After a week of partying and celebrating, we finally came down from our championship high. Just in time, because final exams were looming.
“Crap, Tank, I have so much work to get caught up on,” Deirdre confessed on our way back from the varsity gym. “I am so fucked.” She was not the world’s best student.
“Think of this as our final final exams. That’ll cheer you up.”
“Said the chick with the saddest face in the universe. What’s up your ass?”
“I can’t believe I won’t be playing competitive hockey next year. I’m going to miss it so much.”
“You should think about this new women’s hockey league. I’m going to play in it. If I get in, of course,” she added. But Deirdre was a Team Canada candidate, so she was a shoo-in. The Canadian Women’s Hockey League had sprung from a recently disbanded league. Women’s pro hockey was a great idea, but not yet a big draw for investors or even fans.
“Yeah, but they don’t pay anything. Plus there’s travel, and I need to get a real job. I can’t take money from my parents anymore.”
“There’s a CWHL team in Vancouver, isn’t there?” Deirdre said. “You could work and still play hockey.”
“It’s in Langley, which is an hour away. Donna Crofton plays for them. But when I talked to her, she said it’s a gong show. The management team is having trouble getting their financial shit in order, and she thinks the team might go under.” And that was if I even got on the team. Unlike Deirdre, I wasn’t a sure thing.
“You’ll still play hockey, Tank. Join a men’s league and the games’ll be competitive.”
I nodded. There were many different levels of beer league, but I knew it wasn’t the same. What I really wanted was to work in a hockey-related field, and I said so.
“How’s your job search going?” Deirdre asked.
“Hmmm. Sucky, suckier, or suckiest. You choose. I feel like I’ve applied to every single hockey organization in the country. For some reason, my lack of experience or related coursework doesn’t make me very employable.”
“So being captain of a C.I.S. championship team doesn’t mean shit?”
“Yeah, if I wanted to work in hockey, I would have a better chance if I had studied business or statistics than played hockey.” Too bad I hadn’t realized that in first year.
“Have you used all your contacts?”
“Yup, every coach or administrator I know. The only remote possibility has been an unpaid internship in the ECHL.”
“Why don’t you take it?” Deirdre wondered.
“Because I can’t afford to do that. I’ve got student loans, and my parents have to pay my brother’s tuition now.”
“What about—” Deirdre hesitated, which was unlike her. “Um, James Frechette.”
“What about him?”
“Well, you know he’s a shit-hot rookie this season. There’s talk he’s going to win the Calder.”
“I’m aware. He’s in my hockey pool,” I replied. Jimmy was one of the few bright spots on my roster.
“Maybe he can help you find a job,” Deirdre said.
“Sure. I can see that phone call going one of two ways. First, he hangs up on me or second, his fabulous new girlfriend hangs up on me.”
“Yeah, I heard he partied pretty hard last year. At university and then all summer when he got home.”
“You never mentioned that before,” I said.
“That’s because I’m never sure how you feel about him. What if I shat all over his rep, and you two got back together?”
I laughed, but why should Deirdre know something I didn’t know myself? After we broke up last January, he had called a lot to try to get back together. I finally told him it would be easier if we didn’t talk for a while, and then he called less. The last time we spoke was in the summer. I had promised to call him, but I never had. I wanted to concentrate on hockey this year and not have any emotional crap distracting me.
My love life had been disastrous this year, with no guy lasting more than one date. It was almost as if I had blown my dating karma too early by having incredibly intense relationships with Phil and Jimmy. Now I was doomed to Loserville.
“What about you, Dee? Work-wise, I mean.”
“Well, I’m going to Calgary. It’ll be the home base for the Olympic team. I can also play for the CWHL team there and rub shoulders with the best. I’ll get some retail job on the side.”
“That’s awesome. I know you’re going to make it this time.” She hadn’t made the national team yet, but she had gotten a long look.
Deirdre punched my shoulder. “Thanks, Tank. You’ve never been jealous like some of the others.”
“Nope. I know you’re better than me, so I’ve got to live vicariously. Remember, the 2010 Olympics are in Vancouver, so I want tickets.”
“Too bad you can’t live in Calgary. I bet you could be a club player there.”
That made me think about Phil. He was graduating this year, and I heard that he had multiple jobs offers in different cities, Calgary included. Stupid engineers. I had no idea what he’d be doing as we hadn’t talked much this year. Last I’d heard, he had a new girlfriend—as usual.
Damn. I really needed a job. You could always depend on a job. Or was that a dog?
“I’m going to miss seeing you everyday, Tank.”
“Me, too.”
After four years, life was going to change so much. My roommates and my teammates were scattering, and all my familiar routines were ending. I could feel a creeping sadness, but I tried to shake it off. There was no time for moping when I needed to study.