Chapter 8

The rest of the day rushes by in a blur after lunch. First the grip test which was surprisingly easy for Drakocarr, all those years of wielding pickaxes really paid off in the grip strength category as he managed to be first of all the prospects. He also managed to snag 3rd in the maximum bench press category establishing himself as one of the physically strongest in the draft.

In the long jump Drakocarr struggles and barely makes it into the top 20 of 32 prospects (not including goalies). Drakocarr’s defensive partner Brent snags first in the vertical jump however, Drakocarr redeems himself in the event placing top 5. Drakocarr manages to fall right in the middle of the pack with the pull up challenge, finishing 14th in number of completed pull ups in 5 minutes. Next was the agility competition, certainly one of Drakocarr’s weak points for the position he plays. Unfortunately, Drakocarr only manages to place 25th Overall in this particular competition. After the agility test was the Y-Balance test, where Drakocarr excelled surprisingly well finishing 8th out of the draftees. In both the Wingate Test and the VO2 Max test Drakocarr finished 10th and 16th respectively.

Finally it’s time for the prospects to join the general managers for an informal dinner before the scrimmage. Drakocarr, starving from the days festivities, is piling his plate full of food at the buffet when he is approached by Ergo Nomic. She is sipping an expensive looking cocktail and holding another one in her left hand. “Here you look like you need a drink after today!” She exclaims handing Drakocarr the drink in her left hand.

“Uh thanks, are these for the prospects?” Drakocarr takes the cocktail and sips a little bit off the top. His face immediately puckers with disgust.

Ergo lets out a laugh, “they are if you know the right people! BadWolf and I go way back, we’ll be fine. Come sit with me!” She leads him over to a table for two in the corner separated far from the hustle and bustle of prospects and executives rubbing elbows. Ergo gestures for him to sit down across from her. Drakocarr pulls out the chair and sits down slowly sipping his drink allowing his eyes to wander around the room from face to face, thinking about whether or not every prospect in the room has a family and home to go back to or if they are in a situation like his. Maybe they are all from different realms and we’re all here on a common quest, thinks Drakocarr. As soon as the thought crosses his mind he shakes his head, no if we were I wouldn’t be the only seeming so far out of place.

After a few minutes of awkward silence Ergo speaks startling Drakocarr out of his daydream, “so what is your story? I know most of these guys from coming up through the under 18 and junior ranks and even the ones who played over sees I’ve at least heard of. You come out of nowhere with a weird name – no offense – and you’re pretty darn good, where did you used to play?”

Drakocarr takes another sip out of his drink slluuuuuurrrrpppppp. Drakocarr glances down and realizes he has drank his whole drink. He awkwardly sets the empty glass down and swallows hard again recalling the fictional back story Lord Stanley had instructed him to use when asked this question. “I used to play for a small American community college, one day the local ECHL team had a game against us. It was supposed to be a whopping for us, easy warm up game for them to get them ready for the regular season. No one on that team wanted to be playing in that game so we decided to give them hell. I had 8 hits that game and the game winning goal. It was the only goal I scored all season. It was good enough to get me scouted and signed by a player agent though.”

“Wow that’s crazy I’ve never heard of someone making it to the SMJHL from community college like that, you must have been damn good and it must have been one hell of a goal!” Ergo leans back taking a small sip of her drink.

Drakocarr feels heat rising in his neck as he realizes Ergo is going to need a little more convincing before she will buy his back story, “Oh it was, it was. I hit the guy behind my own net right into the boards. He falls to the ground like a sack of potatoes and turns the puck right over onto my stick. I skate out from behind the net and look for an up ice pass, I quickly realize there are no passing lanes and the defensive coverage has my linemates all tied up on the boards, but there’s room for me to skate it out down the center of the ice. So I take off full speed and hit my teammate Casris breaking down the far wing boards. He crosses the blue line into the offensive zone me right behind him and he slides me a filthy drop pass while faking a shot. The goalie goes down and I hammer that puck as hard as I can skating full speed into my slapshot, my stick goes flying broken in half but you hear the ping as it dings off the iron and falls into the net. Nothing like going bar down with 30 seconds left in the third period to go up by one.”

“Wow that does sound like a crazy goal, that’s awesome I bet the ladies loved you at school after that. You probably had to beat them off with a stick!” Ergo laughs, waiving down a waiter. “We’ll both take another one please garcon.” The waiter hurries off to fill their drink order as Drakocarr breathes a sigh of relief realizing Ergo buys his story.

“I don’t know about the beating them off with a stick thing, usually introducing my boyfriend to them is enough to scare them off” Drakocarr laughs taking the first sip of his second drink, “I’m feeling pretty good with these drinks.”

“Yeah me too, sorry I didn’t realize you were gay. Were one of those boys you were with yesterday your boyfriend?” Ergo is blushing, feeling embarrassed for assuming Drakocarr’s sexuality.

“Yeah the tall skinny one that was sitting out, that’s my Antigor, he isn’t really a sports kind of guy, but he’s always her to support me in anything I need. I love that man he risked his life to save mine…” Drakocarr trails off, tears welling up in his eyes thinking of the sacrifices Antigor was willing to make for him.

“How did he save your life?” Ergo asks innocently.

Drakocarr’s face flashes with a moment of anxiety before he regains his composure, “It’s personal, I can’t tell you that or I’d have to kill you.”

Ergo lets out a laugh, “Are you going to talk to any of the general managers or scouts tonight? Badwolf told me most of them are going to interview every prospect anyways. I don’t think I’ll be wasting my energy trying to brownnose with them tonight and tomorrow.”

Drakocarr let’s out a laugh, “Yeah I hear that, what are you suggesting as an alternative?”

Ergo smiles mischievously, “Call your boyfriend and friend, I’m getting Rolf, Ivan, Lesgo, and my friend Lias. We’re going out in Church, you ever been to Woody’s and Sailor’s?” The confused look on Drakocarr’s face answer’s her question, “It’s the biggest gay bar in Toronto, you guys will love it. Just remember not to party too hard we have the interviews tomorrow. Now go call your friends and meet me outside!”