Part 12 - Nobody's Perfect

As soon as the tournament started I knew that I wouldn’t see very much of Sidney. So he and I enjoyed what little time we had, knowing that it would be really the last time that we got to see each other before the tournament was over.

So we enjoyed a few hours together in the day we had preceding the tournament. I had flown in Thursday afternoon, and the tournament started for Sidney and the Nics against the hometown London Knights on Saturday night. I wished that I could have more time with him, but there wasn’t much that I could do about it.

So Saturday I spent most of the day with Trina and Taylor. We went shopping and hung out. It was nice, but I would have far rather spent the day with Sidney. To make matters worse, I knew that tonight’s game was going to be insanely hard.

Corey and Danny were playing on the Knights, and Sidney was friends with them after this year on Team Canada – both had been late cuts the year before too, so Sidney knew them from the year before as well. It was going to be a tough game for Sid to play.

That night, I dressed carefully, because more than anything, I wanted Sidney to win this game, and I wanted him to win this tournament. I wanted Sidney to have everything he had ever wanted out of life, because I knew instinctively that when Sidney was happiest he would do everything in his power to make me as happy as he was, and it would be good.

I put on a pair of well fitting jeans, a black tank top, and one of the Rimouski jersey’s that Sidney had sent me, though it wasn’t one of his. It was Eric’s. I figured that every other girl in that arena was going to be wearing a Sidney Crosby jersey and I definitely didn’t want to blend in with the crowd.

The Crosby’s had arranged for me to sit near them, but not with them. They didn’t want to ruin Sidney’s single status after all. So I would be sitting with the parents and friends and family of Sidney’s roommate, Eric Neilson.

It was a tough start to the first for the Nics. Less than three minutes into the game, Marc Methot opened the scoring for the Knights. With the score 1-0 just over a minute after the goal, Michal Sersen took a cross-checking penalty that put the Nics a man down.

Fortunately the Nics PK was able to kill off the penalty, but I couldn’t help being on the edge of my seat. It was nerve wracking, being down a goal in the Knights home arena. Less then 4 minutes after scoring the opening goal, Methot took an interference penalty that put the Nics power play on the ice.

Now I don’t know exactly how much CHL hockey you’ve seen, but the Nics have probably the most deadly power play in the entire CHL. It didn’t take very long for them to prove just how dangerous it could be. Thirty seconds into the power play, Sid put one in the back of the net, from MAP and Dany R.

“Yes!” I screamed, leaping from my seat as someone from the Rimouski group swung me around.

I giggled. No one here really knew each other that well, but if you were wearing an Ocèanic jersey, you were automatically part of the group… part of the family almost. Things seemed to be going the Nics way after that. They were dominating the play and setting the tone.

Before the first period was half over, Sidney set up MAP and the boys went up 2-1. This time, Taylor ran over to where I was and I scooped her up in my arms and gave her a big hug. “What do you think of that big brother of yours Tay?” I asked her, a grin plastered on my face as I spun her around.

Taylor squealed. “I can’t wait to watch him play next year.” She told me. “I can’t wait for you to watch him play next year Drew.”

I grinned down at the little girl. Her eyes were so like Sidney’s. “And why’s that Tay?” I asked her.

“Because he always plays better when he knows that you’re watching.” She informed me. “And with you watching him play all of next year, he’ll win the Rookie of the Year for sure.”

I shook my head with a smile. “I think you have a little too much faith in me there Tay.” I told her honestly.

“No way.” Taylor said shaking her head. “With you on his side my brother’s going places.”

I just shook my head. “We don’t know where I’m going to be in the fall there Tay. Neither does Sidney.”

“He told me that you were going with him.” Taylor pouted.

I sighed. “And I told him that we’ll see.” I told her with a small grin. “But I think your brother believes that he can talk me into just about anything. What do you think?”

Fortunately, Taylor giggled and grinned at me. “I think he can talk you into to it.” She said with conviction. “’Cause he talked you into coming to watch.”

“That he did.” I told her, ruffling her hair.

About seven minutes after the first goal, with the Nics on the power play after killing off penalties taken by Mario and Francois Bolduc, Dany Roussin scored from Scalzo and Desjardins to give the Nics a 3-1 lead.

The Ocèanic fans were going nuts as the boys headed to locker room with the lead. Even though Patrick Coulombe had just taken a high sticking penalty at the end of the period, they were still cheering as loudly as they possibly could for their boys.

It was surreal to be in that arena as the boys skated off the ice. Everyone had been talking about the London Knights all season. About how they had that great win streak – that record breaking win streak, and they really had ignored the Nics.

Yet here it was, the end of the first period of the first game in the most important tournament in the lives of many of these young men, and the team that everyone was discounting was up. So I cheered for my boys right along with them.

True, I hadn’t really met any of them other than Sidney, but they were still my boys. I’d spoken to each and every one of them on the phone several times. I was particularly close to Junior and Eric, but I loved them all. So those were the boys that I was cheering for as they took the ice in the second period.

The second period didn’t start the way the Rimouski fans wanted it to though. Just as Patrick was getting out of the box, Dan Fritsche hit the back of the net to make the score 3-2.
The Knights dominated the play in much the same way they had in the first period, out shooting the Nics, and causing the boys to take far too many penalties. When the second period ended, twenty minutes later, with the boys from Rimouski holding on to a one goal lead, I sighed with relief.

The boys hadn’t played well in the second, sending players to the box seven times to the Knights three. The Knights kept running Cedrick, and yet the refs continued to allow it. Brandon Purst was on him like white on rice. I could only imagine what Coach would have said to his boys if they’d played that way, and I hoped like hell that Doris Labonte was saying some of those same things to the Nics.

The Knights fans had all of the energy back and our section of the stands, despite the still having the lead, was decidedly quiet. This tournament could be hell, and only a team that was perfect was guaranteed to go straight to the final, and after a season like these boys had had, all of them could use the extra rest that the bye would give them.

I was anxious, as were Troy and Trina a few seats away from me. Trina smiled wanly at me. “One more to go.” She mouthed.

I grinned. I knew Trina well enough by now to know that every game… every incredibly important game like this one, without a comfortable lead, was enough to give her a stress induced heart attack. Anyone who knew me well knew the same could be said for me. I didn’t like close games. I liked it when my boys hit the ice and dominated.

I headed to the concession to get a diet coke. I needed a stimulant in my system if I was going to make it through this third period. So I went down to the concession, part way through intermission, as people started to return to their seats.

I’ve never been an exceedingly patient person, and waiting in lines at intermission has never been one of my favourite pastimes. So I waited until almost everyone had what they wanted before I bothered heading near the concession stand.

I got the diet coke, and headed back to my seat, arriving just in time to see one of the Knights score the tying goal. I groaned in frustration. This couldn’t be happening. These boys had worked too hard in this game for this too happen. I had to be imagining things.

Except of course, for the minor detail that I wasn’t imagining anything, the London Knights had in fact scored the tying goal. I watched the rest of the period in disgust. The Knights continued to out play my Ocèanics, and, not only were they out playing them, they were keeping the hometown crowd into the game.

So with the crowd behind them, the Knights outplayed the Ocèanic for the second straight period and had all of the momentum heading into overtime. I was just as angry as the other Nic fans. We were quiet, but we were pissed. Troy especially. Sidney had been taking a beating out there.
Unfortunately, they showed it to, when the OT frame started, the Knights came out flying and it looked like the Nics came out limping. Sidney looked like his back was bothering him again, and I was instantly concerned.

I was on my feet, with the rest of the crowd, starring anxiously down at the ice, and anxiously down at my baby. He looked dejected… tired. He hadn’t lost in so long, this had to be horrible. I mean, yeah, they’d lost that one game to Chicoutimi, but it wasn’t the same as this.

They’d hoped to open the Memorial Cup with a win. They’d come out flying. But the Knights had too much depth. They’d been able to come back, and Sidney looked like he wanted to hit something. Or cry.

Looking at him, I’m sure that most people around me only saw Sidney’s anger, but I knew him better then that. He was sad. He was upset. He hadn’t wanted to open the tournament like this.
Then he was looking into the crowd, his eyes searching, and I knew that he was looking for me. I knew that I wasn’t supposed to make my presence known, but I couldn’t help but give him a small wave. He was sad. He needed that little gesture. Sidney saw me, and nodded as he headed off the ice.

I sighed. I knew then and there that Sidney was going to be in an awful mood until they won a game, and the competition at this tournament was steep. Probably steeper then anything the Oceanics had faced before. It was going to take a lot to get him over this.

He would need for his team to win the next game and to win it big. I starred down at the ice as they called the three stars. Corey Perry was named third star, and then of course, Sidney was second star. He skated on the ice, his lips drawn and tight. He wanted to be back in the room with the boys.

“Drew are you going to go down, or are you going to go back to the hotel?” Troy asked in a voice that told me that the right answer was to go back to the hotel.

I sighed. “I suppose that I should probably go back to the hotel.” I said, feeling dejected. “Too much press around and all.”

“Exactly.” Troy said, with a relieved grin. “I knew that you’d understand Drew.”

I nodded. “Tell the boys that I said hi okay Taylor?” I said, since Taylor looked about as upset as I felt. “And tell Eric to keep Sid out of trouble until I can take over.”

Taylor grinned up at me. “Only if you promise to take me shopping tomorrow while Mom and Dad are watching Sidney practice and talk to the stupid media and all of that other stupid stuff he does all day.”

“If it’s okay with your Mom and Dad, then it’s a deal Taylor.” I told her, glancing and Trina and Troy, who nodded. “Then I’ll come get you at like, ten tomorrow morning okay?”

Taylor nodded, excited. “Don’t spoil her too much Drew.” Trina advised. “Her last shopping trip with you must have cost you a fortune.”

I shrugged. “I have a small fortune, and its mine to spend on whoever I want.” I said, ruffling Taylor’s hair. “And I can’t think of anyone better to spend my money on.”

“What about me?” Dion’s voice said dejectedly from behind me.

I rolled my eyes. “I can see my escort has arrived.” I said to the Crosby’s, ruffling Taylor’s hair again.

Dion shrugged. “I thought I was your best friend, not your escort. Though I suppose if the kid’s not taking care of business….” Dion grinned wickedly at me.

I stuck my tongue out at him and elbowed him in the side. “Do you have to do this in front of his parents Dion? Are you like programmed to embarrass me?”

Dion shrugged again and grinned. “I’m programmed to treat you the exact same way that you’re programmed to treat me Drew. Now come on, I’m hungry.”

I rolled my eyes. “When are you not hungry?” I demanded.

“Exactly.” D replied. “So come grab a bite with me, and then we’ll meet the Crosby’s back at the hotel.”

I shrugged, glancing at Trina and Troy, who were already herding Taylor towards the locker rooms. “I guess the decision’s already been made.” I said, taking D’s arm.

Dion leaned down and kissed me softly on the forehead. “Don’t worry about it Drew.” He said gently. “Things are stressful. Just get through the week hon, and everything will be okay.”