I stepped out of the showers, and grabbed a towel, wrapping it around my waist and heading toward my stall. I got changed into my body armor quickly, and began to dress for warmup.

I had almost all of my equipment on, and I grabbed my gloves and stick, and headed out the door.

"Jake! Where's your helmet?" Asked Mark, coming out of the massage room.

"Goin helmetless!" I called, as I made my way down the tunnels toward the ice.

I walked all the way to the bend in the tunnel, and stopped to wait for my team. There was a decorative fence stretching across one branch off in the tunnel, and fans were lined up behind the rope. I walked over, and crouched right next to the rope.

"Sup buddy?" I asked a small boy on the other side of the rope.

He looked like he was about to faint, and managed a smile.

"Not much." He said quietly.

I held out my fist, and he gave me a fist bump.

"You live here in Minnesota?" I asked him.

"No." He answered. "I live in LA. I just came to see you guys play here."

"Awesome." I replied. "Way to go. Hope you enjoy the game."

Mike came down the tunnel, followed by Dustin, Jonathon, and Drew. He came up to me, and we bumped chests and pounded fists.

"Let's go buddy! Everything you got!" He called to me. "Let's go!"

I tapped him on the butt with my stick blade, and I felt a strong whack on my shin guards. It was Drew.

"Let's go buddy!" He said, and held out his fist.

I bumped my fist into his, and Jon took a step forward.

"Screw them." He said. "Let's just go!"

I nodded, and he pushed me in front of him.

"You're up Jakie!" He said.