The plane touched down in Dallas, Texas, and Knox Booth disembarked from the fuselage already dressed in his suit. Knox had been granted permission to fly into Dallas to attend the SHL draft before he would then have to fly the following day back to the World Junior Championships. Knox had been chosen as the backup for Team Canada and while Kasperi Braulin had handled the net masterfully, Knox had managed to see the ice for a minute or two during the tournament and performed well enough.
Prior to the SMJHL Draft, Knox had been dropped from his representation and had not sought out an agency since. The experience that Knox had with Jimmy Simpson the last go around was so bad that it had pushed the thought of an agency so far away out of his mind that he hadn't bothered to return the calls of any that had inquired with him since. His former agent, Jimmy Simpson, had done his best to smear Knox’s name after their acrimonious split and even though Knox was a highly rated prospect in the upcoming SHL draft, his reputation was in question and he was considered a risky pick.
Because of his reluctance to accept representation, Knox learned that he needed to be his own advocate when it came to the inquiries from SHL team, and he came to understand that there was a very good reason why players enlisted agents- it was a lot of work. Just this past week alone Knox juggled a workload that involved keeping his Canada teammates sharp for their games, seeing some time on ice, and answering calls as SHL teams reached out to him for pre-draft interviews. Knox was aware of some of the damage Jimmy Simpson had done to his name, and if it wasn’t for some of the SHL teams asking him openly about it, Knox may not have known at all.
Knox collected his bag from the terminal and headed outside of the Dallas airport to hail a cab. He didn’t have to look too long because it was only a matter of moments before he found himself in the backseat of an air conditioned taxi cab with an eager Driver placing Knox’s bag in the trunk. “Where you going?” The driver asked as he sat in the front seat and clicked his seatbelt into place.
“The American Airlines Center please,” Knox told him as he buckled his own belt and leaned back against the leather seat, finding it considerably more comfortable than the plane seat he had been stuck in for the past several hours.
“Are you going to the draft?” The driver asked.
“Yes.”
Immediately the tone of the driver picked up, he was excited, “I love hockey!” The driver exclaimed, “I am a Renegades fan,” the driver pulled down his sun visor to reveal a Texas Renegades logo, “But I know you’re not a member of the team, I know every player on the Renegades. Are you a hockey player?”
Knox smiled, he appreciated any hockey fan who had an interest in talking the game. Knox was also fan of the sport and never minded talking shop and in reality he hadn’t spent enough years grinding it out or dealing with fans on a daily basis to have become jaded. “I play, and that’s a good spot for it,” Knox said as he looked at the Renegades logo on the sun visor, “Texas picks pretty high this year, but I don’t think they'll be picking me.”
“I tried to get my son to play, but he doesn’t like hockey,” the driver lamented, “Just girls. He only likes girls.”
Knox laughed with the driver, “Not a bad thing to like.”
The driver shook his head, “Not when you already have three grandchildren, I don’t need anymore!” The driver looked back at him through the rear-view mirror, “What’s your name?”
“Knox Booth.”
“I’ll be listening to the draft tonight Knox Booth, and I’ll listen for your name,” the driver almost turned around to look at Knox but corrected himself a moment before, keeping his eyes forward and on the road, “What position do you play?”
“Goalie.”
The driver shook his head, “No, you will likely not be a Renegade. We don't need goalies right now.”
“Doesn't seem like a lot of teams do,” Knox added, “But I don't think I'll end up a Renegade. They haven’t spoken to me.”
“Knox Booth,” the driver repeated Knox’s name aloud as combed through his memory, “I wish you good luck tonight my friend."
"Thank you."
"Any idea who might draft you?”
Knox shook his head as he looked out the window, he contemplated rolling it down to get some air. He was starting to feel nervous as they continued to get closer to the arena, “Honestly, I have no idea,” Knox said truthfully before he began to think about some of the teams that had contacted him, six out of sixteen wasn't bad.
Was it?
The taxi-cab pulled to a stop outside the American Airlines Center and immediately Knox noticed the difference in budget between the SHL and the SMJHL draft. The entrance to the arena had been dressed with SHL logos with media placed on each side of the doorway. Leading the way to the entrance was a stretched out red carpet, beckoning players and family inside and it was already filled with guests. Barriers had been installed on each side of the carpet, blocking public from getting too close to the players and allowing security to create enough of a buffer between them to keep everyone safe.
Knox had arrived alone and did not expect to see either of his parents. Knox had spoken with his Mother once since he revealed to her that his Father had, “won,” some money, and knowing that she was relatively okay was enough to ease his mind. Enough to allow him to attend this event. Knox knew he would have to return to the WJC tomorrow and finish the tournament but he was determined to get back home and get his Mother out of town. Knox had enough money to move her to Colorado and although he knew she'd likely reject his plan, he was going to try and force her to do it anyway. The only problem he found with forcing his Mother to do anything was that it meant he was behaving in the same way his Father did, and he didn't want that.
But if it made her life better- wasn't it worth it?
“Thank you,” Knox told the driver of the taxi-cab as the he handed Knox his bag, it just big enough to hold his toiletries and clothes for the night. “Here,” Knox said as he paid his fare and handed the taxi cab driver an additional fifty-dollar bill, “For your future grandchildren,” Knox said to the driver with a smile.
“Thank you,” the driver emphasized the word, ‘you,’ as he said it and then willingly accepted the tip, “I’ll be listening for when you get drafted Knox Booth. I can hear it already. You're going to have good luck tonight.”
“I hope you're right,” Knox told him, "I could use it," Knox shook hands with the driver before he turned and made his way toward the red carpet. Knox showed his identification to security and handing his bag to one of the guards, asking him if he could put it in the security office. When Knox's identification was confirmed the two guards stepped aside and cleared the way for Knox to enter. One season prior Knox was ashamed of the fact that he attended the SMJHL Draft alone, so much so that he found a way inside the building through the back entrance. This year however, Knox was no longer ashamed. He was proud of the player that he had become since joining the SMJHL and the moment he ascended the red carpet alone, he did so with a quiet confidence that shone through. By the time Knox reached the doorway he was mentally prepared for the questions that were about to be asked of him, and while pictures were taken at the same time, Knox did his best not to flinch each time a flash went off and burned his eyes.
“Are you excited to be considered a top prospect?”
“Yes, I am honored to be in the same conversation as some of my peers here.”
“Any expectation on where you will be drafted?”
“None by me, lot of opinions out there on what team I’ll go to, but I’ll be proud to put on any sweater in the SHL. It’s my dream to play for this league.”
“Do you see yourself making the jump to the SHL next season?”
“That would depend on whether or not my team thinks I’m ready, and that’s something only they can decide. I want to be the best I can be, and I see the SMJHL as the perfect development ground. No matter what happens after today, I’ll still be a Raptor, and I’m looking forward to playing in Colorado next year.”
Before Knox could blink he was inside the arena and his ears were flooded with the sound of hundreds of voices all talking at once. Knox had found himself on the Western wing of the arena and knew based on his ticket that he had assigned to seating on the North side. Knox took a moment to look at the number of the wing he had come in on, and then began to slowly force his way through the thick crowd that stood in the way.
“Knox!”
Knox turned to look at Bo Kane, he waved, “Bo!” They met in the middle of the crowd and shook hands, “I thought we’d be on the same plane,” Knox told him.
“I did what you do,” Bo replied, “Came early.”
“You excited?” Knox asked him the obvious question.
“Aren’t you?” Bo gave him the obvious answer.
“Where you at?” Knox asked him, “I’m on the North side, in the balcony.”
“Balcony?” Bo was confused, “You should be lower bowl,” Bo told him, “My parents are waiting for me at my seat, I had to grab a drink before the event started, it’s like a sauna out on the arena floor. I don’t think the AC is working.”
“Shitty.”
“Where’s your parents?” Bo asked him, looking around Knox’s shoulder, “I’ve never met them.”
“At my seat,” Knox lied, “I told them I wanted to hit the washroom before I sat down, don’t want to get drafted with my pants down if you know what I’m saying,” Knox smiled at Bo sheepishly before they shared an awkward silence, “Anyway, I should probably head back.”
“Good luck tonight,” Bo told him.
“Ditto,” Knox said as they shook hands once more before they split apart and disappeared into the crowds surrounding them.
It didn’t take very long for Knox to find his seat and as he looked down at the two empty spaces beside him he was reminded again that his Mother wasn’t here. But at least in his mind he knew she was safe, for now. That was enough.
Right?
***
“With the 1st overall pick, the Los Angeles Panthers are ECSTATIC to select, ELIJAH JONES, from the Anchorage Armada!”
Knox watched in awe as Elijah Jones stood from his seat and was embraced by family and friends, and Knox couldn't help but feel the sting of envy as he watched Jones look back into the eyes of the people he loved, expressing a sense of happiness that seemed so foreign to Knox in this moment.
Knox looked down and away, breaking his gaze of Jones and only lifting his eyes back when Knox believed enough time had passed. Knox watched as Elijah Jones climbed the stage and shook hands with members of his new organization and Knox wondered what Elijah Jones was feeling in that moment, what was it like to go first? What was it like to see that kind of pride in the eyes of your parents?
How did it feel?
The minutes flowed like seconds and soon enough the first round of the draft had almost finished. Knox had been ranked tenth spot in draft previews looked like he was going to fall much further than that. The hard truth was that there wasn’t a need for goaltending in the league and this was even more apparent with the number of teams that reached out to Knox. Out of the sixteen teams that occupied the SHL, only six of them had personally inquired with Knox. Those teams were San Francisco, New Orleans, New England, Buffalo, Los Angeles and Toronto. Knox had been told the same thing by most of the teams – We don’t need a goalie, but we might draft you. There was however, one team that had outwardly expressed draft interest in Knox and that was Los Angeles. However, the Panthers picked at first and eighteenth, and Knox had just watched them take Elijah Jones- would they follow through and take him at eighteen?
“The Toronto North Stars are proud to select Knox Booth from the Colorado Raptors.”
Knox stood up upon hearing his name and looked down to the stage, staring up at him was Robert Lokitonov with a wide grin on his face. Lokitonov must have been watching Knox moments before they called his name, and had seen Knox's natural reaction of surprise. Knox couldn’t help but match the smile that Lokitonov was giving him and without any family or friends to celebrate with- Knox wasted no time on making his way to the stage. Knox was shocked at the fact that Toronto had taken him, not only that he had been taken in the first round but also because had he grown up a fan of the North Stars team. Knox often dreamt of day where he would get to put on their jersey and play for the organization for real. This meant that his dream might actually become a reality.
Knox was also familiar with the organization, he had scouted all of the SHL teams before the draft and specifically looked at each team's goalie prospects. Knox was aware that Toronto had drafted Harry Carpet a year before and that the scouting report on Harry Carpet was very similar to the one on Knox, so what did this mean? What would it mean for the future?
“Welcome to the North Stars,” Lokitonov told him as he shook Knox’s hand and welcomed him on stage.
“Thank you,” Knox focused on keeping his hand shake firm, he wanted to impress his new General Manager, “I’m so happy," Knox said, "I don’t even know what to say,” it was the only words he could find in the moment.
Lokitonov laughed, “Then just say that, and smile for your picture!”
FLASH! Cameras went off as Knox settled into his North Stars jersey and adjusted the North Stars hat on his head. Minutes later Knox was seated beside Lokitonov as they discussed with a television reporter Knox’s selection by the North Stars.
“Quite the surprise with Toronto drafting a goalie, what did you see in Knox that you made you draft a goalie in the first round?”
Lokitonov nodded as he answered the question, “We believe in drafting the best player available and when Knox was still on the board at number fourteen, we knew we had to take him.”
“Knox, how does it feel to be a North Star?”
Knox tried not to blush at the question, he was thrilled but he didn’t want to show how excited he was on television. Knox wanted to present himself as stoic and calm, just as he done most of the previous season on the ice, “I grew up a fan of the team, it’s a dream come true.”
“What do you bring to the North Stars team from a game perspective?”
“My game is centered around position and technique. I work a lot of my style control, trying to make sure I’m always in the right position at the right time.”
“Harry Carpet is your direct competition for the future of Toronto goaltending and has been called up to the North Stars for next season, do you feel any pressure in making the team as a goaltending prospect?"
Knox thought about the question, he had to answer it correctly. Knox was more than aware of Carpet’s existence in Toronto and the fact that Carpet was destined to be a starter, and it was this fact alone that had made Knox believe he wouldn’t be taken by the North Stars. “There’s always pressure in this game,” Knox began, “Everyday someone is trying to take someone else’s job, and there’s not a lot of jobs in goaltending. The pressure will always be the same, no matter where I play.”
“Thank you for your time Knox and Robert.”
Lokitonov guided Knox back to the North Stars table, "If it wasn't for the World Juniors we'd have you come back with us tomorrow, we see a bright future in you Knox."
Knox did his best to hide his excitement but he couldn't help letting a little out, "I can't wait to get started, I'm going to frame this jersey."
"Oh," Lokitonov remarked, "Don't you worry about that, you'll get plenty of those."
Knox stayed as long as he could at the North Stars table before the draft concluded for the night, “We’ll call you after the tournament,” Lokitonov told him just before he wished him a good night.
Knox shook his hand, “This was the best night of my life.”
***
The hotel phone in Knox’s room woke him up and as he sat up in bed and checked his phone. His alarm hadn't gone off yet but he had put his phone on silent the night before and now realized he had missed several calls and also had several text messages.
I've been trying to call you.
It was the first message he saw but being that the phone in Knox's room continued to ring, he scampered his way out of bed and walked over to the receiver, which sat on a desk beside the TV. “Hello?” Knox said into the phone.
“Knox!” It was Niclas Wastlund, the general manager for the Los Angeles Panthers. Knox was familiar with Wastlund as the Panthers were the only team that had expressed interest in drafting him.
“Hi,” Knox recognized his voice but was confused as to why he was calling him.
“I’ve been trying to call you all morning,” Wastlund told him, “I guess you haven’t spoken yet with Robert?”
Knox was even more confused, “No,” he answered before he looked back down at his cell phone.
I've been trying to call you.
“I'm sorry it had to happen this way Knox but I'm real glad I get to tell you the news. You're officially a Los Angeles Panther, we traded for you this morning and I wanted to welcome you aboard.”
Knox felt like he was still dreaming, “I'm what?” He asked with genuine astonishment.
There was a brief pause from Wastlund, “We traded for you early this morning Knox, we had intended to draft you last night and Toronto beat us to it. You’re officially a Los Angeles Panther.”
Thoughts raced through his mind as his heart jumped into his throat, Knox was speechless, “Th-thank you,” he forced out as his hand began to shake, he could barely hold up the receiver. He took a hold of his hand that was holding the phone, bracing it and holding it up, so that he didn't drop the phone from his ear.
“You have a bright future ahead of you Knox," Wastlund continued, "and we’re happy to have us be a part of it. I know you’re flying back today for the tournament but just know that all the Panthers are rooting for you and Team Canada, we want to see you do well.”
“Thank you,” Knox said again and this time he had strength in his voice.
“I’ll call you after the tournament and let me know if you'll need assistance with temporary living arrangements, we can provide that for you.”
“Thank you,” Knox said a third time, it was all he could think to say- it was a lot process.
A Panther? A Los Angeles Panther?
He couldn’t believe it.
“Welcome aboard, it's great to have you in the family Knox, we'll talk soon.”
Click
Knox walked over to his phone and looked at the screen, scrolling through the several missed calls from Robert Lokitonov and finally reading the full text message from him confirming the trade and asking Knox to call him.
I've been trying to call you.
Knox closed his eyes and took a deep breath, being traded to Los Angeles was anything but a bad thing- the Panthers were the right fit all along. The reality was that Harry Carpet was a star in the making and the crease would be blocked in Toronto, but still, the dream of becoming a North Star had been so brief- so fleeting. It had been something that he wanted, and when it became a reality he believed there wasn't anything he wanted more. Knox thought about the previous night, and sitting with Lokitonov. Had it been a lie? Or was it just opportunity?
Knox tried to shake it off, and force the feeling of hurt out of him. Last night he had officially been drafted into the SHL, and that was more than enough. That had to be enough. He couldn't allow this to get him down and force him to question what happened yesterday. There were two teams that believed in him, but there was only one who really needed him. This was his destiny.
Knox finished reading the last two words of Lokitonov's text message.
Good luck.
Knox stared at the two words in the text message over and over again. He debated for a moment on whether or not he should return Robert Lokitonov's phone calls but then suddenly Knox deleted the text message instead. “Good luck,” Knox said aloud as he deleted Lokitonov's phone number from his contact list. Knox placed his cell phone down and looked outside the window of his hotel in Dallas, Texas, trying to open it so that he could get fresh air, but the window had been sealed shut. Good luck to them, Knox thought, because one day in the not so distant future Toronto would be seeing him again, and when that happens he's going to be on the opposite end of the ice.
"Good luck," Knox said aloud as he envisioned squaring off against Toronto, "You're going to need it." 3796 words x 2 for Draft Week
** Thank you to @NONAME @Wasty and @ml002 for guesting in this media.
What an article! Very interesting to read and very well written!
I look forward to all the chapters of this story, it's just getting started but it's going to be a great one.
Welcome to LA!
#40 Niclas Wastlund - W - VANCOUVER WHALERS / MINNESOTA MONARCHS
Bro! Bro. That was AWESOME! What a well written and captivating article. Your writing style is on point. Give this man a bonus for writing like Michael Crichton!
Tate![[Image: lqfXIpe.jpeg]](https://i.imgur.com/lqfXIpe.jpeg)
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sig by @
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