, he had looked up at me. Eli had made yet another goal in the third period, and man I have never been so proud of all of my boys. We ended up winning 8-nothing by the end of the third period.

I sprinted down the stairs as the boys shook the hands of Fairmont’s players. Dakota was so hyped up when he came out saying, “Give me some!” and gave me a fist bump as he headed to the locker room.

I ended up giving Beau Joseph’s jacket and asked him to thank Joseph for me.

I helped lead the guys out to the bus, holding the door for them. The boys were seriously so sweet saying, “Thank you” as they headed out the doors with huge grins on their faces.

I held the door for Joseph who was holding his jacket in his hand. He looked into my eyes with that grin across his face and said, “Thank you,” with those gorgeous brown eyes that always made me feel like I was home. Now that was a night I’ll never forget, not by a long shot.