Thin Ice (Corey Crawford)

Chance of a Lifetime

Corey

As the season goes on I start to hang out with Samantha more. She was probably the coolest person I had ever met and I loved being around her. I've never met anyone so sure of themselves. We can talk about anything for hours and she will never let the conversation die, and she knows so much. I wish I was half as intelligent as she was.

It's like if I got to make up the perfect girl she was it. Half the things I didn't even realize I liked until I met her. I usually go for the tall tan girls who don't know enough and would need me to get by. But she's the one people rely on, she's the goalie of her life and she is one of the best.

One cool Chicago day I sit in my apartment trying to figure out what to do. It was November now and the holidays were coming up soon. Plus there's the whole circus trip and we had the winter classic game to start the new year too. There was a lot to think about but I just couldn't focus. Every time I tried to I kept thinking about her. I've never felt like this before, then again I've never met anyone like this before. I know she had a life of her own but I wish she could always be here with me. Come to all the games and watch me, but she hasn't even been to one since she played that night. The Hawks are offering her tickets and to do the shoot the puck and a bunch of other things. She loves hockey so much but every time I try to get her to do anything with it she shuts down.

I get pulled out of my train of thought when I see my phone going off on the couch. I pick it up and see that is was Sam trying to get ahold of me. I smile to myself before finally answering it. 

"Hey babe, what's up" I wonder.

"Can you talk" she asks. This is the most serious I think I have ever heard her. I was a little scared.

"Umm yeah, I'm not doing anything. Do you want me to come over" I ask.

"You don't have to" she insists.

"But do you want me to" I ask and she laughs.

"I would love that" she admits.

"Alright, I'll be over in 20 minutes. Is everything okay" I wonder.

"Yeah. I'm fine. I just need someone to talk to and I really would like it if it was you" she claims and I smile.

"I'm there."

After cleaning myself up a little and making sure I looked good I go over to her place. Her brother was at school and I've honestly never seen her mom around so it was just her. She offers me a drink and I accept a cool glass of water, I always think they taste so better when it comes from a home like this.

We sit down on the couch and she hands me a envelope that was already opened but the stuff was put back in there.

"Is this what's this is about" I wonder as I take the paper from her. She nods her head towards the things in my hand and I look at the front. I see it says "Team USA Olympic Committee" and my eyes grow big.

"Please don't freak out" she begs.

"Did you get a letter from the Olympic committee about playing hockey in Sochi" I gasp.

"I did. They had been calling ever since the game I played for you guys and I've ignored them. They've had my number forever and they've tried to keep in touch. Once my dad passed they understood I needed time but now they figured it's been enough time. And since they couldn't get ahold of my phone they sent that" she explains.

"What a minute... the USA women's hockey team has been trying to get ahold of you and you've been ignoring them" I gasp.

"Pretty much" she admits.

"Did you take a puck to the head or something" I question.

"Not recently" she assures me.

"Then what's stopping you" I ask.

"I don't want to play without my dad" she says with so much pain in her voice. It was more than that, but that's what was weighing her down the most. I could tell. "I was always destined to play in the Olympics, in the NWHL or wherever I can showcase what I've worked my ass off my whole life for. Who knows... maybe even the NHL. But I was only destined to do that because of what my father did for me. I don't want to play because he was the only reason I played. It's just not the same without him here" she insists.

"And you think pissing your talents away in a beer league does him any sort of justice" I ask and she lets out a sigh.

"I guess not" she admits.

"Your father wanted nothing more than for you to be this incredible person that he knew you were. He always told me that you were going to change the hockey world and I think he's right. But you can't do that while pushing away every opportunity you have to be everything you Dad wanted you to be. He worked so hard to get you to where you were, he worked his ass off to make you into one of the greatest athletes to ever hit the ice. He wouldn't want you running away from this, he trained you for this your whole life. You have to play" I insist. 

"I've never had to do this without him. Think about Michael Jordan when he gave up basketball the first time, he had just won three straight championships and should he had stayed there he probably would have won at least five in a row. But he knew playing that game wasn't the same without his father so he gave up the one thing he knew he was good at because he wanted his dad there for his last game" she says softly.

"But he came back to the game he was meant to play because he knew it was the right thing to do. And he knew it wasn't ever going to be the same but he came back and won three more championships for his dad because that's what he would have wants him to do.

Look at it this way, your dad, he's still here. Not in the stands or behind the bench like you remember, but he's in the way you play. All the fundamental stuff, all the puck tracking. He's never gone because he's in you and in the way you play. And if you don't play then he really is gone" I say.

Her shoulders fall as the weight of my words finally hit her. She lets out a short breath before looking back up at me. "And what if I'm not good enough" she questions.

"The only person that can beat you, is you" I say. She lets out a long sigh as she looks at the papers in my hand.

"I just want him here so bad" she whispers.

"I know you do baby" I say as I pull her into my side. She rests her head on my chest as I softly rub her arm. "But I'm going to be there every step of the way. I'll already be at the Olympics but I'm backing up to Carey so I can come to all your games and I'll even wear a team USA shirt under my Canada one" I tease and she giggles.

"You would really almost support me" she jokes.

"I will be the first person to buy your jersey. And I don't care about how much shit I get for wearing it, I'll wear it all the way up until I have to put on mine" I claim.

"You really think I should go through with this? They said that all I have to do is email them and I'm in" she explains.

"I think you would regret not taking this chance" I insist. She looks up to me with those big blue eyes and she gives me a soft smile.

"I think you're right."