"Draft scouts circled like vultures."
Eli missed the pass.
It should have been easy. Carter fed it right to his tape, a perfect setup for a one-timer that would have beaten their practice goalie clean. Instead, Eli's stick was half a second too slow, his focus somewhere else entirely, and the puck skittered past him into the corner.
"Rivers!" Coach Morrison's voice echoed across Ingram Rink. "Where's your head?"
Not here. Definitely not here.
Eli skated to retrieve the puck, ignoring the looks from his teammates. This was the third time this practice he'd blown an easy play. Third time in two days, actually, if he counted yesterday's disaster of a scrimmage.
"Again," Coach called. "And this time try to remember you play hockey."
Carter circled back, tapping his stick against the ice. "You good, man?"
