AJ stares at the scenery and then looks over at Justin and Nick who are staring wide eyed up at the buildings and the Hollywood sign. Jeremy looks over at AJ and shrugs.
“Los Angeles virgins,” AJ mutters looking at Nick and Justin.
Jeremy looks at him again and starts laughing.
AJ shakes his head and looks out the car window again. So here he was rookie year and he was going to the All Star game to compete. He would play along side JR and his fellow Americans and Canadians against the World Team in a series of games and events. Justin and Nick would start off the events in the Young Stars Game. AJ had been to Los Angeles once before but this time it was a whole new experience to him. This time the whole country would be watching.
Nick and Justin would be rooming together; of course Justin had also chosen to bring his mom along who would be staying next door to them. JR had brought his family with his wife and children. Nick and AJ on the other hand had voted to come alone. AJ would be by himself next door to Nick and Justin and JR.
The one thing AJ wanted to know though was did the residence of Los Angeles even know what a hat trick was?
Nick looks over at Justin in the locker room and walks over to him once he finishes tying his skates. Both of them were wearing their away jerseys from the Flyers for the Young Star Game. They would be playing on the same team as the Atlanta Thrashers’ 18-year-old wonders, Heatley and Kovolchok. Their goalie would be from the Florida Panthers, Luongo. They would have four people on the ice for each team at a time excluding the goalie. There would be no hitting and only one defender. The first two periods would be fifteen minutes and the third would be twelve. Their team would be coached by Melrose and dressed in all darker colors. This was pond hockey at its best only in an arena this time.
Once they hit the ice Nick was even more grateful that he had never chosen to be a goalie. With on defender this was going to be an offensive game. God did he feel sorry for the poor New York ranger goalie on the other team that would be trying to block the Thrashers shots. Nick was on a line with Justin and a player from the Nashville Predators. Tonight though all differences were up aside…somewhat.
“Thank God I’m not a goalie,” Justin says to Nick as the two of them sit on the bench beside on another.
Nick nods. The score was already piling up and it was already 5-3 in favor of their team.
“You staying after to watch the skills competition?” Justin asks him.
Nick nods, “I think JR and AJ will kill us if we don’t.”
“Are they here?” Justin asks looking around as a Thrasher player heads down the ice and scores another point for their team 6-3.
“Yup, think so,” Nick says.
“Twenty says AJ will hit someone in their game,” Justin says.
Nick shakes his head, “JR will do it first.”
“You’re on,” Justin says.
“Fine by me,” Nick smiles as they head onto the ice again.
Once they come off their shift they sit on the bench again this time with a reporter for ESPN sitting between the two of them.
“Hey guys can I ask you a few questions?” he asks looking between both of them.
“Sure,” Nick says as Justin nods also.
“Oh God a camera,” Justin says as an ESPN cameraman comes up to film them.
Nick smirks at him as the reporter starts to talk.
“ I’m sitting here with Nick Carter and Justin Williams from the Philadelphia Flyers,” he says looking at the camera, “So how are you guys?”
“Alright,” Justin says.
“Same here,” Nick says.
“Now you two are rooming together right?”
“Unfortunately,” Justin says.
Nick stares at him as Justin breaks into a smile.
“So who gets the clicker then?” the reporter asks.
“I do,” they both at the same time.
“Now you two are here with two other Philadelphia players Jeremy Roenick and AJ McLean and it’s both of your first time here have you been following around JR?”
“Yeah,” Justin says, “Jeremy actually told me that I remind him of when he was younger. I don’t know if that is a good or a bad thing though.”
“I’d say a little of both,” Nick says.
“Now I’m just going to ask this question to the cup contending teams and of course the Flyers are in first place, so this is for you guys. Why do you think you’re team will win the Stanley Cup?” the reporter asks.
“Because we just have a great team,” Nick says.
“We all work together,” Justin adds, “It’s just great team work.”
Nick nods, “And of course it doesn’t hurt that you have a guys like JR and AJ.”
“Now where are you guys in the standings tonight?” the reporter asks.
“Minus,” Justin laughs.
“Yeah we gotta work on that,” Nick smiles.
“It was great talking to you two good luck with the rest of the season,” he says to the two of them.
“Thanks,” Justin says.
“Thank you,” Nick says at the same time.
Their team would go on to win the game with the score of 11-6. Once again Nick was just glad he wasn’t a goalie. Now on to watch the guys compete in the skills competition.
“What are you going tonight anyway?” AJ asks JR in the locker room as JR walks by holding his camera in his hand recording.
“Shooting accuracy,” JR says turning to look at AJ, “You?”
“Speed skating.”
“How did I guess,” JR says to him.
“What’s with the camera?” AJ asks him.
“I got it from ABC sports. I’m supposed to film everything.”
AJ nods.
“Sooo AJ how do you feel being here for the first time at such a young age…rookie year too,” JR asks him pointing the camera at him.
“It’s good really good,” AJ says, “I’m just amazed that I am playing on the same team as Mario Lemuix and all these other guys that are just amazing then there is me…AJ.”
“You’re not that bad AJ,” JR says.
“Then why did you get the camera not me?” AJ asks him smirking.
“They wanted a good looking guy carrying the camera,” JR says.
“Really now…then why the hell did they give it to you?” AJ asks breaking into a smile.
“You better run,” JR says to him.
“Have you seen Roy anywhere?” AJ asks him.
“Not lately,” JR says, “He’s around here somewhere though.”
“Can you imagine how annoying having that last name is? How many people say it like its spelled. I think I’d change my name to Smith.”
“Why are you looking for Roy?” JR asks.
“Trying to get everyone to sign this,” AJ says holding up a piece of paper, “I already have one filled.”
“Did you pose for a picture with my son yet?”
“You’re son kicked me in the shins after he got a picture with Lemuix.”
JR starts laughing from behind the camera as AJ shakes his head.
“I’m gonna find that squirt,” AJ says pointing at the camera, “You hear that little Roenick I’ll find you,” he says to the camera before walking off.
On to the skills competition.
AJ stands on the ice along with the rest of his team. His event would be the first event of the night and in it a series of guys from the team would skate from blue line to blue line then back carrying a puck as fast as they could. And of course the fastest time would win. AJ though would be the trailer and the last one to go for the team since most of them thought with his speed he would be able to pick up the slack if they were behind.
From the start though the North Americans was in the lead. Towards the middle though right before AJ went on the world team was catching up quickly. By the time it was AJ’s turn to go they were almost neck and neck with a small edge going to the North Americans. AJ takes off down the ice focusing on his task at hand and trying not to look over at that player next to him. He makes a sharp turn at the edge of the far blue line and turns to come back racing down the ice with his stick on the ice cradling the puck. As he gets closer to the end he sees the World player begin to creep up beside him and he turns on the jets pushing himself to race down the ice harder then he even knew he could. All he heard as he got closer was, “dive AJ dive”. Of course not even he would do that on the other hand the World player did in a last effort, but it wasn’t enough. AJ crossed the blue line first trying to slam on his breaks only to skid across the ice and hitting the boards falling to the ice.
“Nice going AJ,” JR says skating up to him and looking down at him holding his camera in hand.
“JR,” AJ says still laying on the ice staring up at him as a few more players gather around them.
“Yeah.”
“Get that camera out of my face,” AJ says before he sits up and then finally stands up.
Jeremy would go on to knock down three out of four targets for his accuracy event and would be the only player to get a puck past Hasek that night in the goalie event. By the end of the night though AJ was ready to break the camera into little pieces with his hockey stick.
“Justin you smell like champagne still,” AJ says to him as they walk into the arena the next day.
“I do not I washed it all off,” Justin says to him, “JR why do you still have that camera?”
“I’m supposed to film everything,” JR says.
Nick stares at him and shakes his head, “So do you think you guys will beat the World team in the game today?”
“Oh yeah,” AJ says.
JR looks at AJ and rolls his eyes, “It will be tough, but yeah.”
“Didn’t you run out of film yet?” AJ asks JR.
“Yeah, but they took my first one, so they can show it today.”
“Wonderful,” AJ mutters.
“What didn’t like it?”
AJ shakes his head and smirks, “Just you wait you’ll get it.”
“So how do you like Los Angeles?” JR asks Justin.
“It’s ok,” Justin shrugs, “I dunno it’s different. You know they’re saying you’re gonna be MVP, JR.”
“I want a truck,” AJ says, “Wait a minute…you’re already a spokesperson for Dodge…JR,” he says as JR starts walking away, “Jeremy,” AJ says running off after him.
“Now where the hell do we go?” Justin asks Nick.
Nick looks down at his ticket and makes a face, “We better go find someone to help us.”
“Yeah I think so,” Justin says.
“I really hate you,” Justin says as he hands a twenty to Nick as they sit in their seat watching the All Star Game.
“It took you long enough. It happened in the first and its now the third period. Told ya JR was going to hit someone before AJ,” Nick says as he takes the money.
“I wanna know who decided to give AJ and JR mics,” Justin says.
“People who knew that they were going to get the most interesting stuff from them,” Nick says.
The score was 5-3 in favor of the North Americans over the World team. No wait now it was 5-4 as a puck gets past Sean Burke. North Americans were dressed in all blue with their country’s flag on one arm and their team’s emblem on the other. The World team was similar only their jerseys were maroon colored. Why the people had chosen maroon for a color Nick would never understand.
Regardless of the fact that Justin and Nick had only played in one event they were having a great time. After their game their team had celebrated with champagne, which ended all over everyone. Then they had watched the skills competition from the stands. The rest of the night they had gone around getting basically everyone’s autograph that they could find. They were still fans at heart after all.
AJ had already gotten one of the five goals for the North Americans and he was still looking for another. JR had come out and he was a heavy favorite regardless of the fact that they were in Los Angeles and not Philadelphia. Normally in the All Star Game though the scoring was always very high. Last year both teams combined had scored 26 goals total. Now the score was only 9 goals total with four minutes left to go.
“NOOOO,” Nick yells standing up and yelling as Sergi Federov scores the tying goal at 3:01 left in the game, “I hate that guy!”
Justin stares up at him from his seat and looks at him oddly, “They’ll get it back. They just need to get the puck to AJ.”
“I hate that guy,” Nick says sitting back down.
“Federov?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?” Justin asks.
“He’s just ahhhh,” Nick says.
“Righttt Nick,” Justin says, “That was a ripper though. He won the hardest shot last night 101+ miles an hour.”
“Wonderful is that supposed to make me feel better?”
“Well no,” Justin says.
Nick shakes his head and looks up as a World player shots a puck and gets it into the net again with 1:38 left in the game, “The hockey guys give and then they take away,” Nick sighs.
“Oh no they’re not gonna…” Justin says.
“Yeah they are,” Nick says.
“Why?” Justin says.
“Here we go,” Nick says as the North American’s goalie is pulled for the last minute of play.
“And there he goes,” Justin says as a World player takes off down the ice scoring on the empty net with the score of 5-7 now in favor of the world.
“Oh no they’re not,” Nick says.
“Yeah they are,” Justin says.
“They’re still leaving the goalie out,” Nick sighs.
“Here we go again,” Justin says as a World player heads down the ice with 36 seconds left and scores again on the empty net.
The game would end with the score of 8-5 in favor of the World team. Eric Daze would go on to win the MVP award…at least it was going to a North American player.
“We were robbed,” AJ says to Justin and Nick sitting in the car back to the hotel.
“That’s it?” Justin asks.
Nick nods, “That’s it.”
AJ shakes his head, “So what do we do now?”
“Where’s JR?” Nick asks.
“With his family,” AJ says.
“So what now?” Justin asks.
“I dunno,” AJ says, “You guys wanna go walk up and down the strip endlessly like we know where we’re going.”
“Sounds good to me,” Nick says.
“Yup,” Justin says.
“Alright then,” AJ says, “Driver take us to the strip please.”
“I gotta be back to the hotel by one though,” Justin says.
AJ and Nick look at him.
“I did bring my mom you know,” Justin says, “What?”
“You are such a mama’s boy,” AJ mutters.
“And what’s wrong with that?” Justin smirks.
