Staal [A Jordan Staaal Story] Fifty-Eight

How 'bout them Pens?!?! What an amazing win against the Isles yesterday, I'm so glad that I was there. One more game before the start of the playoffs, I'm excited. But on with the story, thank you all so much for reading all of my stories. Continue to spread the word and comment. =]



Fifty-Eight

Cassie and Geno sat at home watching TV when Nathan started to cry. "I'll get him." Cassie got up off the couch and went to Nathan's room. While she was on her way there the crying stopped. She walked into the room to find him lying in his crib with a wide smile on his face. "Geno, come see your son."

With a week left before training camp Miriya had some friends over for dinner. Sid, Michelle, Nik, Erin, Colby, Mel, Cassie, Geno, Ryan, and Deb all sat at the dinning room table while Jamie and Jess sat at the coffee table, and Scott, Christiano, and Nathan sat in their car seats.

"Guys," Michelle said. "I have syphilis."

Miriya got up and while practically running to the kitchen said, "She's too young!"

Colby let out a small giggle as everyone at the table stared at him; however Sidney and Mel's stares were more like glares. "Colby?" Sid asked.

"You better stick 'em all because I know I have," Miriya yelled from the kitchen.
Everyone finally caught on to the movie reference and laughed, Miriya came back to the dinning room and everyone finished eating.


September fourteenth rolled around and with it came the start of training camp. Miriya was as nervous as the rest of the rookies; it was her first time doing anything as the team's head coach. "Baby you'll do fine," Jordan said as they got ready that morning. All of the boys believe in you and if any rookies give you a hard time just show 'em whose boss."

"I'll just send them down to Wilkes-Barre," she said with a laugh.

"There you go, let's get outta here." He picked up Scott's car seat and went out to the living room.

Miriya walked out of the bed room in a black Guins t-shirt, black track pants, a new pair of white Nikes and a black, light weight Guins jacket. "Good morning coach," Nik said when her foot hit the carpet in the living room.

“Morning, we’re gonna have to establish when and where I’m to be called coach.”

Jordan couldn’t help but smile. “Nik are you coming with us or taking your car?”

“If its okay with you guys, I’ll go with you.”

“Kay, we’re taking my ‘Stang so you’ll be in the back with Scotty.”

After grabbing a thing of Pop-tarts Miriya made her way out to the car and they were soon off to the arena. When they pulled into the parking lot there was a crowd of people waiting for doors to open for practice. A combination of “Nik, Gronk, Jordan, Staalsy, Coach Staal and Hey look there’s Scotty,” was heard from around the family as they made their way to the door.

None of the players had arrived yet so Miriya went to the lounge to get a bottle of water to try and calm her nerves. Cassie came in from the locker room and sat down on the couch next to her. “Hey coach.” Miriya nodded. “You ready?”

“About as ready as I’m going to be.” Just then Erin and Brooke walked in. “Hey girls.”
“Hey,” Erin said. “Is Scotty ready?”

“Yeah, thank you for watching him.”

“No problem.”


“This is my stall.” “Shut up!” “You guys are gonna piss off the coach on the first day.”

“Looks like they’re here,” she said standing from the couch. She went to both locker rooms saying, “Suit up and be on the ice in fifteen minutes.” She then went and waited on the bench until all of the guys took the ice. She then blew the whistle to get everyone’s attention. “Okay boys, welcome to training camp. Don’t think that because I’m your friend that I’ll go easy on you. You’re going to work hard and if you’re not performing at the level you should be then you’ll be on your way to Wilkes-Barre. If you cooperate practices will be easier and in turn games will be more easily won. If you have good chemistry on a line you will get good passes which lead to good shots, and good lead to goals and finally wins. We’re going to divide you into two teams and everyone needs to stretch, we’re going to be running some ability drills.”

Everyone was divided into teams and one team went to the locker room to do physicals with Michelle. The remaining team stood on the ice and awaited their instructions. “Speed,” Miriya said. “Without it there would be no game. You need it to beat your opponent to his net, to beat the goalie, to get back to your own end on time. We’re going to do two speed drills; the first, of which I know you all hate, but it’s a good warm-up and good for building speed.” Everyone groaned. “So on the goal line.”

Suicides went better than Miriya had initially expected, when everyone returned to the goal line for the final time some of them were even smiling. “Alright boys, well done. Now we’re going blue line to blue line, on my whistle.” That drill went well too.

“Now its time for agility. You must be agile to get through defenders,” she said with a smile. “I’ll give you a few minutes to get some water while I set up the course.”

A row of cones was set up in the neutral zone awaiting the guys to finish their water. “All you have to do is skate through the cones.” As was expected everyone did so with ease. “Quite simple, eh? Now you’re going to have to do it again, but this time with this.” She pulled a brand new puck from her pocket.

“Basically you want us to stick handle?” A tall blonde rookie asked.

“Yes, I want you to stick handle. But if you lose control of the puck you must go back to the end of the line and do it again until you get through without losing the puck. After you make it through go to the locker room for your physicals. Teams A and B will scrimmage today. Everyone form a line and grab a puck.”

Once everyone had made it through the course the other team took the ice. “Alright boys we’re going to work on speed…” She went through the entire thing with the other two teams.

After a short scrimmage was held she kept everyone on the ice for a few more minutes.
“Tomorrow we work on stick handling, passing and shooting. Be ready to work! For now hit the showers, I’ll see you bright and early.” As everyone cleared the ice she grabbed a stick from the bench. She also picked up a few pucks before dropping them to the ice. Letting slap shots rip from the point, everyone hitting the back of the net.

“Hey coach,” someone said from behind her.

“Yeah?” she asked as Jordan spun her around.

“You did amazing for you’re first day.”

“Thanks babe.” She kissed his cheek.

“Let’s go get Scotty and Nik, and go home.”

She smiled as she picked up all the pucks she had used and took them to the locker room which was now quite and empty. “Hey Scotty,” she said taking him from Nik. “Let’s go home.”

“So Nik how was training camp not being a rookie?” Miriya asked at dinner that night.

“Good coach,” a toothy grin appeared. “Seriously I’m not as nervous as last year. Don’t get me wrong Staalsy; I’m still scared that I could get cut and end up in WBS.”

“I’m a fair coach,” she said with a smile. “You work hard ad you’ll make the team.”

The next morning she stepped out onto the ice and smiled as the chill hit her face. No one else was there and no one would be for a least an hour, she was going to take advantage of her time alone. She loved the way that the ice felt beneath her skates, smooth and crisp, no one had been on it sine it was cleaned the night before. After working on her cross-overs for a while she heard talking in the locker room and took her spot on the bench.

Surprisingly the boys had followed her instructions that had been posted in the locker room. Team A was to come out to practice first before scrimmaging against team B. After a few quick laps and stretching everyone lined up to work on passing which was followed by defense. Shooting came next and then more laps and stretching.

The ice was cleaned and it was soon time for the scrimmage. Both teams hit the ice and were ready for the drop of the puck. The white team, team A was up by one at the end of the second fifteen minute period and went to the locker room so that the ice could be cleaned again.

“We will not be coming to the arena tomorrow,” as Miriya said this she received some questioning looks. “We will be training however, working on hand-eye coordination. We will be meeting at St. Sebastian’s school gym in the North Hills at nine am. For now, get out there and practice hard.”

Everyone filled back out to the ice where the white team won the scrimmage. Team B had a good practice, successfully running all of their drills. As it was coming to an end some players threw pucks over the glass to people in the crowd. One girl, who looked to be about seven, had been cheering for Jordan all practice and he took notice. He pulled a sharpie from the bench, signed his stick, and handed it through the glass to the little girl.

“Thank you Jordan. Mommy, mommy, Jordan gave me his stick!” She was practically jumping up and down with the stick that was twice as tall as she was.

“You made her so happy,” Miriya said skating up behind him. “I wish a player would have given me their stick when I was younger.”

“Well I’m all out of sticks, but how about a puck?” He picked up a puck from the ice and signed it in silver sharpie.

“Thank you Mr. Staal,” she said as he placed the puck in her hand. “I’ll cherish it forever.”

“You two are so lame.”

Miriya turned around to see Max skating by, trying to look innocent. “I’d watch who you’re saying that to Max, I have the power to send you to the minors.”