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#stanley cup playoffs 2021
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Congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche for winning the Stanley cup!!!
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robindrake13 · 2 years
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mensuited · 2 years
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midnightsoldier187 · 2 years
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Auston Matthews first of many goals in these playoff that's right first of many
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And of course Mitch got the primary assist its a tale as old as time.
Captain Johnny T got in assist as well 🥰
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goatisbetheres · 3 months
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Lots of big things happened Wednesday in the Pittsburgh Penguins’ 7-0 romp over the New York Islanders. There were records and milestones, especially for core players Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin. But not Sidney Crosby.
Amazingly, Crosby had no points in the game. But don’t think he felt anything but thrilled, especially for his longtime teammates. The relationship between Crosby, Malkin and Letang is as strong as ever.
“I don’t know. It feels like it did before Christmas,” Crosby cracked Thursday after practice at the UPMC Lemieux Sports Complex.
Yeah, they can joke like that. The three are in their mid-30s and in their 18th season together, a North American sports record for a trio of teammates with the same team. They passed the New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter, Jorge Posada and Mariano Rivera, who spent 17 consecutive seasons together.
There have been times when it looked as if the Penguins’ three core players might be broken up, but Letang and Malkin re-signed after the 2021-22 season. Crosby has this and one more season left on his contract.
“It feels like it’s pretty good after this long,” Crosby said of the relationship among the three. “If it can get stronger, great, but I feel like it’s been pretty good. We’ve spent a lot of time together over the years, been through a lot, and it’s pretty strong at this point for what we’ve gone though.”
They have won three Stanley Cups together — the highs — and have had first-round playoff flameouts and, last season, a seat outside the playoffs – the lows. They have been there for each other during injury and medical challenges. They have been there for each other for major individual accomplishments.
All three got misty the night the Penguins held a pregame ceremony for Crosby’s 1,000th game.
Wednesday, Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history to record five assists in one period and tied a record for defensemen with six assists overall. Malkin scored twice to pass his childhood idol, Sergei Fedorov, for second place all-time in the league among Russian-born players with 484 goals.
Crosby was happy simply to be a part of the game and witness those things.
“It’s just cool,” he said of Letang’s record. “Whether you’ve played with someone for a long time or just to witness that … There’s a lot of years that have gone into the NHL, over 100. For that never to have been done and be part of that is cool.”
And on Malkin: “He probably doesn’t get the credit that he deserves for what he’s done over his career. Just to be able to be in that company now, and to pass Fedorov, someone he idolized growing up and we all loved watching, but especially being a Russian-born player … He’s a competitive guy. He’s shown that year after year. Happy to see him move up the list.”
Valtteri Puustinen also scored his first NHL goal Thursday. Crosby has always had a soft spot for those moments among his many teammates over the years. Plus Malkin and Letang’s moments that night. Crosby loves those.
“A game like that. A game where (goaltender Tristan Jarry last month) scores. Things like that are pretty cool,” he said.
There are bound to be more moments for Crosby, Malkin and Letang to celebrate together. And moments where they simply share a laugh. All those moments add up.
“We like to keep it pretty light and probably give each other a harder time, and we do more of that than we do compliments,” Crosby said. “That seems to be the way it works out, but obviously we care a lot about each other and like to see each other have success.
“Whether it’s Tanger having a big night like that or Geno moving up the list, you’re always proud to see your teammates accomplish those things like that, and especially guys that you’ve seen do things like that over the years.”
i love my core 🥹
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jules-in-deep · 10 months
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Indigenous in the NHL: 2022-23 players
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Please note: I am a white immigrant settler living on unceded Indigenous lands. I am learning and very likely don’t have all of the details correct. If you spot any errors, please don’t hesitate to let me know and I’ll make corrections!
No matter what, an Indigenous player will win the 2023 Stanley Cup – and take it home to their First Nation community. Brandon Montour, a defenseman for the Florida Panthers, is a Mohawk from Six Nations of the Grand River. Zach Whitecloud, a defensemen for the Vegas Golden Knights, is a member of Sioux Valley Dakota Nation. There’s a really great article from Indian Country Today that talks about the play styles of Montour and Whitecloud, as well as those of Minnesota Wild players Dewar and Addison, and some of the larger challenges and hopes ahead for Indigenous players in the NHL. Another article here talks about the history of Indigenous players vying for the Stanley Cup. 
There are nine* active Indigenous players in the NHL right now and nine more prospects (list here). I’ll update this primer in the fall since so many of these players are RFA and UFA right now and may move around - and some of the prospects may move up! Some of the sections are longer than others depending on how much information I found outside of the basics of their careers and stats (if you have more sources for your faves, hit me up!). 
You will see that some players are Métis and that this is different from being a member of a First Nation. Members of the Métis Nation are of mixed ancestry and one of three distinct Indigenous groups in Canada, the others being First Nations and Inuit. For more, visit the Métis Nation of Ontario here. 
*The 10th, Vancouver Canuck Micheal Ferland, is still listed as active but has indicated his plans to retire following injury.
Extended information below the fold:
Calen Addison is a Defenseman for the Minnesota Wild. He is Métis and grew up in Brandon, Manitoba. He was drafted in 2018 by the Pittsburgh Penguins but never played an NHL game with them before he was traded to the Minnesota Wild mid-season in 2020. Current status: RFA
Ethan Bear is a Defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks. He is a member of the Ochapowace Cree Nation and grew up on a reserve within the Cree First Nation in southern Saskatchewan. Ochapowace chief Margaret Bear is his direct relative. He was drafted by the Edmonton Oilers in 2017. In 2021, he faced racist backlash from some Oilers fans after the Oilers went out in round 1 of the 2021 playoffs. His girlfriend (now fiance, who is also Indigenous) spoke out while his nation rallied behind him. If you have a subscription to The Athletic, this is a really great feature on him after that time in his own words; this one from Bleacher Report isn’t paywalled. He was traded to the Carolina Hurricanes, and they wrote a great feature on him too with a focus on his heritage. After a strong start with the Canes, he had a slow bounceback from COVID and didn’t see any NHL minutes at the start of 2022. This led into a trade to the Vancouver Canucks early in 2022 where he just finished a one year contract for the 2022-23 season. He runs a summer hockey skills camp for Indigenous youth in Saskatchewan, which was featured in the 2022 “Camp of Dreams” documentary. Current status: RFA.
Connor Dewar is a Left Wing and Center for the Minnesota Wild. He is Métis, specifically a descendent of the Red River Métis, and grew up in The Pas, Manitoba. He recorded a feature called “Growing Up Metis” that you can watch here. He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in 2018 and has never played for another team. Current status: will become RFA at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Travis Hamonic is a Defenseman for the Ottawa Senators. He is Métis and grew up in Manitoba on his family’s farm and later in Winnipeg. He lost his father at age 10 and later received the NHL Foundation Player Award for his program supporting children who’ve lost a parent. He was drafted in 2008 by the New York Islanders and also played for the Calgary Flames and the Vancouver Canucks before being traded to the Ottawa Senators late in the 2021-22 season. When he played in Calgary, he and his wife partnered with the Flames to run The Northern Project and host Indigenous kids from the Northern Territories, Yukon, and Nunavut in Calgary to get the chance to see hockey games. Current status: UFA
Brady Keeper is a Defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, currently playing for the Abbotsford Canucks (#25). He is a member of the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in Manitoba, and the first from his nation to play in the NHL. Brady went undrafted and was signed by the Florida Panthers in 2019, with a strong debut. He became an UFA in 2021 and signed a two year contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He had to go on LTIR early in the 2021 season after breaking his leg in two places during drills; upon recovery a year later, he cleared waivers and started playing for their AHL affiliate at the start of the 2022-23 season. Current status: UFA
Brandon Montour is a Defenseman for the Florida Panthers. He is a Mohawk, and grew up in the named community of Ohsweken within the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve, the most populous First Nation in Canada. It is in Southern Ontario and includes the Mohawk, Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, and Tuscarora Nations. You can learn some fun facts here. Brandon was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in 2014, traded to the Buffalo Sabres mid-season in 2019, and to the Florida Panthers at the end of the 2021 season. He’s spoken about his pride in his heritage and works with the NHL Player’s Association’s Goals & Dreams fund to try to ensure kids have access to the same kinds of opportunities he did with two arenas within the reserve. In the off-season, he sometimes visits other reservations and works with kids. His family and community are watching and cheering - even though many were Leafs fans. Current status: will become UFA at the end of the 2023-24 season.
T.J. Oshie plays Right Wing for the Washington Capitals. He is a member of the Anishinaabe or Ojibwe Nation, and was born and raised in Washington State, north of Seattle. He later moved with his father back to his father’s hometown of Warroad, Minnesota, where he connected with his Indigenous roots including learning his name. He used the name Warroad for his own hockey apparel line, which includes textile innovations in skate cut resistance. T.J. was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2008 and played with them until 2017, when he signed with the Capitals, with whom he won the Stanley Cup in 2018. Current status: signed an 8 year contract with the Capitals in 2017 and has a modified no trade clause; will become UFA in 2025.
Carey Price is a Goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens. He is a member of the Ulkatcho First Nation, of which his mother is the chief. Some sources list him as Dakelh, and the Ulkatcho First Nation is considered a government within the larger Dakelh or Southern Carrier tribal nation in British Columbia. He was drafted by the Canadiens in 2007 and has never played anywhere else. In 2015, he won both the Hart (most valuable player) and Vezina (best goaltender) trophies. By the end of 2021, he’d become the goaltender with the most wins in Habs history. This is a wonderful article about his relationship with his nation, as well as visits he’s made to survivors of residential schools, a brutal history about which he’s openly spoken out. He’s been open about his struggles with alcoholism and the support he’s sought from the NHPLA Player Assistance program and a rehabilitation center, with the explicit goal of being an example for Indigenous youth on how it’s okay to ask for help. Current status: Long term injured reserve. Five years in to an eight year contract with a no-move clause. In 2026, he will be UFA.  
Zach Whitecloud is a defensemen for the Vegas Golden Knights, who signed him in 2018 after he went undrafted. He’s a member of and first NHL player from the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, a self-governing nation on the banks of the Assiniboine River in Southwestern Manitoba. It was a short distance from where he grew up in Brandon, Manitoba and his father serves as a band councilor. Zach says he considers both Brandon and the reservation, where he has extended family, home, and has talked about the incredible support he gets from his community and inspiration from Indigenous players who came before him. Late in the 2022 season, Zach spoke about his pride in his heritage following an incident in which an ESPN anchor made fun of his name on air. His grandparents and uncle are survivors of Canada’s residential school system, which he talked about in 2022 in a post related to reconciliation. You can read his Nation’s media statement celebrating his run in the 2023 playoffs here, and there’s a nice recent interview with him about how he got here and what the playoffs mean to him. Current status: signed a 6-year contract in 2021. Will become UFA in 2028.
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claireelle18 · 9 months
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Long Live - Ross Colton
A/N: I wrote this up after hearing the news about Colton going to the Avs and also blasting Taylor Swift. I felt like it just made sense in this situation.
“And the Tampa Bay Lightning are your 2021 Stanley Cup Champions! Back to back!” The announcement shook through the arena. Air thick with electricity as realization kicked in. The team had done it. A back to back Stanley Cup run. Kings of NHL - a powerhouse of a team. Photographs snapped in every direction, smiles bright, whole body shaking with the adrenaline, as everyone tried to capture the moment. As fans started to exit into the downtown area, the team welcomed their families onto the ice to soak in the moment of what just became reality. 
After coming off of last years run, the team had been determined to make another run for this years cup, holding the reins. Once a dream, Lord Stanley hoisted by team captain Steven Stamkos. “Remember this moment, here and now. Soak it all in babe,” she remarked to her boyfriend. He stood like a deer when caught in the headlights of a car, wide eye. By morning, if not earlier due to social media, the pictures would be on every major local tabloid. 
“We are going down in franchise history as the team who brought back to back cups,” one of the guys chirped. “We will be remembered.” 
Flash forward to the post season of the 2022-2023 season. Passing pictures around of that time as it came time to say goodbye to the town that created the player he was today tugged on his heart strings a bit more. All those years of work for him, his family cheering him on. She stood by his side, on the sidelines - whether that was physically or following along over social media, for every little victory, including a third Stanley Cup Final and then being kicked out in round one of the next year’s playoffs. 
He never dreamt that he’d trade in his minor jerseys years ago to earning his NHL branded one. 
Memories that were embedded into those walls, into the city, photographed and tucked away into an album to look back on years later. Waiting for those who asked the stories behind each photo. Looking at the boxes stacked containing those years in their city, ready to be unpacked in the coming week. Into a new place. In a new city, across the country.
She sat in a corner with the album. Small salty drops dripped onto the protective plastic. “Loves what is it?” he asked, concerned. 
“I’ve had the time of my life, watching as you built your career, cheering you on. It’s just wild to think of the start of it all to now.” Not long after he came to Tampa is when the two met. She was the one to ask him for his number, but he asked for the date. 
“Are you worried about the move?” 
“More worried about the change for us.” News came a few days prior to Draft Day. Tampa couldn’t keep him, and the Colorado Avs offered a trade deal to acquire him. Moving away from the city that brought them together, onto the next adventure. “I know it’s not ideal, but I’m scared that if fate steps in, forcing a goodbye between us,” a hushed voice followed by a small sob explained. That fear of the change to come would tear the couple apart. She’d help him move, then tie up her part in Tampa, before coming out to Colorado, joining him. 
His heart ached for her. “It’s not gonna happen. No goodbyes, a few see ya laters just like always. Just like this is an away game trip hunny. When our children point to the pictures - you’re going to explain the love story we created, and then explain it to our grandchildren.” 
She questioned, “Children?” He nodded his head, scooting to rest on one knee. 
“Ideally, this would have been more planned, but I think we need some magic and we need to create a happy memory in our new home.” The new home that she helped pick out, because even with this upside-down shock, he wanted…needed her there. In their home. A black velvet box appears from his pants pocket. “Marry me.” Not a question, a statement because he was so sure of his future with her, no matter where the two went or the universe threw in their direction.
Nodding, more tears cascading down her face, pulling him in for a kiss. She noticed the uniqueness of the glittering ring that adorned her ring finger. “What’s the story behind it?” 
“I know you prefer an older style for jewelry, so I had a stone that was in my family cut into that pear shape, the outside adorned with sapphires to represent where we met and fell in love. Long live us, our relationship - no matter what is thrown our way.” 
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1634archive · 6 months
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May 20, 2021; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner (16) and forward Auston Matthews (34) during the warm up before the game against the Montreal Canadiens before game one of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
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lettucemakar · 2 years
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oh hey, it’s official now that Jack Johnson scored exactly one goal in the 2021-22 season.
and that one goal was the first goal of the Avs season, 4 minutes and 3 shots into the first period of game 1, on a breakaway, against the reigning Vezina winner who had kicked the Avs out of the playoffs the prior year.
god I am glad the Avs got him his Stanley Cup.
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senditcolton · 2 years
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Avalanche’s championship an act of love between veterans Landeskog, Johnson
Written by Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, June 27th 2022.
The only thing better than winning the NHL championship? Sharing a big hockey hug with your best friend.
Before they went dancing with the Stanley Cup, Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and Erik Johnson carved out a little piece of ice amid the celebration of a 2-1 victory against Tampa Bay and embraced like brothers from different mothers.
“We were crying, telling each other how much we loved each other. How proud we were of each other. We’ve been teammates for 11 years. We finally climbed the mountain,” Johnson tole me late Sunday, after Colorado beat the Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to claim the franchise’s first championship since 2001.
It was worth the wait, because these is no more beautiful dance in sports that the one Landeskog took with a 139-year-old beauty. Landeskog lifted the 34.5-pound silver chalice overs his head, welcoming the Cup back home to Colorado with a kiss.
And then? Landeskog handed the Cup to Johnson. Hockey besties. Sharing the greatest prize in the game. Atop the mountain. Together.
“To win it with E.J. is just so special. He has been my best friend since Day 1… he was the first guy to reach out to me after I got drafted,” Landeskog told me. “I’ve been following my big brother for all these last 11 years. To be able to hand off that Stanley Cup and watch him skate away with it…”
I’m not crying. You’re crying.
Landy and E.J. have given heart and soul to this team, not the mention teeth and assorted other body parts, from years when the Avs weren’t easy to love through this crowning glory. Between them, Johnson and Landeskog have played 1,509 games, scored 344 goals and contributed 551 assists to the Burgundy and Blue.
A child lead the Avs to their first championship since 2001. OK, check that. At 23 years old, baby-faced defensemen Cale Makar only looks like the kid who takes you hamburger order at the drive-through window. On a star-studded roster, Makar was the man, richly deserving of the Conn Smythe trophy as the playoff MVP.
But did you see Landeskog crawling off the ice to the Avs bench in the final desperate minutes of the Cup-clinching contest, in obvious pain after blocking a wicked hard shot by Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov?
Landeskog “might be the most important person in this whole organization,” Johnson said before this championship series began. “The demeanor he had, the type of player he is. Just a critical piece. He’s the cog that makes this machine go. The heartbeat of this team.”
And know what’s wild to think?
It not for kind twists of fate, both Landeskog and Johnson might not have shared a sweet hug they’ll cherish until their final breaths on this earth.
His NHL career could’ve ended with Johnson’s face hit the ice with a sick thud on Jan. 30, 2021, the result of a clean hit by Minnesota winger Jordan Greenway. Nearly five months after suffering a concussion, Johnson moved in a fog, from one uncertain day to the next.
“I was frankly sick of being injured. It was very disheartening,” Johnson told me. “With a concussion, it can be a week for some guys and a month for others. Or it can be career-ending. And I didn’t really know where I fell in that spectrum… I wasn’t totally sure I was going to come back and play this year, to be honest.”
A phone call cemented the resolve of and often-injured player to give a quest for the Cup on more shot, at age 34.
Joe Sakic, the front-office exec that put this championship puzzle together, reached out to Johnson and said: “We’re going to need you if you’re feeling well enough to play.”
Landeskog was born in Sweden, but he proudly calls Denver his hockey home, because this is where he grew up as a hockey player after joining the Avalanche as a teenager in 2011. But after a decade run with the team, he was forced by the cruel business side of hockey to contemplate leaving in the wake of a disheartening playoff loss to Vegas.
Last summer, less than 60 minutes before he was scheduled to become a free agent, Landeskog agreed to a new 8-year, $56 million deal to remain with the Avalanche.
“It did go down to the wire, that’s for sure,” Sakic said. “Maybe near the end I was a little worried, but I was hopeful we’d get it done. Both sides were really happy with the deal. He can finish his career as an Avalanche. That’s how it should be.”
Fighting back tears while standing on the ice of Amalie Arena, amid a celebration with family and friends, Landeskog said: “Management didn’t blow things up after losing in the second round for the third tear in a row. They kept believing in us.”
Every championship dream is born of faith, earned through sweat and strength to be these for your best friend in the locker room, to apply glue to a broken heart in defeat and share the tears of joy in victory.
“Gabe. Me. We won a championship. Finally. After 11 years,” Johnson said. “It’s amazing. But we did. And we did it together.”
And now? The names of Landeskog and Johnson will be engraved on the Stanley Cup. Together. Best hockey friends. Forever.
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zackcollins · 2 years
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I will never understand the need for pressers for the losing team RIGHT after the trauma of an elimination playoff game. Can't it wait a day or two so the players feel more like functioning members of society and can more coherently answer the questions???
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hockeyshmockey · 2 years
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Erik Johnson- Story
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summary: the ej x landeskog!sister moment I feel like I needed. ej x fem oc
warnings: fluff galore
wc: 1.1k
Somehow, the first time Celeste met Erik had been when her niece had made her way into the world. Celeste had worked a remote job even before the pandemic, and had always loved to travel. So when Gabe had mentioned off handedly being worried about Mel being home alone so much with a newborn, Celeste had offered to come stay in Colorado for a few months to help out.
What started out as a few months, after meeting Erik, turned into three years, a shared house, and two dogs. 
In 2021, with Erik’s injury and the Avs disappointing playoff run, Celeste and Erik had faced the toughest time in their relationship. Take an injury and the play offs separately, and it would make any player grumpy, but the two combined had made things very tense for a bit after the season. 
Celeste thought herself to be a very understanding person. But after one too many times of her letting Erik snap at her, when he was really feeling sorry for himself, she had been fed up. Then came the huge blow up fight, with Erik sleeping at Gabe and Mels. The next morning he had come home to find his girlfriend with a small bag packed. 
Celeste had gone to stay with Beatrice in a week for the couple to have space.. By the time she got back, Erik had been reamed by his mother and Gabe, and had begged for the woman’s forgiveness. The woman had given it freely, but the two of them had definitely had a rough go of it last season. 
So for Celeste to be standing in the stands with her mother and father and Beatrice, as well as Erik’s parents, watching the boys play in the Stanley Cup Final, felt like a fever dream. “Is this going to happen?” your mother said excitedly in Swedish from her spot between her two daughters. 
“I think it is,” Celeste laughed breathlessly as the time passed the last minute of the Stanley Cup Final. 
“I think I’m going to cry,” Beatrice smiled widely, tears already on her cheeks when she hugged Celeste, their parents embracing. 
“Theres no stopping it,” Celeste laughed, pulling back and turning to a beaming Bruce and Peggy. “Can you believe it!” The Swedish woman said with another wet laugh as she pulled Peggy into a hug, Bruce wrapping the two of them in his arms. 
“Thank you,” Peggy pulled back with tears of her own, cupping Celeste’s face as she saw the blondes confusion. “I know last year was hard. And other women would’ve left, but you stayed. And you helped him get back to where he is today. We love you so much hun.”
“Oh my god,” Celeste gasped out a laugh through her tears, letting Peggy pull her into another hug. The two were broken up by Bruce calling out that people were heading to the lower bowl.
This would always be one of the proudest moments of her life, Celeste thought. Watching her brother lift the Stanley Cup for the first time, after years of hard times. And him passing it off to the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, the two sharing a tender moment before EJ went on his lap. 
Celeste felt like she didn’t stop crying during the photos with the cup, even when she was laughing at the boys denting the cup. When the families were finally allowed on the ice, Celeste made a beeline for Gabe with her sister and parents. 
“Gabriel!” She yelled, her fellow blonde turning to his sisters with a huge grin. The two women slipped on the ice as they shuffled over, colliding with his body and wrapping him and hug. “We are so proud of you,” Celeste pulled back with a soft smile, cupping his bearded cheek. “You deserve this bror.”
“Thank you,” Gabe smiled brightly, leaning down to press a kiss to Celeste and then Beatrice’s forehead, before turning to their parents. 
“I’m going to get EJ,” Celeste said to her sister, the woman nodding before the older sister made her way across the ice. She was stopped by Cale and Nate, giving both of the younger boys a huge hug, before finally spotting her boyfriend in an interview. 
She didn’t rush to get over there, even stopping to take a photo of EJ as she got closer. When she was in his peripheral, his eyes cut to her quickly before returning to the reporter, returning in a double take as a smile took over his face. 
“Let me get back to you,” he cut off the woman with a half smile, before skating Celestes way. The blonde had stopped on the ice, hands covering her cheeks as she stared at him.
“I can’t believe it,” Celeste said softly as EJ approached and scooped her up with a squeal, her legs wrapping around his waist.
“We did it baby,” EJ said into her neck breathlessly, squezezing her waist tightly. 
“You did it E,” Celeste tugged at his hair so he would pull back and she could look into his eyes. “I am so proud of you darling,” she leaned down to press a hard kiss to his lips. “I always knew you would be here,” Celeste’s eyes shined with love and pride.
“Marry me,” EJ breathed out, his eyes searching her face as her features froze. 
“What?” She giggled in surprise. “EJ-”
“I’m serious,” he lifted one hand to cup her cheek. “I’ve got the ring at home and everything. Was going to ask you in some crazy way during the off season. But this is us. So marry me. I know I can be a grumpy asshole, but no one understands me like you. And I can’t imagine spending my life without you. Be my wife.”
“Oh EJ,” Celeste sobbed, her hands cupping his head. “Of course I will.” She leaned down to kiss him again, his free arm lifting in a fist pump. 
For years to come, two photos would be sitting on the Landeskog-Johnson mantle. They would be joined eventually by photos of their wedding, and their children, but these two held a special place for them. One, a picture of a champagne drenched Celeste in a too big Avalanche Championship shirt, with Gabe and EJ on either side of her, the three holding Lord Stanley himself. 
The next, was a photo captured by a sneaky Peggy Johnson, of Celeste and Erik kissing, one hand lifted in the air as he celebrated one of the biggest moments of his career, and the start of the next chapter of he and Celeste’s story.
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fromthe-point · 5 months
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Brandon Tanev is out 4-6 weeks for the Seattle Kraken with a lower-body injury.
The forward was injured in Seattle's season opener, a 4-1 loss at the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 10. He left the game at 6:02 of the third period after taking a hit in the neutral zone from Golden Knights forward Brett Howden, who received a match penalty for an illegal check to the head and was suspended two games by the NHL Department of Player Safety.
Tanev has missed two games, a 3-0 loss at the Nashville Predators on Thursday and a 2-1 shootout loss at the St. Louis Blues on Saturday.
Selected from the Pittsburgh Penguins by the Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft, Tanev had 15 points (nine goals, six points) in 30 games in 2021-22 and 35 points (16 goals, 19 assists) in 82 games last season. He had four points (one goal, three assists) in 14 games of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
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mensuited · 2 years
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hollyivydruzy · 11 months
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I still feel like I have the Big Stupid (TM) at the moment, but in the past week I found, emailed, spoke on the phone to and set up a first appointment with a new therapist. I haven't been in therapy regularly since 2021, but my new lady has experience with neurodiversity and I'm hoping I can start to tackle some of my overall overwhelm with her.
As someone neurodiverse, I feel lucky that since my diagnosis I've been able to adapt my life more around my strengths and needs. It's definitely a protective measure, but in future it'd still be nice to feel I can grow my comfort zone again in a safe way. Not just pushing myself because I feel pushed by others. The idea of feeling safe is such an abstract one for me but it weighs on so much of what I do.
Other than that I've been utterly absorbed by the ongoing Stanley cup playoffs, although none of my ideal teams remain. By the time the hockey is over it'll be near enough to the various cycling tours, so my arbitrary winter sport of choice should transition into my summer special interest scheduling quite nicely.
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jimothystu · 2 years
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Nick Suzuki x Cole Caufield - I’m Right Here
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Fandom/pairing: Montreal Canadiens; Suzufield
Word count: who tf knows I wrote this on my phone
Notes/warnings: angst. Also it’s 6:30 am and I’ve maybe slept 4 hours, so when I woke up at 5 and read the whole dozenish Suzufield fics out there, I decided it was my solemn duty to write more. Also, sorry for any mistakes or for any suckage of this writing. Like I said, I have not slept much.
Tagging: @st-lecavalier just bc I know you also adore Suzufield
After having such a good season in 2020-2021, and coming so close to winning the Stanley Cup playoffs, ending the 2021-2022 season at the bottom of the league sucked. No, it more than sucked. It was disappointing and upsetting and made Cole feel like he wasn’t good enough. His own season had started off poorly, and though he’d managed to end it on a positive personal note - his first hattie - the season still sucked.
To top it all off, he was pretty sure he was in love with his best friend, whom he wouldn’t be seeing much of over the off-season. Not that he didn’t want to see his best friend, but Cole was going back home to Wisconsin soon. Sure, they could visit one another, but it wouldn’t be the same as seeing each other nearly every day. It wouldn��t be the same as looking across the ice and seeing him there, knowing he had his back. It wouldn’t be the same as always knowing if he was ever sad, he could just go to him for comfort. It just wouldn’t be the same.
Cole leaned his head back against the back of his couch and sniffled. His tears had stopped, after crying off and on for the past day. He was tired. He didn’t get much sleep the night before, not between the intrusive thoughts telling him he wasn’t good enough and the aching in his chest upon the thought of leaving Nick.
Nick. Who could always make Cole laugh.
Nick. Whom Cole could always find on the ice, even if they weren’t trying.
Nick. Who Cole was in love with.
He didn’t know how it happened, but it had.
Cole scrubbed his hands over his face and exhaled slowly. Somehow, he’d have to deal with this. He had no idea what to do, but he had to figure it out.
-
Nick was just starting to make dinner when a loud knock came at his front door.
His brow furrowed. He wasn’t expecting anyone.
He went to the door and opened it. “Cole?”
Cole shifted his weight from one foot to the next. “Can I come in?”
“Yeah, of course.” Nick opened the door wider and let Cole in. “You look like shit,” Nick said, and Cole gave him a rueful smile.
“Gee, thanks”
“I mean it. Are you sick?” Nick lifted his hand to place onto Cole’s forehead, but the shorter man ducked away.
“No,” Cole said.
Nick frowned. “Dude, what’s the matter?”
Cole shrugged and looked at his feet. He opened his mouth to say something, but clamped it shut and shook his head. “Nothing, never mind. I should go.”
Nick laughed shortly. “You just got here.”
“Sorry,” Cole muttered. He moved to go around Nick, but Nick blocked the door.
“Cole,” Nick said seriously, “what’s the matter?”
Cole chewed his lip and stuffed his hands into his sweatpants pockets. “I… don’t know.”
“Are you okay?” Nick asked.
“I don’t know,” Cole repeated.
Nick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, person, place, or thing?”
Cole’s lips twitched into almost a smile. “Person.”
“Someone on the team?” Nick asked, and Cole nodded.
“Alright,” Nick said slowly. “What about them?”
Cole’s jaw clenched. He shrugged.
Nick tried to meet Cole’s eyes. “Have you been crying?” Nick asked gently after getting a closer look at Cole’s face.
Cole nodded silently.
Nick took him by the shoulders and leaned down slightly to be at eye level. “You’re scaring me. What the hell happened? What made you cry? Do I need to beat someone up?”
Cole’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “You can’t exactly beat up yourself.”
Nick frowned. “I made you cry? Whatever I did, I’m sorry.”
But Cole shook his head. “No, it isn’t… you didn’t…” he sighed. “It’s me.”
Nick blinked. “You lost me.”
Cole hesitantly met Nick’s stare. He visibly swallowed. “I just… don’t want the season to be over.”
Nick pulled Cole in for a hug. “Me neither, man.”
Cole pressed his face against Nick’s shirt.
Nick rubbed his back slowly. “So, what? You gonna miss me too much or something?” Nick teased.
Cole nodded, though, and sniffled. He mumbled something, but Nick couldn’t understand.
“What?” he asked.
Cole lifted his head and stared into Nick’s eyes. “I… I said I don’t want to leave the person I’m in love with.”
Nick’s chest tightened with emotions. His mouth opened ajar. He could see a million different emotions running through Cole’s eyes as he waited for a response.
Nick knew he had to give him one soon, or else Cole would freak out even more. So he did the only thing he could think of: kiss him.
Cole was clearly surprised, for he stood there a moment unresponsive.
Nick smiled softly, and that small action was enough to prompt Cole to kiss him back.
Nick reached a hand up and tangled his hands into Cole’s hair.
Cole pressed his body against Nick’s, and Nick took a step back to let his back hit the wall. He leaned his forehead against Cole’s, letting the kiss end, and mumbled, “You don’t have to leave me. I’m right here.”
Cole smiled widely. “Spend the off-season with me. Please.”
Nick chuckled and cupped Cole’s cheek in his hand. “I’m thinking much more than just the off-season, bud.”
Cole blushed. “Do you want to come to Wisconsin with me? Or should we go to London? Or, or stay here—“
Nick laughed again. “We’ll figure it out. Right now, just enjoy the moment.”
Cole smiled sheepishly and nodded. He nuzzled his face into the crook of Nick’s neck and wrapped his arms tightly around his waist.
Nick held him close. He leaned his face against Cole’s hair, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his head.
The Canadiens may have lost, but Nick had won something far greater than the playoffs. He won Cole Caufield’s heart.
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