One minute you're at the top of your game, and the next, you receive a hit that knocks your skates out from underneath you.
Still reeling after an unexpected loss, Ryan Nyberg not only finds himself back in his beachside hometown of Neptune Bay, bu...
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Walking back into the arena on Monday morning after a summer away was surreal.
The last time I'd been here, I'd gotten the worst news of my life and had been one of the main reasons the Boston Knights had missed out on a trip to the Stanley Cup finals. But things were different today. There were no fans in the stands and I was starting fresh—putting last season's woes behind me.
First though, I made my way towards Coach Davidson's office, as I'd been asked to come in for an early meeting before training camp officially started at noon.
After rapping my fist a few times on his door, I heard his gruff voice call me in, and was greeted as I stepped into the room and he looked up from his computer.
"Morning, Coach."
"Nyberg." He nodded in acknowledgement. "How was your summer?"
"Good, you know, all things considered," I replied, digging my hands into my shorts pockets while giving him a wry smile. "Spent most of it wrapping my head around the fact I'm now my nephew's legal guardian."
"I heard. Your agent's been good about keeping me and the front office up to date." He paused, his eyes watching me as though he thought I was putting up a mask. "Are you doing okay? I know two months isn't exactly a long time to come to terms with everything that's come your way since the last time I saw you."
"It definitely hasn't been easy," I spoke, releasing a deep breath as I took a seat in the chair across from him, "but I would say I'm on the upswing. Being back in my hometown with my family really helped, and Bowen's a great kid, so I'm lucky there. Wellsley and his girl even came out to visit for a few days." I combed my fingers through my hair, disheveling it slightly. "I'm not saying it's easy by any means. After all, I still miss my brother and his wife every day, and sometimes wonder how I'm supposed to raise my nephew out here in the city, but I'm managing."
"I'm glad to hear it," he said warmly. "And I hope this goes without saying, but your nephew is welcome at the rink should you ever come up against childcare issues. Nobody here wants to see you setback or struggling because of that."
My chest warmed at the offer, knowing that, while I had indeed found someone great to step in for regular childcare, I would surely be taking him up on that sooner or later. "Thanks, Coach. That means a lot."
"No thanks needed. The Knights organization is a team—on and off the ice. And speaking of that—" He folded his hands together on his desks and lifted a brow. "—I'm assuming you're ready for another hard-fought season on the ice?"
I nodded. "You know it."
The corners of his lips turned upward. "Then, Nyberg, I've got two things to talk to you about before you're free to head over and meet with the equipment manager."
"Sure. What are they?"
"Well, first off, the front office forwarded down a recommendation that we set you up with one of the therapists we have connections with in the city," he explained. "And before you say anything, I do want to stress that I agree with them on this. Hockey is just as much a mental game as it is a physical one, especially in between the pipes, and you've had a lot thrust upon your shoulders this off-season. This is something that, from my lens, can only benefit you."
