Chapter Text
ESPN (@ESPN)
Breaking! Shane Hollander traded to Boston Raiders for Drew Kenton. Contract details to come soon.
PuckDropNews (@PuckDrop)
Shock trade this morning with Shane Hollander moving to Boston. MTL receive Drew Kenton and 2 protected draft picks.
Raiders Updates (@BOSUpdates)
Shane Hollander traded to Boston for 10.4M AAV and a 2 year extension. Maybe we'll finally go back to back?!
The sun was already piercing through the curtains when Shane woke up, he could feel Ilya's breathing on his back, and the weight of his arm as it laid over Shane's stomach. But the main thing that had startled him out of his sleep was his ringtone blaring throughout their room.
He blinked twice, willing his body to disrupt the early morning peace and inevitably wake up his boyfriend in the process. He knew if the call got past his do not disturb settings it had to be important, but he also couldn't take the way Ilya would whine and try and pull Shane back to bed the second he started to move out of his arms. They had 2 days of paradise left, with Shane needing to go do some interviews and photo shoots, and Ilya needing to go back to Boston to sort something out with his lawyer.
He looked over at his phone, which was still incessantly ringing. He saw his mom's contact photo and her work contact display on the screen and carefully moved Ilya's arm off him, grabbing his phone off the charger and making his way to the deck out back to take it where Ilya wouldn't hear.
"Hey, what's up?" He answered, trying to keep the worry that something terrible had happened out of his voice.
"Honey, I know it's not ideal but I tried really hard to make the most out of what I could with what I had. I know you'll be heartbroken but they were adamant about freeing cap space-" His mom started, not even letting him know what the actual problem was.
"Mom, I just woke up. What's happened?" He asked. He wrapped his arms around his body, regretting only stepping out in his sleep pants when the morning chill started to get to him.
"You've been traded to Boston."
"Holy shit," He breathed out. He moved until his ass hit the deck furniture, and immediately started panicking about everything he would need to figure out before the pre-season started up.
"You got a 2 year extension, and a no movement clause. By the sounds of it the coaching team would bend over backwards to make you happy so I wouldn't worry too much about the locker room…" Shane moved his head away from the receiver when Ilya opened the door. He looked like he'd only just pulled himself out of bed, but he had his phone open and Shane could already see the words SHANE HOLLANDER TRADED on the screen.
"Who was I traded for?" He asked, suddenly. Because Ilya sure as hell hadn't been traded, and that was the only one-to-one that would make sense.
"Drew Kenton," Ilya said, dropping next to Shane on the patio couch, looking an awful lot like the cat who got the canary.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" He asked, "He's borderline retiring."
"3 years, 8 million AAV," His mom responded.
"3 years? That'll be his 20th season!" Shane said, mildly outraged, "He's not had averaged a point-per-game since Boston won the fucking cup- sorry, baby - and his right knee is so bummed I wouldn't be surprised if he was pulled for injury rest by December."
"Well, the ink's dry now, it's Montreal's mistake. So you're going to go to Boston and show them just how much they fucked up."
"Yes, mom," Shane agreed quickly, "When do training camps start?"
"End of August. I'm already looking at houses and movers, but I need to talk to the companies based in Montreal that sponsored you so I'll call you later."
"Okay mom, I love you."
"Love you too, hun."
When the call ended Shane basically collapsed onto Ilya.
"So, we need a 6 cup streak to beat Montreal but with 2 star centres-" He started. Shane choked on a laugh and immediately felt tears well up in his eyes. He'd actually been traded, to their biggest rival no less. "Moya lyubov? What's wrong?"
"I thought I'd retire in Montreal," He said, almost pathetically. "They were my mom's team and all I wanted was for my jersey to hang in their rafters when my career was done."
Ilya pulled Shane into his lap, settling his arms around him and held him close.
"They'll realise they were wrong," He stroked his fingers over Shane's biceps, "We'll play on the same line and be their worst nightmare, we will win 6 championships in a row, retire and come out in a much cooler way than old man Scott Hunter. We become like 90s Detroit and absolutely crush everyone. Perfect plan, no?"
Shane nodded, feeling the tears fade, he was still choked up but he was Shane fucking Hollander, a goalie's worst nightmare and the best centre in the league. He could do this.
He gave Ilya a quick peck on the lips before shuffling back into the cottage, going to the bedroom to finally get ready for the day and start drafting statements for all the media outlets that were inevitably about to call asking for statements. He could do this.
The Athletic (@TheAthletic)
Shane Hollander's trade isn't just a bad trade, it's an organisational death knell. Read the full article nytimes.com/athletic/…
JULY 2ND 2017, MONTREAL - It's been 18 years since Drew Kenton was drafted by Montreal. The hometown hero was picked 16th overall by the Metros, and won 2 cups with the team before being traded to the Philadelphia Wingmen in 2005, where he won one more cup and subsequently signed to the Raiders as a free agent. His career statistics - nearly 1000 career points, over 1200 appearances - are impressive, but for a man who is on his 17th season, it's not difficult to see where the numbers pile up.
The price of a man with this reputation? Montreal's star forward, Shane Hollander.
"It was the terms we set," Boston GM Carey Trent said in an interview today, "Kenton's been an incredible asset but we want to make a youth core, put more depth in the centre, and a player as good as Hollander is a deal too good to pass up."
"We've loved working with Shane," Montreal GM Bryce Fury said during his press conference, "His leadership as our captain, his command of the puck and overall his skills on the ice are second to none, but with our available cap space we needed to make moves that would give us flexibility and maximise potential. Kenton's a great player and we think for the Metros team we want to build, he's the right fit."
Shane Hollander, who is steadily approaching his 6th consecutive 100 point season, is a once in a generation talent. Hollander's accolades are plentiful, and would make this article double the word limit than they'd let me publish, but since his debut he's been a 2 time Stanley Cup winner, a Conn Smythe winner, Hart Memorial winner and Rookie of the Year, as well as setting multiple goal records, All-Star records and Metros-specific records.
Shane Hollander will now be on the same team as Ilya Rozanov, who's trophy room is just as decorated as Hollander's.
Montreal have not just given up their best player, they have given the best player in the league to his runner-up. They have passed him off to their division rival, the kind of feud that at one point caused riots in the streets of Montreal. The reward for this sacrifice? A player who was once voted as most likely to retire 3 seasons ago, and who has been spending more and more time benched for injuries every season.
The move is indicative of a major issue the Metros have never moved past. Bryce Fury is an organisational traditionalist, Coach Theriault and the Metros' front office are proof that the franchise will never move into the modern day…
Bon-Voyageur (@MetsBaby)
Are you FUCKING kidding me??
⤷ Bon-Voyageur (@MetsBaby)
Nono it's fine I didn't like winning the fucking cup anyway.
DanTheMetroFan (@Dan22390)
Kenton has spent more of Hollander's career on LTIR than on the ice btw.
⤷ Mandy (@MTLMama)
I think Kenton's spent more of his own career on LTIR, let alone Hollander's
PuckFacts (@PuckDrop)
Kenton has had 2 point per game seasons since Hollander was drafted the last one being in 2014
⤷ DanTheMetroFan (@Dan22390)
Surely we're doing this to tank on purpose and Fury just wants to retool with draft prospects, right???
⤷ ⤷Bon-Voyageur (@MetsBaby)
Maybe Fury is just fucking stupid.
⤷⤷⤷ DanTheMetroFan (@Dan22390)
Yeah well they're not going to fire the guy who led us to a back to back win last season :/
BOSTON NEVER LOSES (@RaidersTillIDie)
Holy shit Fury just fumbled so fucking hard???? We're so back
Holeander (@MrsShane24)
My poor sweet boy has to go play with that Russian fuck? Fury count your days >:(
⤷ Bon-Voyageur (@MetsBaby)
You're saying this ab a grown ass man btw
SvetlanaVetrova (@CallMeSveta)
Ilyusha is the most annoying man on the planet today.
⤷ Ilya Rozanov (@Roz81)
Not true I can always be worse.
After the chaos of the morning was over, they settled on the couch. Ilya had eventually called his lawyer and asked if there was any way to meet virtually, which had turned into settling everything over the phone. Shane had looked at some moving companies, a few apartment complexes that would be good temporary housing until he could buy something, and then started worrying about what he actually needed to move and what he was better off getting rid of.
"Hey," Ilya said from next to him, running his knuckles down Shane's arm, "What are you thinking about?"
"I've got to find somewhere new, pack all my shit, I haven't had to move like this since I was drafted. I just need to move my whole life to Boston and I don't even know where I'm going to be when I get there-"
"Live with me," Ilya said, "I tell team I have big, empty, lonely house and very anxious hockey player who would love to sleep in my bed every night-"
"We can't," Shane hesitated.
"Why?"
"It's… no one knows we even like each other, then we're living together with no problems? What if they think it's…" Shane kept trailed off again. It felt like a bad idea, intuitively, but the concept of falling asleep and waking up with Ilya every day was one that settled something in him, almost like he was staking a claim.
"Boston is not like that. Even if they thought it they would never dare be assholes," Ilya insisted, "We can have everything we've been telling each other we can't."
That made Shane's heart stutter. There had been this underlying level of want to their whole vacation, the want for this to be their normal. He felt it the whole time, the part of him that wanted to crawl under Ilya's skin and be buried there. There was this pulse that sat alongside his heart that would only beat as long as Ilya was there with him, as crazy as it all sounded.
"What if it's too fast?" Shane asked. Ilya moved his hand up to cradle Shane's face, forcing their eyes to lock together.
"What are you actually scared of?"
Shane hated how well Ilya knew him, and forced the honesty out of his mouth.
"I want you so bad, all of the time, and if we're together all of the time I don't know how well I'll hide it."
Ilya's grin rivalled the Cheshire Cat.
"Well, the good news is I'm obsessed with you too," He interrupted himself by pressing a quick peck to Shane's mouth, "We worry about everything else when you're actually in Boston, but if it helps… we change some things now. Tweet each other, show that we are friendly off ice. Maybe during training interviews mention that we've been friends for a while but knew league would not take it very well. You make all these plans to change narrative a bit faster, and we can live together. Da?"
"Yeah, okay," Shane agreed quickly. His face broke out into the kind of smile that felt like it would split his cheeks if he let it, the kind that was all teeth and left deep wrinkles around his eyes.
Ilya immediately started peppering his face in small pecks, kissing over his freckles until landing on his lips, transitioning into the kind of lazy make out that had become their favourite way to spend their time off together.
"I love you," Shane whispered, when they'd finally stopped. Ilya was cuddled on his chest, Shane could feel his warm breath over his shirtless chest and tried to hide the way his heart would flutter every time Ilya pressed his lips onto his bare skin.
"I love you too."
The next day was easier, he'd got his mom to stop apartment hunting and told her that he was going to stay with Ilya.
"Doesn't it feel a bit fast for you?" She'd asked over the phone.
Shane thought about it, because he'd said it yesterday, but he hadn't meant it. He'd been living with a muddle of romantic emotions for as long as he could remember, and him and Ilya had been together in some way their whole adult lives. If anything, moving in after being something for 7 years was taking it extremely slowly.
"It feels right," He'd said quietly, sitting with the happiness of getting to have some part of his relationship be normal.
"As long as it's what you want, sweetheart."
Then he'd had to arrange for movers, Ilya had talked about helping him pack and sort out his house so he could put it on the market.
"Are we keeping the sex condo?" He asked, his eyes lighting up at the memory of it.
"I sold my investment property after I broke up with Rose," Shane rolled his eyes.
They were packing their bags to go back to Montreal and shove as much of Shane's life into cardboard boxes as they could. Reducing what he'd spent the last 7 years working towards to a few suitcases and miscellaneous items, and combining it all with Ilya's.
When it was in those terms, it was intimidating. But also exciting. Too many emotions for Shane to pick out precisely.
"But we had so many good memories!" Ilya protested.
"And now we're going to make even better ones?" Shane offered, folding another shirt and placing it on the bed so he could make sure his clean and dirty clothes were properly separated in his suitcase.
Ilya huffed a small protest but went back to making sure the room was empty except for the small essentials they needed to get through today and tomorrow morning.
They packed in silence a bit longer, until Shane saw Ilya suddenly start grinning out the corner of his eye.
"What's got you so happy?" He asked, moving to his second suitcase to make sure his dirty laundry was colour coordinated for when they got to his apartment.
"I don't have to move to Ottawa!" He cheered, zipping his suitcase and rushing to push Shane onto the bed.
"I mean you never had to," Shane grumbled.
"For you? I would quit, never tie a skate again, hang my jersey in the rafters," Ilya kissed his cheek, "I would've moved there if it meant we could be together properly. But I think it would've been hard to play for such a terrible team."
"They're not as bad as Vancouver or Calgary this season," Shane protested.
"This season."
Shane didn't have much to say to that.
"I get to play hockey." Kiss. "With my very pretty boyfriend." Kiss. "With all my friends on my team." Kiss. "In a city I love living in." Kiss. "And my wonderful, beautiful, love of my life never has to leave me." Kiss. "And I don't have to live and play in boring Ottawa and deal with goalie who hasn't averaged over .85 since the Berlin wall came down."
"Instead we have Carmichael, who always passes you the puck on the power play even though you're almost always marked, or St-Simon who yells his passes in French when everyone else speaks English."
"Shh, criticise my team later. Right now I want to hear you talk about their very sexy captain and how good he is at faking out goalies."
"I dunno… he's got such an ego I wonder what his locker room leadership is like," Shane said, faking contemplation, "And he's a great goalscorer but I wonder if he realises there's more than just him on the ice? And yeah he's good looking, but they just signed this new star centre and I don't know but he looks pretty hot-"
Before he could finish that last sentence Ilya had him pinned on the bed, straddling his lap and hands pushing down on his arms.
"Their new star centre is stunning," He complimented
"Stunning? That's a new one."
Ilya nipped Shane's jaw with his teeth, moving his hands off Shane's arms to slip them under his shirt.
"Had to find more words… want to talk about how good looking you are all of the time." He punctuated his sentence with a filthy roll of his hips, making Shane buck up and into the pressure.
Shane didn't even get a chance to think of words before Ilya was pulling his shirt up and laying kisses over his abs, moving slowly towards his pecs.
"You are so hot, so beautiful," He murmured into Shane's skin, which made him hot all over. "Every day you are mine is a gift."
"Are you going to keep talking?" Shane panted, "Or are you going to love me like you want to?"
They locked eyes, Ilya deciding to suck a hickey into Shane's skin right below his right nipple.
Shane whimpered, letting Ilya play with his body like a doll. Watching him bite and lick until his teeth were at the junction of Shane's neck and his chin.
"I'm going to mark you up, bruise all that pretty pretty skin, fuck you just how you want it," Ilya promised, hands reaching for Shane's zipper. "And the whole time, I want you to call me captain. Yes?"
Shane nodded, words gone from his mind. He pulled Ilya down to lock themselves together in a filthy kiss, before letting Ilya take back control.
He spent the whole night begging his new captain for more.
x - Boston Rayna (@RaynaD)
I know it's not even pre-season but THATS how confident I am that we'll clinch a playoff spot.
⤷ RaidMeRoz (@BostonBroad330)
Pres trophy AND the cup!! Going on a generational run baby.
⤷ Bon-Voyageur (@MetsBaby)
I know Shane's good, but you still have the rest of your team to account for
⤷⤷ RaidMeRoz (@BostonBroad330)
'Good'?? Baby, Cliff Marleau is good. Carter Vaughn is good. Shane Hollander is like hockey jesus. Pair that with Ilya Rozanov??
⤷⤷⤷x - Boston Rayna (@RaynaD)
Montreal fans trying to act like they weren't calling Hollander their saviour after last year's cup win. He MADE your team what it is now.
[Failed to reply to user]
⤷⤷⤷⤷ x -Boston Rayna (@RaynaD)
I can't believe I got blocked for beef I didn't even start
Hayden Pike (@NotTheFish35)
Well, at least I got to hold the cup one last time.
⤷ J.J Boiziau (@JJ_MTL)
We'll miss you mon amour…
⤷⤷ J.J Boiziau (@JJ_MTL)
Guys I am in love with the CUP not Shane Hollander 😭😭
⤷⤷⤷ J.J Boiziau (@JJ_MTL)
I will miss him too. Metros PR manager is begging me to stop tweeting.
Hayden Pike (@NotTheFish35)
All jokes aside, I'll miss playing with Shane. He's been my best friend for years. I love him and hope Boston loves him like we did.
⤷ Hayden Pike (@NotTheFish35)
Also if he starts acting like Ilya Rozanov I'm dropping gloves
⤷⤷ Ilya Rozanov (@Roz81)
You drop gloves? I think your toddler can throw better punch.
⤷⤷⤷ Shane Hollander (@ShaneHollander24)
@CallMeSveta How much more annoying does he get?