So, the daily practices begin at the Kroc Ice Arena. Consisting of on-ice and off-ice drills, the Gulls are practicing hard to have a winning season.

During one of their practices, two facility works are observing the minor league team from the other side of the glass.

"Aren’t you excited?" one of the facility workers exclaims to the other. "We have a San Diego team practicing here!"

The other worker rolls his eyes with a bored expression. "Pssshhh, minors." He then marches off with crossed arms.

Meanwhile off the ice, Brandon is not having better days with his sleeping life. From the red couch to the brown couch to the reclining chair to the floor, there is no comfortable place to sleep on. It doesn’t help when the search for that fourth bedroom is turning out hopeless.

Unfortunately, the back pain, now including neck pain, of Brandon prevails on game day…

"OWWWWWWWWW!!!"

Everyone drops their forks and turns their heads to the one who screamed.

Brandon has dropped his eating utensils and is now letting out a series of cracks from his neck and back along with a series of yelps. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!"

Joseph, having enough of the sounds, leans over and smacks his back hard.

"OW!" Brandon yelps, jolting up a bit.

Max stares at his teammate worriedly. "Oh dear, Brandon... Would you be able to play tonight's game?"

Brandon takes his arm and pulls it over his head while leaning toward the table. He faces his strained face at him. "Yeah…"

Joseph eyes him with a displeased expression. "Where did you sleep this time? In the sink?"

"On the floor." Brandon then grabs hold of his head and twists it from side to side as pops emit from it.

Max stares at him with a troubled look. “We should really get you a bed.”

Joseph’s eyes slide over to his friend. “And fit it where?”

“Well, in the living room, I suppose…”

“Oh yeah--” Joseph raises his hand and eyes toward the living room that is beyond him. “I'll just walk in here in the morning and see Monty drooling and snoring.” He drops his hand and turns to him. “Such a lovely sight.”

Brandon begins to titter. “Heh heh heh heh…!”

Joseph tells Max, “He's laughing because it's true.”

Brandon’s tittering bursts out into nervous laughter.

Nick peers up from his plate. “We can put the bed in my room.”

Once Brandon heard that, he immediately stops laughing and makes a face with trepidation at his friend. “Um...I don't think it'd fit in there... Thanks, though.” He turns back to his plate and begins eating.

Nick continues on: “Well, I think we can fit it--”

“Oh better yet,” Joseph cuts in with a sarcastic tone, “let's see, hm, maybe we can find the FOURTH BEDROOM.”

“I've tried...!” Brandon cries out, throwing his eating utensils onto the table. “Nugh.” He digs his hands into his head and groans. “It's like nonexistent. Probably it's a mistake on the landlord's part.”

“So the owner of the house does not know their own house.” Joseph shrugs and finishes sardonically, “Seems legit.”

“But for now,” Max cuts in, pointing his fork in the air, “we must get ready for the big game tonight” He faces his three roommates. “Excited?”

“Yeah, I'm--” Brandon raises his hand into the air, but that immediately turns his exclamation into a painful yowl: “OWWWWW…!”

Joseph eyes Brandon with an irritated look as he holds his head with his free hand. “That bedroom better be found or I'm gonna make one myself,” he mumbles to himself.

---

The day flies by and before anyone knew it, it is game time against the Grand Rapid Griffins, the AHL affiliate of the Detroit Red Wings!

From the Gulls’ locker room behind their tunnel in the Valley View Casino Center, all the Gulls can hear the commotion of fans, the audio from the Jumbotron, and the music being played for the fans.

“Whoa, I feel the energy here!” John tells Matt, leaning over and strapping on the top section of his leg pads.

“Yeah…!” Matt begins softly as he is tying his last goalie skate, “I didn’t know San Diego would love hockey this much!”

“Well, if they do, let’s give 'em a show!” He nudges his arm. “Let's prep for the pregame!” The two goalies then continue suiting up.

Meanwhile on the other side of the locker room, Bryan is already finished gearing up. He is now sitting in his massive stall, blabbering to himself, as usual.

“Left skate on first!” He sticks out his left foot, which is wearing the skate, and wiggles it. “Check!” He pulls his foot back in. “Freshly taped stick?” He grabs his red-coloured stick and a roll of white stick tape then tapes the tip of the blade of his stick skillfully with speed.

He tears the roll off from his taped blade and gazes at the blade with inquiring eyes. “Check!” He puts his stick down next to him. “Extra supply of stick tape?” He peers up to his left with a growing smile.

Next to his stall is a towering triangular pile of stick tape that is against the white wall.

“Check!” Bryan exclaims gleefully.

“Mouth shut close?” Joseph snaps from next to him with an irked tone. His eyes are piercing through him.

Bryan quickly pulls off a piece of stick tape and slaps it over Joseph’s mouth. “Check!”

Joseph’s eyes are instantly filled ire; he rips the tape off of him and growls, “I'm going to--”

“HAHAHAHAHA!” Bryan laughs manically, jumping onto his two skates. He puts his fists close to his jaw in a taekwondo ready stance. “Fight me! FIGHT ME!!!”

From next to Joseph, Max reaches forward and holds onto Joseph’s shoulder to prevent him from retaliating.

“No, no, no, Bryan!” Stu rushes over to his teammate from the front of the room without his chest padding. “You guys are teammates!” He puts his arm in front of him, pushing him back.

“He wants to FIGHT ME!!!” Bryan squeals with giddiness.

Stu eyes him with concern. “That is not something to be proud of…”

“You guys are teammates!” Max tells the two fighters gently, yet with sternness. “You must learn how to work together to be a team and win!”

Joseph and Bryan then gawk at the ones that are holding them back. The question “are you serious?” is clearly written all over their faces.

Then Joseph rolls his eyes, returning his face into his regular chilled expression. “Whatever.” He then pulls away from Max, gets up, and storms off.

“IT WAS NICE FIGH—!”

Stu immediately slaps his hand over Bryan’s mouth and pulls him back to his stall.

On the other side of the locker room, Nick is eating cookies from a bag right next to Brandon.

Brandon eyes him with furrowed eyebrows. “You’re eating right before going out on the ice?”

Nick peers down at him with his soft eyes. “Pre-pregrame snack.”

Brandon nods his head slowly. “Okay…”

Nick holds the bag out at his friend. “Do you want some?”

“Uh, no, I’m fine…” Brandon turns back to slipping on his elbow pads.

Coach Dallas then steps into the room with authority. He halts in the middle, takes a good look at his team, then begins to speak:

“Alright, men, this is it: the pregame of our first inaugural season game. Let’s make this a night to remember…for good memories, not bad. Let’s work as a team, it’d be fun. But before I go on to my own speech, here is your captain for his speech.”

Coach Dallas scoots aside for Joe to hop up from his stall and bounce over to the middle of the room.

“Oh boy, am I so excited for this moment!” Joe exclaims with unbearable mirth. “We’re gonna have a bunch of fun and we’ll be scoring and celebrating! I feel the enthusiasm in the air and this is going to be a great season and a great game!” He pumps his fist in the air. “Let’s go, Gulls!”

The Gulls then begin to line up with John taking the lead. It is game time.

John leads the team out of the locker room and across the black-coloured area that is below the audience level.

“Ugh, that was SUCH a good speech by the coach!” Joseph exclaims with passion. “I’m so pumped up!”

“Me too, me too!” Max replies next to him.

Then the team sprints through the tunnel and out into the glorious ice rink to warm up for their first game together.

---

Afterward with a ice resurfacing break and introduction of the new team in San Diego, the inaugural game commences:

"Friberg, to Shea, to Ritchie, shoots, scores!"

"Montour with the goal!"

"Nick Ritchie goal!!!"

"And another goal for Ritchie! A hat trick! Amazing!!!"

Hats of all different shapes and colours and patterns rain down onto the ice from the around the rink.

“I can’t believe it,” Joseph mutters from the bench; next to him is Brandon. “First night in the AHL and already a hat trick.” A tacky beanie with blue, purple, and yellow polka dots lands perfectly on top of his white helmet. “I’ve been in the AHL longer and I’ve never done that,” he continues on, not even noticing the new addition to his attire.

Brandon eyes the beanie Joseph is pulling off with a growing smile. He then tries to stifle his upcoming laugh to not irritate his teammate further, yet all that comes out is a fit of snickers.

Joseph darts his eyes at him with a frown. “What?”

With a wobbly grin, Brandon lifts his index finger up at the hat. “On top of your helmet…!”

Joseph makes a bewildered look with his eyes lifted up toward his helmet. He then reaches his gloved hand and snags the beanie off from his helmet. With one glance at the headwear, he tosses it back to the fans.

“There.”

Joseph then turns back to face the ice. The beanie immediately returns to his helmet. With aggressive, excessive movements, he snatches the hat from his helmet and chucks it at the ice blindly.

The hat whizzes across the ice and hits an ice girl with a shovel.

“AHHH!” She drops her shovel and tumbles to the ground.

Joseph stares ahead at the scene he made. “That should do it.”

Brandon gazes at the same scene with raised eyebrows.

Afterward, the game ends: three to five, the San Diego Gulls win their inaugural game. And Nick with the hat trick!

Notes

E.1 "Welcome To America's Finest City!"
Part 5/6
Episode 1/20