Frustrations and Belief: The Veteran Presence of Thomas Landry II

[Doomsday 4,143]

 

As the final seconds ticked away, all Thomas Landry II could do was watch helplessly from the bench. Goaltender Woody McPine retrieved the dump-in, sending it to rookie John LeClair II. His desperation pass to set up one last scoring chance was intercepted, ironically, by former Phantom Seabass Perrin, and that was that. The Helsinki Titans won Game Three 6-4, completing the sweep and moving on while Prague again was going home in disappointment. They'd fought so hard to get here, but it was over as soon as it had started. Once again, they spilled over the bench onto the ice not in celebration, but for the traditional handshakes. 

 

It was especially bitter for Landry II since this series would be the final VHL games for longtime Prague leader and captain Alex Pearson. The Phantoms, he noted, were not very good at sending off their veterans on top, at least not yet. Losing was one thing, but failing your teammates in their last games was an entirely different level of frustration. He gazed up at the picture of the Season 71 Prague Phantoms, Landry II's rookie season. Failing Brick Wahl had hurt the absolute most out of them all. He had been the best player in the VHL that season, seemingly willing Prague to the playoffs. But after going up 2-0 in the series, the Phantoms lost the next four games, and haven't won a playoff game since that Game Two win over Riga.

 

 

Season 71. It felt like such a long time ago. Four seasons later, not many members of that team were left. Landry II, the first round pick that had Prague buzzing for the future. Alex Pearson, of course, but his career was now over. Ben McGirr was still here, a linemate of Landry II's as a rookie. Ondrej Ohradka, an afterthought in Calgary, but a guy who just wanted a chance to show what he had, and quickly became the beating heart of Prague. Next season would be his last, the next veteran Phantom that Prague would set off to send out on top. Prague's blue line, of course, had hardly changed. Jacob Perry had moved on after Season 71, but returned for this season. Wolf Stansson Jr, another longtime Phantom, would be entering his last season as well. And, of course, Cinnamon Block, Prague's sweetheart. She has two seasons left now, and this might be the point where she decides leaving Prague might be the only way she'll do more than post regular season stats. 

 

Landry II glanced down at his sweater, adorned with a purple, "A," with teal embroidery. Four seasons ago, he was a wide-eyed rookie, doing his best to follow in his father's footsteps. He still hadn't lived up to the name, at least not in his eyes. He was a top five pick, one who had yet to seriously contend for any awards in the VHL, average a point per game or even appear on an All-Star ballot. It didn't matter how hard he worked, how good he felt it was. The results just didn't seem to materialize. Ice cold stretches to end what had been otherwise fantastic seasons were wearing on him, the feeling of being a disappointment weighing heavily on his soul after another crushing end to a season. He wasn't going to be taking this team anywhere alone. 

 

 

However, he didn't have to. For the first time in what seemed like ages, youthful energy was pouring into the Phantoms organization. Dan Baillie Jr and John LeClair II were both turning into outstanding young forwards primed to revitalize the aging group of forwards in Prague. Riley Knight Gee proved to be more than just a VHLM superstar with a quality rookie season on the blue line. Woody McPine, the goaltender, might just be the best success story of them all. Scratching and clawing his way to the roster, all McPine has done his whole career is fight, and it was a mentality that carried over to the ice. When McPine was in the fighting spirit and on his game, the Phantoms were always in the game. 

 

Landry II smiled, standing up from his seat in front of his locker. The ending to this season might have sucked, but there was one last moment to bask it all in. One last chance to rib Alex Pearson before he began his lifelong task of lowering his golfing handicap. One last chance to enjoy the company of Cinnamon Block, Ben McGirr, and Jacob Perry, who possibly might not be back next season as pending UFAs. One last chance to pump up the young guns, let them know how proud he was of them to have gotten this far, in particular of Dan Baillie Jr's hat trick. Just like his father, Baillie Jr had truly left it all out on the ice. Just like his father had done in Davos decades ago, now it was Thomas Landry II's turn to be the veteran and keep his boys fired up to fight again another day.

 

 

His eyes met with Ondrej Ohradka's, and they both smiled. He had seen the spark in Landry II's eyes, knew what was about to happen. 

 

"Well Tom," he laughed, "That fucking sucked."

 

Landry II chuckled. "It sure did, but you know what, I got a good feeling about this team going ahead."

 

"I hope so," Ondrej quipped. "I only have one, 'next year,' left."

 

Landry II wasn't quite in the same boat, but he was now at the halfway point of his own career.

 

"Reckon I don't have many left either," he replied. "We're getting old."

 

Ohradka roared with laughter. "Speak for yourself!"

 

They walked over to a dejected Baillie Jr, sitting in silence at his locker by John LeClair II.

 

"You guys were awesome today," Landry II said, getting their attention.

 

"He thinks we got a good shot next year with you two here," added Ohradka. "What do you boys think?"

 

They all smiled. At least for now, the pain of losing was eased, and the prospects of the future were uplifting enough for the Phantoms to enjoy the moment. Whether or not better times were ahead would be up to them, but in that moment, the power of hope was enough for them all to feel that their time was just ahead of them. 

 

"If you don't believe, you've already lost," Landry II's father had always told him before games. It had taken until now for the meaning of that to truly sink in. Hoping good things would happen wasn't enough. Just believing wasn't enough either. The entire team needed to believe too, and as a veteran of the team, it was now his job to ensure that it happened.

 

"Next year, it'll be us out there celebrating on the ice," Landry II confidently stated. "I believe in this team, in every one of you. It's our time to win, and next season we're gonna fucking do it!"

 

The room roared with cheers, hardly resembling the locker room of a team that had just been eliminated from the playoffs. The journey to the Continental Cup didn't start at the puck drop next season, it started right here, right now.

 

And it was off to a great start.

 

[animal74 1,856]

Don't know how I missed this! Cheers, @Doomsday! At least you guys have a shot this year!  

 

On 10/30/2020 at 10:32 AM, Doomsday said:

 

As the final seconds ticked away, all Thomas Landry II could do was watch helplessly from the bench. Goaltender Woody McPine retrieved the dump-in, sending it to rookie John LeClair II. His desperation pass to set up one last scoring chance was intercepted, ironically, by former Phantom Seabass Perrin, and that was that. The Helsinki Titans won Game Three 6-4, completing the sweep and moving on while Prague again was going home in disappointment. They'd fought so hard to get here, but it was over as soon as it had started. Once again, they spilled over the bench onto the ice not in celebration, but for the traditional handshakes. 

 

It was especially bitter for Landry II since this series would be the final VHL games for longtime Prague leader and captain Alex Pearson. The Phantoms, he noted, were not very good at sending off their veterans on top, at least not yet. Losing was one thing, but failing your teammates in their last games was an entirely different level of frustration. He gazed up at the picture of the Season 71 Prague Phantoms, Landry II's rookie season. Failing Brick Wahl had hurt the absolute most out of them all. He had been the best player in the VHL that season, seemingly willing Prague to the playoffs. But after going up 2-0 in the series, the Phantoms lost the next four games, and haven't won a playoff game since that Game Two win over Riga.

 

 

Season 71. It felt like such a long time ago. Four seasons later, not many members of that team were left. Landry II, the first round pick that had Prague buzzing for the future. Alex Pearson, of course, but his career was now over. Ben McGirr was still here, a linemate of Landry II's as a rookie. Ondrej Ohradka, an afterthought in Calgary, but a guy who just wanted a chance to show what he had, and quickly became the beating heart of Prague. Next season would be his last, the next veteran Phantom that Prague would set off to send out on top. Prague's blue line, of course, had hardly changed. Jacob Perry had moved on after Season 71, but returned for this season. Wolf Stansson Jr, another longtime Phantom, would be entering his last season as well. And, of course, Cinnamon Block, Prague's sweetheart. She has two seasons left now, and this might be the point where she decides leaving Prague might be the only way she'll do more than post regular season stats. 

 

Landry II glanced down at his sweater, adorned with a purple, "A," with teal embroidery. Four seasons ago, he was a wide-eyed rookie, doing his best to follow in his father's footsteps. He still hadn't lived up to the name, at least not in his eyes. He was a top five pick, one who had yet to seriously contend for any awards in the VHL, average a point per game or even appear on an All-Star ballot. It didn't matter how hard he worked, how good he felt it was. The results just didn't seem to materialize. Ice cold stretches to end what had been otherwise fantastic seasons were wearing on him, the feeling of being a disappointment weighing heavily on his soul after another crushing end to a season. He wasn't going to be taking this team anywhere alone. 

 

 

However, he didn't have to. For the first time in what seemed like ages, youthful energy was pouring into the Phantoms organization. Dan Baillie Jr and John LeClair II were both turning into outstanding young forwards primed to revitalize the aging group of forwards in Prague. Riley Knight Gee proved to be more than just a VHLM superstar with a quality rookie season on the blue line. Woody McPine, the goaltender, might just be the best success story of them all. Scratching and clawing his way to the roster, all McPine has done his whole career is fight, and it was a mentality that carried over to the ice. When McPine was in the fighting spirit and on his game, the Phantoms were always in the game. 

 

Landry II smiled, standing up from his seat in front of his locker. The ending to this season might have sucked, but there was one last moment to bask it all in. One last chance to rib Alex Pearson before he began his lifelong task of lowering his golfing handicap. One last chance to enjoy the company of Cinnamon Block, Ben McGirr, and Jacob Perry, who possibly might not be back next season as pending UFAs. One last chance to pump up the young guns, let them know how proud he was of them to have gotten this far, in particular of Dan Baillie Jr's hat trick. Just like his father, Baillie Jr had truly left it all out on the ice. Just like his father had done in Davos decades ago, now it was Thomas Landry II's turn to be the veteran and keep his boys fired up to fight again another day.

 

 

His eyes met with Ondrej Ohradka's, and they both smiled. He had seen the spark in Landry II's eyes, knew what was about to happen. 

 

"Well Tom," he laughed, "That fucking sucked."

 

Landry II chuckled. "It sure did, but you know what, I got a good feeling about this team going ahead."

 

"I hope so," Ondrej quipped. "I only have one, 'next year,' left."

 

Landry II wasn't quite in the same boat, but he was now at the halfway point of his own career.

 

"Reckon I don't have many left either," he replied. "We're getting old."

 

Ohradka roared with laughter. "Speak for yourself!"

 

They walked over to a dejected Baillie Jr, sitting in silence at his locker by John LeClair II.

 

"You guys were awesome today," Landry II said, getting their attention.

 

"He thinks we got a good shot next year with you two here," added Ohradka. "What do you boys think?"

 

They all smiled. At least for now, the pain of losing was eased, and the prospects of the future were uplifting enough for the Phantoms to enjoy the moment. Whether or not better times were ahead would be up to them, but in that moment, the power of hope was enough for them all to feel that their time was just ahead of them. 

 

"If you don't believe, you've already lost," Landry II's father had always told him before games. It had taken until now for the meaning of that to truly sink in. Hoping good things would happen wasn't enough. Just believing wasn't enough either. The entire team needed to believe too, and as a veteran of the team, it was now his job to ensure that it happened.

 

"Next year, it'll be us out there celebrating on the ice," Landry II confidently stated. "I believe in this team, in every one of you. It's our time to win, and next season we're gonna fucking do it!"

 

The room roared with cheers, hardly resembling the locker room of a team that had just been eliminated from the playoffs. The journey to the Continental Cup didn't start at the puck drop next season, it started right here, right now.

 

And it was off to a great start.