"Heads up!" Tetsuro shouted as he quickly passed the puck to Masashi.
The puck glided smoothly across the ice before reaching Masashi's stick. Unfortunately, his control was still a work in progress. It bounced off the blade of his stick and rolled into the corner.
"This is really difficult no matter how much I practice," Masashi complained through gritted teeth.
"Let's try again. Here we go." Tetsuro delivered a softer pass, which Masashi was able to control.
"This won't work. Once we get into practice matches, the opposing team won't wait for me to control the puck," Masashi said, continuing to glide with the puck on his stick.
"How did you play on your old team, anyway?" Tetsuro asked.
"I told you, I never said I was good at it. I played only sparingly," Masashi reminded him again.
"Are you sure you're comfortable gripping your stick that way?" Tetsuro asked, eyeing the way Masashi gripped his stick.
"My dominant hand is my right hand, This is how I've always held it since I started playing." Masashi replied quickly, demonstrating how he gripped his stick.
"Yea but in Canada we're usually taught to have our dominant hand on top of the non-dominant hand when holding our hockey stick. You're holding your stick with your dominant hand below your nondominant hand…" Tetsuro analyzed as he closed in on Masashi's grip.
"Do you feel comfortable holding it that way? Have you ever tried holding it differently?" Tetsuro asked, as he flipped the puck on his stick.
Masashi looked at Tetsuro in disbelief. The idea of changing something he was so used to felt daunting. It was another adjustment he needed to make. But he relented and tried holding the stick the way Tetsuro suggested.
At first, it felt strange having his dominant hand on the upper end of the hockey stick. However, he soon noticed he could maneuver the puck more quickly with this grip. He also felt a greater sense of control, as his dominant hand provided more stability at the top of the stick.
"You think like Oshiro. It's uncanny how you both come up with solutions to problems. I never would have thought to change my grip, but it really does feel much better." Masashi glanced at Tetsuro, then tapped the ice with his stick, signaling for him to pass the puck. Tetsuro quickly obliged and passed the puck to him.
Tetsuro remained silent. It had been a few days since they started practicing at the rink near his house, yet he hadn't brought up the topic of Masashi and Mina. He didn't want to intrude.
"Yeah, she's been into hockey since she was a child, or so I've heard," Tetsuro finally replied, sensing that the lingering silence was becoming awkward.
Just as Masashi was about to respond, he heard his cellphone ringtone coming from his bag on the bench. He quickly skated over, read the text message, then tossed his phone back into his bag before heading off the ice.
"Sorry, man, duty calls. I'll see you at practice. By the way, I heard from Oshiro that Coach Takamatsu is back. He should be at practice today, so that's some good news for you." Masashi said, waving hastily as he left the rink.
Tetsuro waved back but chose not to question Masashi's hasty departure. Instead, he focused on his own on-ice drills. The exercises varied depending on the day, and today he worked on puck handling, weaving the puck in and out of cones spaced across the ice. He also practiced skating on one leg from one end of the rink to the other, alternating legs to improve his balance. Additionally, he honed his shooting, aiming for the top corners of the goal. Finally, he finished his session with a lap around the rink.
After his long practice Tetsuro's hockey gear was damp and beaded with sweat, his face drenched. Even his visor had fogged up. He quickly removed his helmet, brushed his hair back with his hands, and grabbed his water bottle, splashing some water onto his face to help cool down.
Tetsuro didn't have time to enjoy his bliss for too long as his alarm from his phone interrupted him. If he didn't shower or bathe in the next half hour he was going to be late to school so he hastily went to his house and changed into his school uniform.
At school, it was more of the same. He did his best to absorb the material and stayed focused, trying to be studious. However, after the morning practices with Masashi, the afternoon sessions with the hockey team, and weight training late into the evening, he felt completely drained. The exhaustion eventually caught up with him, and he found himself falling asleep in class.
Suddenly, the white walls and warm temperature of the classroom made it the perfect place for a nap. The view of snow flurries drifting outside the window, the silence of his classmates, and the monotone delivery of the teacher's lesson all combined to create the ideal environment for him to drift off to sleep.
"Tetsuro!" Tetsuro snapped his head up at the sound of his name. As his eyes slowly focused, he realized his homeroom teacher and entire class was staring at him.
"No falling asleep in my class," his homeroom teacher scolded, clearly offended by his dozing off.
"Sorry about that," Tetsuro replied quickly, attempting to regain focus.
Tetsuro glanced at Masashi, feeling a mix of frustration and confusion. Masashi was supposed to be his friend, yet, he hadn't even tried to wake him up. So he thought.
"Hey, man, you didn't even try to wake me?" Tetsuro whispered, his tone accusatory.
"I did," Masashi replied quietly. "But when I tried to wake you, the teacher heard me and saw you were asleep." Masashi assured him.
"Fair enough." Tetsuro relented.
"Silence!" their homeroom teacher scolded, catching them whispering behind her back.
The rest of the classes dragged on as he fought to stay awake. Instead of eating lunch, Tetsuro stayed in his homeroom and napped during his free time. He wasn't accustomed to the intense physical strain from all the exercise, and it was starting to take its toll.
Finally, school ended, and Tetsuro met up with Masashi for practice. The locker room was buzzing with conversation, but it fell silent as Coach Takamatsu entered. It had been nearly a month since he'd left them to practice on their own, and with the regional tournaments just a few months away, every extra session to build team chemistry was crucial. All of his teammates looked on, waiting for Coach Takamatsu to speak.
"First I want to apologize for my absence" Coach Takamatsu started as he cleared his throat.
"I've been away scouting the powerhouse schools around Hokkaido, trying to identify which systems would work best for our team," Coach Takamatsu continued. "I also checked out some lesser-known teams, both to analyze their systems and to arrange some practice matches."
"And I believe I've found the system that suits us best," Coach Takamatsu continued. "We'll be using the 1-2-2 forecheck. It's a more conservative system where one forward applies pressure on the puck carrier to regain possession. With two forwards and two defensemen back, it reduces the risk of odd-man rushes. The same approach will be used on our penalty kill. One forward will aggressively pursue the puck, while another forward and a defenseman cover the middle of the ice, and the last defenseman will stay near the crease to keep the goalie's line of sight clear."
"Sorry, coach, but doesn't that mean we'll be defending for most of the game? Won't that put a lot of strain on our defensemen?" Tetsuro said as he raised his hand and spoke up.
"It's only a temporary system until we build chemistry as a team," Coach Takamatsu explained, addressing Tetsuro's concerns. "Once I believe that chemistry is there, we'll transition to a more balanced system, or possibly even a more offense-driven approach."
"As for the power play, we'll be using a more unconventional system for 5-on-4. I believe the spread system will work best for our team," Coach Takamatsu explained.
"Our good friend Oshiro has provided you with training plans to improve your skating and balance. With those in place, the goal is to overload the slot and the middle of the ice, overpowering the penalty killers. This system involves three forwards crowding the slot, while one defenseman and the remaining forward cover the point." Coach Takamatsu went into full detail about the system, which Tetsuro appreciated, especially after his long absence.
"Now, what you've all been waiting for—the line combinations for our team, including the power play and penalty kill," Coach Takamatsu announced as he pulled out a large dry erase board to display to the entire team.
5 on 5 lines ( Forward - Centerman - Forward)
First Line:
Yujiro Koyoma - Rikuto Yokota - Taizo Matsumura
Second Line:
Natsuki Bessho - Eito Zukeran - Makoto Ochi
Third Line:
Ikuto Raiko - Issei Kabe - Rei Egami
Fourth Line:
Benji Emura - Tetsuro Arbour - Jun Amamiya
Defensive Pairings
First Defensive Pairing:
Soichi Ashida - Masashi Mizuno
Second Defensive Pairing:
Shun Obara - Daigo Watanabe
Third Defensive Pairing:
Kentaro Gu - Jiro Matsuda
Goaltenders
Kyo Iwasaki
Miki Noguchi
First Penalty Kill Unit
Tetsuro Arbour - Jun Amamiya
Kentaro Gu - Masashi Mizuno
Second Penalty Unit
Benji Emura - Issei Kabe
Soichi Ashida - Daigo Watanabe
First Power Play:
Makoto Oichi - Tetsuro Arbour - Taizo Matsamura
Yujiro Koyoma - Masashi Mizuno
Second Power Play:
Natsuki Bessho - Eito Zukeran - Issei Kabe
Rei Egami - Shun Obara
The entire team stared at the board, some surprised, some irritated, and others clearly unhappy.
"Before anyone complains, let me say this is the best lineup I could come up with. Of course, if any of you overperform or prove you're capable of more than I've anticipated, I'll adjust the lines accordingly," Coach Takamatsu said, his voice stern and confident.
"Can you explain your line decisions, Coach?" the towering captain asked. "From what I understand, you usually want your best defensive players on the ice for the penalty kill and your best offensive players on the power play. Why is Tetsuro on both?"
Kyo Iwasaki, standing at nearly 1.95 meters, loomed over the entire team. As the starting goaltender, he was a formidable presence in the net. It was a rare event when anyone managed to score on him, he seemed capable of covering the entire goal on his own. In all honesty, Tetsuro was slightly afraid of him.
His expression was always stern and confident, his clean-cut black hair styled as if he were in the military. His silver eyes seemed to analyze you, as if you had to prove you were worthy of his attention. Whenever he spoke, the team fell silent, and it was clear that Tetsuro wasn't the only one who felt a sense of apprehension around him. It was unusual for a goaltender to be named captain, especially at the pro level, but Kyo's commanding presence and no-nonsense attitude made him an undeniable leader. The coach gave him the title, and no one dared to object.
"Tetsuro is arguably our best defensive centerman, which is why he's on the first penalty kill unit. He's also one of our top offensive centermen. On top of that, our specialty coaches have informed me that he's put in an exceptional amount of work, and you have to reward that. Overall, he's the most well-rounded player on our roster, excelling in both offense and defense," Coach Takamatsu concluded.
"Then why isn't he on the first line? Usually your best players play on the first line." Masashi chimed in.
"That's correct. However, I've placed him on the fourth line because he will be handling the toughest assignments, specifically defending against the opponents' top lines. His line is made up entirely of defensive players, including his forwards, and he'll have to carry that responsibility. Our other lines are more offensively focused, so I hope that by facing the other teams' lower lines, they'll be able to capitalize on those matchups," Coach Takamatsu explained.
"Although he's on the fourth line, he will likely log the most minutes among our forwards and centermen," Coach Takamatsu continued.
"That's why his training regimen is tougher than anyone else's. He'll need to get stronger, and his stamina must improve to meet the expectations I have for him." Coach Takamatsu then looked toward Tetsuro and the rest of the team. Tetsuro, unused to being the center of attention, shifted uncomfortably under their gazes.
"Alright, next week our real training begins. In a month, we'll be traveling to Hakodate for a hockey camp with about eight teams. It'll be a great opportunity to learn and compete against them, so be ready. Get a good rest tonight, and don't be late to classes or fall asleep in them," Coach Takamatsu said, his gaze locking onto Tetsuro as he delivered the last part with a stern look.
"Yes, sir!" The entire hockey team replied in unison as they left the locker room and went their separate ways home.
Tetsuro couldn't quite figure out how to feel about it. He appreciated the vote of confidence from his coach, but he hadn't expected to be placed on the fourth line. The fourth line typically started in their own defensive zone, which meant he'd be at a disadvantage compared to the other lines on his team. While he had grown accustomed to playing on the fourth line since his youth hockey days in Canada, he wasn't used to being on the power play. Power play chemistry needed to be flawless to be effective, and now he would have to train with the players on the first power play unit. He planned to see if they were willing to train with him and Masashi in the mornings, and from there, he would take it one step at a time.