Page 167 of Rookie Rules

Luca saw him and almost missed the change.

Finn struck Luca's shin pad with his stick. "Ice."

Luca climbed over the boards.

The score was still tied. The replacement center won the draw backward, then crossed in front of the opposing center long enough to give Nolan room. Nolan moved the puck to Mateo, who waited through the first forechecker instead of throwing it into pressure.

The delay pulled the weak-side winger toward the middle. Mateo sent the puck up the wall behind him.

Luca received in motion. The opposing defenseman stepped down to close him, expecting the wall to trap the puck as it had earlier. Luca chipped it past the reaching stick and accelerated through the space the winger had abandoned.

Finn recognized the turnover before the defense did. He left the zone on the opposite side, stayed onside by a skate length, and matched Luca's speed through neutral ice. One defenseman retreated between them.

The same geometry as the chance Luca had wasted earlier. The same geometry as dozens of chances before Northstar, when the answer had always been to make himself undeniable.

The defenseman held the middle. The goalie set square to Luca. Finn's lane narrowed as they crossed the top of the circles.

Luca could shoot far side. It was a real option. A good option. If he scored, the clip would lead every package that night: the rookie phenom carrying the Wolves after their captain went down.

He could already hear the story.

Then he read the goalie's right skate. Too deep. Weight committed. The defenseman's stick turned half an inch toward Luca's blade.

Finn was better.

Luca moved his hands as if releasing the shot.

The goalie dropped.

The pass crossed beneath the defenseman's stick, arriving flat enough that Finn did not need to settle it. His one-timer went behind the goalie's recovering glove and struck the back bar.

4-3.

The arena became impact and light.

Finn hit Luca at speed and drove both of them into the glass. The replacement center arrived next. Nolan. Mateo. The players at the boards leaned over one another, gloves striking helmets while voices broke apart inside the noise.

Luca laughed against Finn's shoulder.

"You saw me," Finn shouted.

"Unfortunately."

When they separated, Luca looked toward the tunnel.

Rowan remained behind Owen, both hands closed around the grips of the crutches. He was not smiling. Rowan rarely gave cameras that much.

But his eyes were unguarded.

Pride. Grief. Something larger than either, held without the usual attempt to turn it useful.

Luca felt the recognition cross the distance.

He did not mistake it for a promise.

The game still had one minute forty-eight seconds.

Northstar protected the lead. Finn stayed above the puck. Luca declined an empty-net chase and supported the wall. Gabriel caught the final shot and held it until the horn.