First Overall

before andrew.

Charlie found out that he got the C on August 29. That same day Aaron Carr was named starting goalie. Charlie didn't think it could be a coincidence.

Growing up being called the "Stanley Cup Baby" might have had a negative effect on Charlie's young psyche, but it had instilled a drive in him that was necessary in hockey. He'd never had a problem living up to expectations. (Both in public on the hockey rink and in private through his girlfriend, a tall, blonde ice skater that his mother loved.) His father's easily recognizable name got him roster spots on the best youth teams in Ontario, but Charlie always fought towards the first line just as hard (harder) than the other boys on the team.

There was never a question of whether or not Charlie was going to play in the OHL. It was just the most logical step towards the NHL. It was even easy to predict which team would select him. Losers pick first. Charlie Maynard would be picked first. The Stratford Kroehlers were the losers (for the second year in a row). Crystal clear.

So two months before his sixteenth birthday Charlie sat next to his mom and dad and pretty girlfriend and watched the Stratford owners walk on stage and listened to his name be called. (He would never admit it but he squeezed his mom's hand in the seconds before he was really sure.) And then he was a Kroehler.

So for the first time in his life, Charlie Maynard was a loser. And he was okay with it, until he actually started losing games. (The Kroehlers lost a lot of games.)

It didn't make sense to anyone. Three top five picks in three years should have led to magic on the ice. But it didn't. Until it did.

The first forward line, made up of Chris Komorov, Danny Ramer, and the wonder boy himself, put up thirteen points in five games. "The Maynard Line" were the saviors of the Kroehlers, but the team was still losing, a lot. 

But it was okay for a while. Stratford was scoring goals. Actual puck in the net goals on actual goalies. It could have been great, except for the fact that the Kroehlers had two terrible goalies and the worst goals against rating in the entire CHL. Scoring five goals wasn't enough when the other team was scoring ten.

So it hurt. Charlie couldn't bring himself to check if his parents were in the stands. He ignored his girlfriend (not that he paid much attention to her otherwise). He was terrible. He was great. For the first time in his life he hated hockey.

And then they drafted Carr.

Author's note
Hi, this is a story that I have wanted to write for a while. It is about a teenage hockey player in the OHL (the Ontario Hockey League) which is part of the CHL (Canadian Hockey League). It is a junior league for boys 16-21 and often leads to the NHL. The Stratford Kroehlers used to be a real team in the OHL but doesn't exist anymore. I could talk about the boring part of hockey for hours but even if that doesn't interest you, this story's main focus is on Charlie and his struggle with mental health and his sexuality.

Please do vote and favorite this story and keep reading! I really appreciate comments (I can take it) as well.

Thanks guys <3
Olivia