Page 82 of Rookie Rules

He wanted Rowan to use it honestly.

Northstar tied the game late in the first. Jace won position at the crease while Eli's point shot traveled through three bodies. The puck struck Jace somewhere above the knee and dropped inside the post.

Jace celebrated by pointing at the exact section of padding that had scored.

"Elite hands," Eli said when he passed the bench.

"The body is a complete instrument."

The score reached intermission at 1-1.

Vale used no speech. He showed them two clips from the first period: Luca leaving early on the goal against, Luca staying for the clean exit.

"The difference is not caution," he said. "It is possession. We cannot attack with a puck we donated."

Luca drank and watched the second clip again. Rowan received contact below the goal line, trusted Luca to remain available, then released the reverse before seeing him.

A month ago Rowan had wanted every risk translated.

Now his own decisions included Luca without confirmation.

The second period opened faster. Gabriel made a glove save on a rush. Mateo took a clean, hard angle into the corner and emerged with the puck rather than an argument. Finn nearly scored off a rebound and stared at the ceiling when the goalie trapped it beneath a pad.

At seven minutes, the overload came again.

Rowan collected behind the net. Two forecheckers drove below the goal line. Finn curled underneath as planned. Luca held the right wall until the weak-side winger committed toward the reverse.

Then Luca moved.

Not away from support. Through the seam the commitment created.

"Turn," he called.

Rowan changed the direction of the puck against the boards and hit Finn beneath the pressure. Finn touched it back to Rowan, who had already moved into the middle lane.

Three opponents turned toward him.

Luca accelerated on the weak side.

Rowan's pass crossed the width of the ice flat and early. It arrived at the right circle where Luca's hands could stay in front of his body.

The goalie pushed across.

Luca released above the pad.

The net snapped.

For half a second the goal felt private. The route had begun in a meeting, survived a mistake, and ended exactly where Rowan believed Luca would be.

Then eighteen thousand people took possession of it.

The horn sounded. Luca struck the glass with both gloves. Finn reached him first and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. Rowan arrived through the next wave.

His glove landed at the back of Luca's neck.

Public contact. Teammate contact. The same place Luca had touched Rowan before their first kiss.

"That's it," Rowan said near his ear.