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OVOXO · 06-03-2024, 08:12 PM

Author's note: I've decided to write a fanfiction story where Elliot Alderson from the TV series Mr. Robot is being drafted into our league. If you haven't watched the show yet, I highly recommend it—it's one of the best TV shows of all time. Please note that these are the thoughts of my player, not my personal views!

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Hello friend.

It’s funny how life can throw you into situations you never expected. One minute, you’re hacking into corporate servers, exposing the dark secrets of the world’s most powerful companies. The next, you’re standing on a stage, under a huge spotlight, shaking hands with men in suits as they welcome you to the Detroit Falcons Falcons

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I never planned on being here. Hockey was always just a release, a way to alleviate the chaos inside my head into something physical, something fun. On the ice, it’s simple: there’s a goal, an opponent, a clear path to victory. In the real world, things are never that simple. But when they called my name at the draft, something changed. Suddenly, the noise in my head was drowned out by the roar of the crowd, the flash of cameras, the feeling of being part of something bigger.

They told me I was a Falcon, that my skills on the ice were exceptional. I didn’t care about the accolades, the promises of fame and fortune. To me, it was just another system, another construct with its own rules and expectations.

My first month as a prospect wasn’t about the game. It was about the people. The scouts, the GMs, the endless stream of people asking the same questions over and over. “How is your experience so far?” “What are your goals for the season?” “Are you ready for the pressure?” They don’t understand that the real pressure isn’t on the ice. It’s in the locker room, the moments where doubt and anxiety creep in.

As a defensive defenseman, my role is clear: protect the zone, block shots, disrupt the opponent's plays. It's not glamorous, but it's essential. The physicality of it is grounding.

But there’s something curious about the world of hockey. It’s not just a game; it’s a business. Every move you make, every mistake, every PT is scrutinized, monetized, and packaged for public consumption. The pressure to perform, to live up to the hype, is a constant expectation. And behind it all, there are people pulling the strings, managing the image, controlling the narrative.

In a way, it’s not so different from the corporate world I despise. The same manipulation, the same illusions. But there’s also a purity in the game itself, a beauty in the skill and the strategy. On the ice, you can forget about the rest of it. You can lose yourself in the rhythm of the game, the chase of the puck, the excitement of a well executed goal.

As I navigate this new reality, I can’t help but wonder if I’m trading one cage for another. But for now, I’ll play the game. I’ll skate hard, I’ll fight for every puck, and I’ll find my place in this new system. Because sometimes, you have to confront the beast from within. And maybe, just maybe, I can change things here too, from the inside out.