âMaybe next week in school you should learn what the word ârevengeâ means.â
Before Johnny could answer, the referee blew the whistle to start the game again. The other line wasback on the ice. The Calgary Rams did not score against them.
In fact, thatâs the way the score stayed. When the buzzer rang at the end of the game, the Timberwolves had won five to two.
Chapter Three
The team was in the dressing room, and everyone was excited about the win. Suddenly there was a knock on the door.
Coach Smith opened the door.
Everyone in the dressing room saw that it was Ian James, the professional hockey player. He was very big. He wore a Calgary Flames jacket.
âHello,â Coach Smith said.
âHello, Coach,â Ian James said. He stepped into the dressing room. He was carrying a hockey stick. He looked at all the players.
It was very quiet.
This was Ian James!
âWhere is Johnny Maverick?â Ian said. âI want to talk to the hockey player who scored three goals against my son in three shifts.â
Johnny Maverick stood up. The dressing room stayed very quiet.
âI hope you are not mad at me,â Johnny said to Ian James.
âI am not mad at all,â Ian James said. âI came here to tell you that I was very impressed with your hockey.â
âReally?â Johnny said.
âReally,â Ian James said. âIn fact, I am impressed with the entire team. You all played good hockey. You beat my sonâs team fair and square. And you were good sports. I like to see that in minor hockey.â
âThank you,â Coach Smith said.
âThank you,â everyone on the team said.
âI want to wish you all the best in the semi-finals,â Ian James said. âAnd there is one other thing.â
He held out the hockey stick.
âThis stick has been signed by everyone on theCalgary Flames hockey team,â Ian James said. âI had it in my car.â
âWow!â Coach Smith said. âLook at this stick, you guys.â
Coach Smith didnât have to say that. Everyone was looking. This was Ian James! The stick was signed by all the Calgary Flames players!
âI want to give this stick to Johnny Maverick,â Ian James said. âHe was the all-star of the game against my sonâs team.â
âReally?â Johnny said.
âReally,â Ian James said.
âWow!â Johnny said.
âWow!â everyone on the team said.
Then Ian James left.
âGood job,â Coach Smith said to Johnny. âIâm glad for you.â
Johnny was hugging the stick.
âI love this stick,â he said. âI am going to call my parents and tell them as soon as we get to the hotel.â
âYou love the stick?â Tom Morgan said. âAre you going to sleep with it?â
Nearly everyone laughed. But Johnny didnât.
âYou already played one trick on me,â Johnny said. âBut Iâm too smart to let you do anything to this hockey stick.â
âI was just making a joke about sleeping with it,â Tom said. âAnd I said I was sorry about the other trick.â
âI donât believe you,â Johnny said. âSo the answer is âyesâ.â
âThe answer to what?â Tom said.
âTo your question,â Johnny answered. âYou asked if I was going to sleep with my hockey stick.â
âOh, that question,â Tom said.
âIâm going to sleep with it,â Johnny said. âIâm going to eat with it. Iâm going to shower with it.â
âSleep and eat and shower with it?â Tom said.
âThatâs right,â Johnny said. âYou might play another trick on me, but there is no way in the world you are going to get this hockey stick away from me. And thatâs a promise.â
Chapter Four
The Howling Timberwolves went to a restaurant after the game. Johnny and Stu sat at a table with Tom and Coach Smith.