𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙡𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙜𝙤 / 𝙩𝙬𝙤

"rink rats"

"Hey Ella, guess what?" Charlie poked his head around my locker door and grinned at me. We had just finished another eventful practice; the last one before we faced Russia. 

"What, Charlie?"

"I'm gonna get Russ on the team."

My eyes widened. "Russ? Like knucklepuck Russ?"

"That's him! Wanna come with me to talk to Coach?" 

I laughed and shook my head. It was just like Charlie to recruit new team members. He was practically a mini Coach. "Sure, I'll tag along."

"Great!" 

When we got to Coach Bombay's office, Charlie stopped us outside. "Alright you wait right here Russ. I'll call you in when we're ready."

He nodded and flashed me a big smile. I smiled back and followed Charlie inside.

When we walked in, Charlie didn't waste a second. "Coach, I know with Banks out, we got a roster slot open."

"Yeah?"

"You know how I always told you I'd make a better coach than a player? I did some scouting for us." He leaned towards the door. "Come on in!"

Russ walked in and Charlie slung his arm around him. "Russ Tyler. Coach Bombay."

"Hiya Coach!"

Coach sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Russ Tyler, huh?" Maybe he remembered Russ as the loudmouth kid that had taunted Jesse and I, only a few days earlier. "Well Russ, what can you do for the team?" 

Russ shook his head. "You've never heard of my knucklepuck?"

This seemed to peak Coach's interest. "Knucklepuck? No." He leaned forward and looked at me.

"Ella what do you think about all of this?"

I rubbed my lips together and glanced at the two eager boys. "I think Charlie is right. Russ will be a great addition to this team."

"Well alright then."

Charlie and Russ high fived me and ran out cheering.

We had just gotten a new teammate.

_

Russ was right about his knucklepuck. In our game against Russia he was able to bump us ahead, with a goal in the second half. 

After we had won, Coach gathered us into the locker room for a surprise. 

"I told him no visitors, but hewanted to congratulate you anyway." Coach moved out of the way and a tall man walked in. I couldn't believe my eyes.

 "That's Wayne Gretzky!"  

"Can I shake your hand?"

"How ya doin'?"

Everyone reached out to touch the world famous player.

 "This is The Great One!" Charlie exclaimed.

 "Wayne's fine." Everyone laughed and a photographer waved his hand, motioning us to scoot closer together.

"Say hockey!

"Hockey!"

_

That night, Coach told us all to meet in the practice rink. 

"I wonder what we're all doing here?" Connie asked, as we skated towards center rink. 

"I'm not sure." It wasn't uncommon for us to have a light practice the night before a game, but Coach told us not to bring our gear, which was strange.