Quote:PLAYER PROMPT- The start of a new season is no doubt an incredibly exciting time for a player. Anything can happen in a new season, and this might be your year. After weeks of hard work and training, you're finally standing on the blue line, helmet off for the national anthem, staring up at the spot lights-- your first game back is just moments away.

Written Task: Tell me what's going through your players head at this last moment, seconds before their first shift after a long off-season. Are they nervous? Excited? Maybe stressed? Are there specific people or moments that come to their mind? Do they need to settle down in a moment like this to play their best? If so, how? Or are you the type of player with ice in your veins that thrives in exciting moments like this? (150+ words)

There was a lot going through Adam's head when the season started.

The first was trepidation, wondering if this was finally going to be the year in which he won the Challenge Cup. The Inferno are actually the team that eliminated his Platoon for two post-seasons running, and he knew that they have the horses to win it all, but still, he's not getting any younger and the chances to finally take home the trophy are getting fewer and fewer each season.

He was also considering his position as the oldest player on the team, and what that meant for so many young, skilled players. That's a lot of responsibility for someone, to need to set an example and behave in such a way that doesn't hinder players whose careers are in a very different spot than his.

Finally, I think he was feeling a fair amount of doubt. Has he slowed down too much? Can he still compete and keep the puck out of his own net? He's always been gifted offensively, so there was relatively little worry there, but defensive responsibility is a real priority for players that occupy bottom pairing minutes; you want to hold serve and make sure that you aren't putting the more skilled players in the hole.

Of course, all that mental activity goes away once the puck drops and instinct takes over. When you're in the moment and doing those same things you've done your entire career, there's no more place for worry or nervousness. It's just a matter of putting one skate in front of the other and giving it everything you've got.