Chapter Text
(After the Jeoprady)
Harris: Shane?
Shane: Right, sorry. I don’t know. I wrote this whole thing for him, but it just feels weird to read off a piece of paper when I’m meant to know my husband better than I know myself. Which I do. I know him so well. I’m just worried that I won’t do it justice.
Harris: Do what justice?
Shane: I wrote it in Russian, then sent it to Sveta to check it and she sent a voice note of her saying it so that I could pronounce everything correctly. But, putting it out there for everyone is so scary. Y’know.
Cut.
Wyatt: I knew from the second we all stepped on the ice with Ilya that it was going to be different. That we were going to become something different.
Lisa: There was a point where Wyatt came home and just gushed about how awesome it was to play. He usually came home needing to decompress, but he just talked for nearly an hour.
Wyatt; blushing: Ilya was something that the team needed for more than just time on the ice and games. He just…I don’t know, he made the locker room somewhere that we all felt safe and comfortable and made sure everybody felt listened to.
Cut.
Zane: I think there was a moment when Ilya stepped into the locker room that we knew that the media was kinda exaggerating what he was like. Obviously, we didn’t know he locked down the Shane Hollander yet, but we all expected him to be insane or like talking about his hookups.
Cassie: It helped when he started coming to the barbecues and hanging out more. It was so nice to know. That he would take care of Zane when he was at the ice.
Zane; laughing: Plus, when we had Milo, Ilya was immediately up for babysitting, even when we weren’t.
Cassie: He didn’t pressure us to open our house up again immediately after too. I know y’all liked the Bood’s Barbecue stuff that Harris did back then, and some of you noticed that the backyard looked different at some of them. Bood was grilling in Ilya’s backyard.
Cut.
Luca: It was a dream come true. I started playing for the Centaurs at the same time as him and it was so cool. When I was little, I had a dream about playing on the same team as Ilya fucking Rozanov and getting to? It’s amazing.
Holmberg: Yeah, what Luca said. To play for someone who’s been playing for so long as a generational talent is so fucking cool.
LaPointe: Plus, he never yells at us. I remember my captain in juniors always yelled at us. I don’t really know if that’s a Ilya Rozanov thing or a Centaurs thing, but it’s so nice.
Young: I really don’t have anything to add, they all took it, but y’know? Ilya is so cool and it’s so nice to learn from him. We’re kinda like apprentices.
(2x speed of the rookies all talking about Star Wars.)
Cut.
Evan: Even if we never seem to agree on music, Ilya’s pretty cool.
Caitlin: He’s amazing. I genuinely thought that he was going to be flirting with us all the time.
Evan: Which he does, of note.
Caitlin: But it’s all super kind flirting. He doesn’t cross lines. He just winks and smiles and it makes you feel special for just a moment.
Evan: You’re so special.
Cut.
Nick: When we had Charlie, Ilya was right there. He was so fucking nice. He was keeping us sane, I think.
Selena: I’m not entirely sure that the cooking was all him, but the meals he brought were enough to feed an army and we’re so grateful. When Nick went back to the rink for the first time, Ilya was there, ready to catch him if he, metaphorically fell.
Nick: Which I did. I was crying in the locker room for ten minutes because I wanted to go home and be with Selena and Charlie. Ilya just gave me a hug and sent me home.
Selena: Nick is a sap.
Nick: Only for you, baby.
Cut.
Tanner: Ilya kept me around for vibes, I think. I’m so grateful for that. I don’t know what I would’ve done if I’d been fired or something. I think I would’ve fallen too far.
Cut.
Troy: Ilya helped me figure out so much about myself. He helped me get my stunning husband and my amazing dogs and, honestly, my life together. I’m so eternally grateful for him.
Cut.
Coach Wiebe: He saved us. I think we would’ve gotten one or two more seasons before they shut us down. He kept us afloat. Then, he came in and kept us happy. He is always smiling and always there for us when we need him. I’m sure everyone has said it, but I’m so grateful for it.
Cut.
Shane; in Russian: Happy birthday, Ilyushka. I love you so much. I’m so glad you were smoking in that no-smoking area in fucking Saskatchewan. I’m so glad you got that CCM thing. I’m so glad you knocked on door 1410. I’m so glad you made that tuna melt. I’m so glad you went to All Stars in 2016. I’m so glad you came to my hospital room. I’m so glad, even if you refuse to admit it, that Scott Hunter kissed Kip on the ice. I’m so glad you came to my cottage. I’m so glad we created the Irina Foundation. I’m so glad that you moved to Ottawa. I’m so glad you were there. I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so thankful for you. I’m so glad you are there to catch me and I’m so glad you let me catch you. (In English) Uh, yeah, I love you, baby. Thank you for everything. Future me, please kiss your husband. (Winks) I love you, Ilushka.