"450 North Hennipen Avenue, is that your address?" That was the first thing Adam heard as he skated over to the bench where the District Five Coach and Adam's idol Gordon Bombay was standing with Coach Reilly, Mr. Banks and a strange guy in a suit. It didn't matter what was going on though, the fact that his father had actually shown up at a game had the boy in such a good mood, he thought he could deal with anything. At least that's what he thought.
"Well then I'm afraid there's no mistake." The stranger declared. "This boy is playing for the wrong team."
The young boy couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"What?" He asked confused our of his prepubescent mind.
"According to league rules, Adam Banks should he playing for district five." The man added.
Anger flashed across Philip's face, his son was the best and no way would a child of his play for any team but the best. The Hawks were the best and the Ducks, they were well, not.
"My son is a Hawk, not a Duck."
"Is this your doing Gordon?" Reilly accused as if Coach Bombay had in some way convinced the league to move the boundaries, or forced the Banks family to live in the wrong area.
Bombay however didn't seem to see fit to dignify it with an answer.
"I'll expect to see him at our next game." Then he turned o Adam. "We'll have a uniform waiting for you."
The most clever response the angry child could come up with was.
"No way."
But the entire conversation seemed to became inaudible after his father's words.
"My so would rather not play then play for your team."
Adam's jaw hung open, he hadn't said that. He'd never say something like that. No matter how much he loved being a Hawk, he loved just playing hockey more. It was his life, his escape, his reason for getting out of bed in the morning. The one thing he knew he had that he was ever better then his brother at. Hockey, was his world.
The man in the suit agreed to let Adam play for the Hawks in one last game, but made it very clear that if he dressed for any game after that Reilly's team would have to forfeit. It was like a smack in the face for the boy, he was no longer going to be the best player on the best team. How would he show his face at home? What would his Hawk friends say to him? What would the Ducks say to him? Obviously his head wasn't completely in the game.
Philip stayed for the game, but left directly afterward, meaning Adam would have to walk, That didn't bother him for two reasons, 1) that meant he didn't have to rush changing so he could meet his father in the parking lot and 2) having some alone time would give him the opportunity to think. He entered the locker room after his last game as the Hawk's number one player and sat on the bench, not wanting to take his jersey off.
"Hey Adam are you planning on changing?" Larson sat down next to him on the bench.
"Huh? Oh yeah." The fair-haired preteen nodded, pulling his jersey over his head. Then he just sat there holding it in his hands, staring at the small white Hawk logo embroidered on the front.
McGill sat on the bench opposite the two and began to unlace his skates.
"So what's wrong Banks? Coach and your dad looked really pissed earlier."
"I'm off the team, I'm suppose to be on District Five, so either I have to play with them, or I can't play at all." The depressed youngster explained.
"Wow, that stinks Adam." John declared.
"You've gotta play for the Duck? You'll never win a championship with them." Steve snickered.
Adam nodded sullenly.
"I know."
The rest of the team didn't say anything to him as they finished dressing. None were sure weather to look at him as the enemy now, or simply a fallen Hawk. Packing his bag and leaving the locker room was the hardest thing Adam had ever had to do in his young life. He took one last look over his shoulder as the door closed before exiting the rink dejected.
Adam didn't know where he was going to go when he left. He didn't really want to go home, he knew the sort of mood his father would be in. It was almost certain when he entered the front door Philip would be in a shouting match with either his wife or eldest son, because both would try to calm him down. That would only serve to make him angrier. The boy walked around with no real direction, his soul destination was anywhere but the Banks living room. Then suddenly he was in the last place he expected, but what was really the best place possible, Hans's skate shop.
He pushed open the door and the bell jingled familiarly. The lights were all off and the shop seemed to be closed, Adam was just about to turn and leave when he heard a voice.
"That stick not working out for you?" Hans stepped out of a back room and walked over to the register.
"Huh? Oh no, it's a great stick." Adam bit his lip "In fact I don't even know why I'm here."
"You're here because you love the game."
"How do you know that?"
"I can see it in your eyes, just like a boy that use to come here along time ago. He'd sneak in after dark too, but he used the back door." Hans laughed and waved Adam to follow him to the sofa in the back.
Adam sat down and cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that was getting worse as of late.
"They took me off my team."
"I know, you are playing for Gordon Bombay's Ducks now."
"How do you know that?" The boy asked again.
Hans only smiled.
"You're not meant to be a Hawk Adam, no player that truly loves the game should play under Reilly. You have the heart of a Duck, I can tell. All you have to do is follow it."
When Adam left there that night he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his young shoulders. The only problems he had to face now were his father and his friends
"Well then I'm afraid there's no mistake." The stranger declared. "This boy is playing for the wrong team."
The young boy couldn't believe what he'd just heard.
"What?" He asked confused our of his prepubescent mind.
"According to league rules, Adam Banks should he playing for district five." The man added.
Anger flashed across Philip's face, his son was the best and no way would a child of his play for any team but the best. The Hawks were the best and the Ducks, they were well, not.
"My son is a Hawk, not a Duck."
"Is this your doing Gordon?" Reilly accused as if Coach Bombay had in some way convinced the league to move the boundaries, or forced the Banks family to live in the wrong area.
Bombay however didn't seem to see fit to dignify it with an answer.
"I'll expect to see him at our next game." Then he turned o Adam. "We'll have a uniform waiting for you."
The most clever response the angry child could come up with was.
"No way."
But the entire conversation seemed to became inaudible after his father's words.
"My so would rather not play then play for your team."
Adam's jaw hung open, he hadn't said that. He'd never say something like that. No matter how much he loved being a Hawk, he loved just playing hockey more. It was his life, his escape, his reason for getting out of bed in the morning. The one thing he knew he had that he was ever better then his brother at. Hockey, was his world.
The man in the suit agreed to let Adam play for the Hawks in one last game, but made it very clear that if he dressed for any game after that Reilly's team would have to forfeit. It was like a smack in the face for the boy, he was no longer going to be the best player on the best team. How would he show his face at home? What would his Hawk friends say to him? What would the Ducks say to him? Obviously his head wasn't completely in the game.
Philip stayed for the game, but left directly afterward, meaning Adam would have to walk, That didn't bother him for two reasons, 1) that meant he didn't have to rush changing so he could meet his father in the parking lot and 2) having some alone time would give him the opportunity to think. He entered the locker room after his last game as the Hawk's number one player and sat on the bench, not wanting to take his jersey off.
"Hey Adam are you planning on changing?" Larson sat down next to him on the bench.
"Huh? Oh yeah." The fair-haired preteen nodded, pulling his jersey over his head. Then he just sat there holding it in his hands, staring at the small white Hawk logo embroidered on the front.
McGill sat on the bench opposite the two and began to unlace his skates.
"So what's wrong Banks? Coach and your dad looked really pissed earlier."
"I'm off the team, I'm suppose to be on District Five, so either I have to play with them, or I can't play at all." The depressed youngster explained.
"Wow, that stinks Adam." John declared.
"You've gotta play for the Duck? You'll never win a championship with them." Steve snickered.
Adam nodded sullenly.
"I know."
The rest of the team didn't say anything to him as they finished dressing. None were sure weather to look at him as the enemy now, or simply a fallen Hawk. Packing his bag and leaving the locker room was the hardest thing Adam had ever had to do in his young life. He took one last look over his shoulder as the door closed before exiting the rink dejected.
Adam didn't know where he was going to go when he left. He didn't really want to go home, he knew the sort of mood his father would be in. It was almost certain when he entered the front door Philip would be in a shouting match with either his wife or eldest son, because both would try to calm him down. That would only serve to make him angrier. The boy walked around with no real direction, his soul destination was anywhere but the Banks living room. Then suddenly he was in the last place he expected, but what was really the best place possible, Hans's skate shop.
He pushed open the door and the bell jingled familiarly. The lights were all off and the shop seemed to be closed, Adam was just about to turn and leave when he heard a voice.
"That stick not working out for you?" Hans stepped out of a back room and walked over to the register.
"Huh? Oh no, it's a great stick." Adam bit his lip "In fact I don't even know why I'm here."
"You're here because you love the game."
"How do you know that?"
"I can see it in your eyes, just like a boy that use to come here along time ago. He'd sneak in after dark too, but he used the back door." Hans laughed and waved Adam to follow him to the sofa in the back.
Adam sat down and cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that was getting worse as of late.
"They took me off my team."
"I know, you are playing for Gordon Bombay's Ducks now."
"How do you know that?" The boy asked again.
Hans only smiled.
"You're not meant to be a Hawk Adam, no player that truly loves the game should play under Reilly. You have the heart of a Duck, I can tell. All you have to do is follow it."
When Adam left there that night he felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from his young shoulders. The only problems he had to face now were his father and his friends