My Next Chapter, Leandro Goncalves' first person POV

[leandrofg 1,188]

It's a normal Tuesday... I woke up early, as I normally do. There's not much noise around you when you wake up before 90% of the population, so you feel a different level of peace within yourself. Early solo practice was good and the team meeting went as usual, without anything eventful to report on.

 

Even with our unsatisfactory record, we truly embraced the Hounds' spirit and managed to create an healthy relationship with the team, between the players and with management. Now, we fast forward to that Tuesday's night.

 

I'm relaxing on my couch after dinner where the highlight was the Poutine I gave to myself as a treat for the level of commitment and consistency, even though the performance in game hasn't been reflected to my stats. Man, is that sh*t good. "The Office" is on as I watch the episode where Dwight is fired from Dunder Mifflin and took a job at Staples for trying to cover up Angela's mistake regarding the forms which were supposed to have been sent to corporate the day before.

 

As I look through my window and towards Mississauga's skyline, I notice a message from Hounds' GM, Daniel and I start to read the message.

 

"Another GM showed interest in your player and I am tempted to get into trade talks."

 

I'm instantaneously taken aback by what I just read, even letting go of the phone, dropping it from the couch. I can't really believe it... it's it really meant for me, or is this a practical joke? I mean, Daniel is Swiss... they don't do jokes, so I pick up the phone from the carpet and start reading the message again.

 

"Another GM showed interest in your player and I am tempted to get into trade talks. Just wanted to let you know and to assure you that this has nothing to do with you" (...) "I need to release you to the draft end of this season" (...) "so I take what I can if someone offers me picks for the draft."

 

I take a moment to breathe as I'm yet to believe in what I'm reading. Now, this is by far, the most challenging decision in my professional life... how should I approach this matter? I understood I was facing a crossroads in my evolution as a player and that comes with exceptionally difficult choices to make.

 

Although this decision was out of my hands, I knew I was expected to have a choice, and a mandate I had for myself in making was to have it be based on the potential for my growth as a player - as that has always steered me in the right direction.

 

With this in mind, and not knowing who was the GM interested in trading for me, only knowing I'd have a chance to play for a team with chances to reach the playoffs, I gave Daniel my blessing on the trade possibility, thanking Daniel for the opportunity to play 1-st Line minutes with the Hounds.

 

After this conversation, a couple of days had gone past without ever talking about it again. Could have the trade talks fallen? I was in the dark until Friday evening when this news was confirmed to me, I was traded to Mexico City.

 

It isn't news to me but now you know I'm officially a King.