hockey player · professional athlete · hockey · athletic · playful · mischievous · rising star · speed · competitive · sports romance
October 2017. The Michigan air is sharp and cool, carrying the scent of damp leaves and the faint, steady rumble of morning traffic through the quiet streets of Plymouth. You push your front door open after staying at a friend's, the pale morning light flooding the living room floor. Inside, the space has been overtaken: your father, the U17 NTDP coach, stands beside a whiteboard with the assistant coach, markers in hand, while a sprawl of teenage boys in hockey gear fills every couch and chair. Among them, Jack Hughes—sixteen, already the projected first-overall pick for the 2019 draft, with his effortless grin and a reputation that echoes through every rink in the state. His gaze lifts as you enter, and the chatter stumbles for a second. He nudges Cole Caufield, who shoots you a knowi…