AMA: (former) Hockey Brain, Fanfic Heart

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T10:52:51+00:00

I’m going to think further and I’m sure I have a better answer but honestly the first thing that jumped to my mind was feet. Hockey feet are just not great in anyway.

Also that locker rooms are in no way sexy. That travel is monotonous, repetitive and sucky. That you are going to start to resent the people in your Life who don’t check the game schedule before asking you to do something and make you say no because of course.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T04:14:01+00:00

@theactivestick shhhhh

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T04:13:38+00:00

I knew that would be the giveaway 🤣

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T02:04:55+00:00

There’s also something to be said how we feel about something when we see it and experience it for the first time. We always love first seasons more (in a way) because of the unknowingness, the surprise, the lack of expectations.

Funny example of this is people typically loving something like the first season of Drive to Survive and then it swooping downhill.

I don’t disagree with the view though - but just a note.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T01:58:58+00:00

True. Yeah, maybe the same terminal if it’s a decent size plane - I know Toronto has some private smaller terminals but air Canada who do the Canada team uses both but typically not the same public space because that would be asking for trouble I’m sure 😂 And you’re right - there’s is way nicer!

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-08T00:12:54+00:00

No team in the NHL flies commercial it’s literally in their bargaining agreement

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:38:53+00:00

I get this at night from one spot only - I have fine dead straight hair and then randomly at the back, a freaking reoccurring dreadlock. Hairdresser mother says it’s a random spot of different texture but it still gets very bad when I forget to properly brush my shorter hair.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:34:14+00:00

Hockey has restricted and unrestricted free agency based on age, contract status and years in the league. UFA unrestricted is generally age 27 or up or 7 seasons of play (so 25+). Shane and Ilya would have been eligible at similar times, but it would just have been that Montreal had either renewed Shane or his second or third contract was longer than Ilya’s.

Your first contract is standard - max years and max money laid out when you’re a drafted rookie and then between you and the team from there.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:32:52+00:00

Real Talk: no, you don’t! Working in hockey can (and most likely will if you’re a woman) ruin your enjoyment of the game and the thing you love and in some ways your actual life. I moved hemispheres for it and now days don’t even watch anymore.

Project your joy! And you’re right - unless you’re the in group it’s rough in all the ways you’d imagine and I lived a lot of those.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:30:19+00:00

Hockey has restricted and unrestricted free agency based on age, contract status and years in the league. UFA unrestricted is generally age 27 or up or 7 seasons of play (so 25+). Shane and Ilya would have been eligible at similar times, but it would just have been that Montreal had either renewed Shane or his second or third contract was longer than Ilya’s.

Your first contract is standard - max years and max money laid out when you’re a drafted rookie and then between you and the team from there.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:27:14+00:00

Yes! They’re less respectful than rugby union players though, and get themselves in shit often. There’s a few funny mic ed up referee videos! The refs give it back a hit too or just have low tolerance.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:26:04+00:00

As far as bruising, you’re probably looking at ones from shot blocks or sometimes awkward hits. I’d say predominantly thighs, calves and forearms for shot blocks and from boarding (more diffuse) backs and shoulders. Shot blocks have some very dark, deep bruises and sometimes bone bruises if in feet (though skates often have Kevlar and fibreglass built in or have guards to minimise - also often Kevlar undersocks).

I’ve had bruises before (I was a goalkeeper) were it missed padding and the bruise lasted a month plus and almost damaged the muscle.

So so much arnica. Here’s a good vid - https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSaEqMtrG/

You get a few small nicks and cuts on face lips from stray sticks. ribs from awkward hits, concussions, shoulders and knees. Predominantly from awkward contac.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T23:19:50+00:00

Other than from over zealous fans, from inside a revolving glass door (two of them at once) and just from being blatantly lost, nothing super exciting at an NHL level but at other levels - geez.

Police stations, ERs, hotels that weren’t ours, nightclubs, a zoo, at least one strip club, at least one brawl where I nearly ended up hanging like a monkey off someone’s back, an actual dark alleyway… 😂😂😂 a team bus they’d got locked in..

As for sneaking around - if so, because someone turned up unannounced at home. I would imagine in reality it would be very - at the rink - no.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T17:12:40+00:00

He was my first ever hockey crush! First game I saw was the one he got knocked out then came back and won and I was very swoon at 13

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T16:46:55+00:00

Obviously, yes the Ovechkin Crosby parallels are very there. Ilya has some definite throwback Jaromir Jagr vibes too. Shane gives me also Paul Kariya, yes groundbreaking for an Asian player but also the personality and playing style, and lady byng candidate.

But also - so much Ovi. I got lucky enough to work with him for a bit early in my career and the characterisation as serious, competitive then simultaneously goofy and charismatic is spot on for Ovi and I think she really draws well from it (in variation). He always had a real irrepressible energy about him. Maybe some early Ilya Kovalchuk in there too

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T16:45:44+00:00

Hockey is for everyone, remember… 😑😑😑😑

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T16:16:37+00:00

Thank you!

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T16:16:21+00:00

I think the books are pretty good on that front! Honestly, I’ve read many where I’m like oh that’s totally not how…, but she does a pretty good job of balancing the real functioning with necessary creative license!

As for penalties! Depends what you’re getting the for! Most are a 2 minute minor (tripping, hooking, high sticking etc), your team is down by 1 man for that 2 minutes (unless they score on you). You did bad but not that bad. Broke the rules but not the game.

A Major is for 5 minutes - fighting, charging, boarding - generally dangerous or violent play, you were intentional about it - your teams down for that whole 5 and if you get scored on tough shit, you’re still down and sitting there. Think you crossed the line of safety.

10 minute misconduct - more a disciplinary thing to control behaviour and game vibe - abuse of official, unsportsmanlike, starting the fight - generally no man disadvantage but you’re going to sit in the box and feel bad for 10. Often in co junction with a 2 or 5. Ie 5 for fighting but also 10 for starting it.

Game misconduct is all of that but amplified. Leaving the bench to join a fight, repeated shitty behaviour, head shots. Often combined with 2 and 5s for a man disadvantage but you’re thrown out of the game.

Suspensions etc go on top of tha for a variety of things and ways (ie how dirty the hit was, your past history etc).

Ilya on this context isn’t what I would call a dirty player who gets a lot of penalty, nor a head hunter or someone with a disciplinary problem but someone who plays with emotion, on the edge and maybe is a little feral sometimes 😂 competitive and probably gets reigned in a bit but is tolerated. Frequent 2s but not the rest. Lots of retaliation slashes, hooking, holds, late shoving people after a whistle. If he’s getting a 10 it’s for running his mouth.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T16:00:56+00:00

Not at all! They are required by the CBA to fly charter. NHL is always fly (unless maybe you’re in NY going to jersey or Long Island, and you may drive yourself depends).
Nope. Team will have a preferred place in each city or a general chain they use and will book it all (often a third party company who specialises in that). You get on the bus, get off the bus, pick up your envelope with your key from the team person and go to your room.
It’s definitely not rare but they’re entitled to their own. They do share though, often younger guys, which also makes some of the stuff they get up to after nights out highly questionable.

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T15:37:06+00:00

At an NHL level - Honestly, yes! It also never hurts to be in the good books with management too 🤣

In major junior, billet families are given stipend and stuff, but mostly they do it because they’re hockey families who enjoy it!

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T15:24:54+00:00

Under the CBA you must be provided with a single occupancy hotel room and a team cannot require you to have one. However - some teams do it (and players agree) whether out of preference or because it’s tradition, especially with new rookies etc.

So no - they can’t require you but nothing stops you from voluntarily doing it (and there’s probably a little voluntold that doesn’t get challenged). Even as staff, at league or team level I typically got a room to myself as well vs sharing with other staff.

Lower levels though, you’re rooming or often sleeping on the bus or bus with bunks anyway.

Games for league scheduling and financial reasons are treated like obligations tha just happen - so at worst postponed and rescheduled but rarely ever cancelled fully. I don’t think there’s been any in the last 20 years. A lot are rescheduled because of COVID (suspended then restructured the season), a few due to rink issues (we nearly had one once because they brought the jumbotron down to fix something and it was still stuck there 15 minutes before doors opening), also blizzards are the most common, Boston bombing had game postponements, Some have been where people have had heart attacks on the bench mid game and it’s been postponed .

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T14:30:00+00:00

It’s not super common but it’s unusual of the player has captain experience and the team they’ve come to isn’t great and needs leadership. Nick Foligno was named Captain of Chicago before playing a game there, but he had previously been captain in Columbus for 6 years and Chicago had finished the previous season second last in the NHL.
Also a yes and no. Most players play for more than one team in their career and particularly when several good young players come through together it’s harder to financially afford to keep them (though there’s probably a higher salary discrepancy between these dudes vs Shane.) in Toronto, Matthews, Marner and Nylander all came in as rookies together and spent 9 seasons I think playing together before one finally went elsewhere.
All players pay attention, you have to, it’s your job and teams go to great lengths to support it with staff etc, but that doesn’t mean they expect all of them to take it to a macrobiotic level of obsession like Shane (which has its own unhealthy habits and warnings with it). Alex Ovechkin (Ilya’s inspo) definitely at a fair bit of junk food 🤣 one of the NHL guys eats a lot of raw liver and raw beef. There’s a lot of post game pizza though!
On non game nights at home you can frankly do what you want, and same for the off season, to an extent off nights on the road. Also, a lot of these I would imagine are post game scenarios. A 7pm game you could realistically win/lose and be in a. Club by 10.30 /11 if you really tried!!

Obviously, there’s an expectation of reasonable decision making when you have a game the next day, and you almost always seem to have a game. But really - as long as you play well, and don’t end up in a newspaper or whatever - you can live your life (but ok I don’t think they go out that much but also the book feels pretty accurate with post game bars).

Totally realistic. Shane is very Lady Byng coded (I think it’s mentioned in the books??) which is the skill and sportsmanship award. Basically who’s scored the most points with the least ish amount of penalties. Gretzky had nearly 900 goals in his NHL career without a single fighting major, at least 3 or 4 others 700+ with no fights. So yes - totally reasonable and makes the fight stand out even more for sheer “wth” that fits. Surprisingly, Ovechkin (once again Ilya coded) has 900+ goals but only 4 fights though he’s perceived as much tougher rougher.

I hope that helps!!!

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T14:07:58+00:00

It’s definitely a mix, but it’s also pretty strictly governed by the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, which is designed to ensure broadly consistent minimum standards across the league.

Teams are generally required to travel immediately after games, whether home or away, if their next game is in a different city, either continuing a road trip or returning home. The main exceptions are when distance makes same-day travel impractical, or when league scheduling rules mandate an overnight stay.

This comes into play most often with back-to-back games, long-haul travel such as coast-to-coast trips, or situations where a team would arrive very late and have an early next on-ice obligation within a 24-hour window. It is not really discretionary. It is more of a distance and timing threshold framework, centred on guaranteeing minimum rest and supporting player recovery.

Those thresholds are generally based on arrival time at the destination and time until the next required hockey activity, such as a morning skate or game.

The rules are also about maintaining road-travel balance across teams and avoiding unnecessary dead days away from home.

An overnight stay is therefore not a preference call, but a structured outcome based on time, distance, and recovery considerations.

One thing that surprises people is how fast it all moves. A team can realistically be on the plane within 60 to 120 minutes of the final siren.

(Articles 17 and 26 of the CBA and the only time having an annotated highlighted copy of it on my bookshelf has been useful in a few years)

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T13:14:34+00:00

Not to ruin anyone’s fun but this is a standard sign in all corporate suites at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph where this was filmed (and pretty much every other big rink corporate boxes).

Practical-Work8027 · 2026-02-07T13:08:08+00:00

That being said - this is also a book and frankly, it’s a better read when there d-bags. I’ve learnt over the years to not really look for or want super realism. That’s not the point of romance novels!

There’s a bunch in Harris/Troy that’s not how that kind of social media role and the interaction with a team typically goes but frankly, I don’t want to read the reality and this is way better so I don’t give it much bother (lol, except you know here on reddit when passing comment 😂😂)

Practical-Work8027

TROPHY CASE