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Watching Scott Hunter lead the New York Admirals to their first Stanley Cup win in years, then proceed to kiss his boyfriend on national television had inspired Ilya Rozanov.
It was what had given him the courage to go to Shane’s cottage, to spend the summer with him, and to commit to a future where they could somehow figure out how to be together.
They had put together a plan. A detailed plan that involved establishing a charity together, running summer hockey camps for kids, and publicly changing the narrative between them. It also ultimately involved Ilya signing with the Ottawa Centaurs when his contract in Boston was up so he could be closer to Shane.
But that plan would take years, and Ilya was not the most patient person. So when something unexpected happened in the meantime, Ilya decided came up with a new plan.
Both Boston and Montreal had been on fire all season. It wasn’t surprising, they were both incredibly talented teams, especially once Shane and Ilya had joined their ranks. Boston had won the Stanley Cup a few years earlier, and Montreal had won two years in a row before the Admirals claimed it last season.
But even with both teams at the top of their games, Shane and Ilya did not expect to be playing each other in the final round of their conference playoffs. Somehow, the Eastern Conference had gotten down to just Boston and Montreal, who were competing against each other for another chance at the Cup. Whoever won would play the Western Conference champions the following week.
The real fight on the ice though was between Ilya and Shane, and everyone knew it. They were the two best players in the league, and the fans loved watching them compete. They both seemed to play just a little bit harder when they faced each other, and especially now when the stakes were so high, there was a lot riding on both of them.
The playoffs only seemed to make their rivalry worse, more fierce, more competitive. Every game, every play, was a fight to the death for them.
Ilya loved playing against Shane anyway, but this type of competition was an extra rush for him. The only downfall was that they had agreed before the start of the series that they were not going to see each other off the ice until it was over. They talked and texted a little, but they kept their distance otherwise. They both knew it was the best way for them to stay focused, but it also fucking sucked.
Maybe it was how perfect everything had been between them all year, or maybe it was the thrill of the playoffs, but Ilya had made a decision. As soon as everything was over, no matter who won, Ilya was going to propose.
He wanted more. He didn’t want to hide. He had already proven to his team and the fans and the league that he was the best. He already had a deal with Ottawa for the following season no matter how this ended up. He did not want to wait anymore, he wanted his future now.
No one was surprised when the series went all seven games. These were undeniably the two best teams on the ice, and both were going to go down swinging.
But by Game 7, everyone was exhausted. It has been a tough run. The third period started with the two teams tied, making the competition that much more fierce. But with only two minutes left on the clock, the Raiders started getting sloppy, and Shane managed to score a goal. Everyone knew then that it was over. And as disappointed as Ilya was to have lost another shot at the Cup, he was proud of Shane.
After the usual end of game handshakes, the Raiders left the ice, while the Metros remained behind to celebrate, the team management and player’s families quickly descending onto the ice to join them.
While the rest of the Raiders returned to the locker room, Ilya stayed behind, hiding in the shadows. He dropped his helmet and gloves on the ground and slipped off his jersey and shoulder pads, leaving only the black compression shirt underneath.
Once there was a large enough crowd on the ice, he skated back out, heading towards Shane. He knew how irrational his next actions were, and as nervous as he was, the smile on Shane’s face when he spotted him reassured Ilya that he had made the right decision.
Shane practically fell into his arms as Ilya whispered congratulations in his ear. “You were amazing!” In the moment, Shane didn’t flinch, he didn’t shy away from him. Ilya knew he was flying high from the win and probably not thinking clearly, but in another minute, it wouldn’t matter anyway.
“You were too.” Shane mumbled in response, but Ilya shook his head.
“You deserved it more.” Ilya would never say that to anyone else. But Shane was different, Shane was special, and it was true. Shane worked harder than anyone else he knew, and Shane earned every goal, every win.
Even with hundreds of other people around them celebrating, no one seemed to notice the pair hugging, or the kiss Ilya left on his temple when he pulled away.
Ilya brushed the sweaty hair off his forehead, before rubbing his thumb over Shane’s cheek. Even now, flushed and sweaty, he was beautiful, and Ilya was so completely in love that it sometimes scared him.
But not now. Now, he was not scared, he knew what he wanted and nothing was going to stop him. The ring had been in a small pocket in his uniform throughout the game, and as he stepped back to kneel down, he pulled it out of its hiding spot.
Shane’s eyes went wide when he realized what was going on, but the smile on his face and love in his eyes told Ilya everything he needed to know.
He did not have a speech planned, but even if he did, he knew he would mess it up. So he stuck with the basics. “Marry me?”
“Yes. Fuck Yes!” Shane yelled as Ilya slipped the ring onto his finger and jumped to his feet. “Oh my god, I can’t believe you.”
“Why not?” Ilya purred, but Shane didn’t reply, just wrapped his arms around Ilya tightly as he buried his face in Ilya’s neck. Ilya completely forgot about his question.
For a minute, they had both completely forgotten where they were, too caught up in the moment. When Shane finally let go, Ilya’s lips were on his, whispering sweet words to him between kisses.
But then reality set in. Hundreds of sets of eyes were suddenly on them, and the realization that they were in public hit them. “Oh shit” Shane mumbled as he pulled away, putting some distance between them.
Yuna and David had made their way onto the ice by that point, realizing what had happened and enveloping both of them in hugs.
As ridiculous as it was, it was also completely perfect. And it was so very much them.
The game announcers yelled excitedly into the microphones as the clock ran out. Montreal had won, on home ice, and they would be playing for the Stanley Cup. The home crowd was ecstatic.
As the Raiders departed the ice, the announcers began running through all the stats of the winning team and its players. How many games that had one that season, how many goals each player had scored.
But as the players’ families and friends began stepping onto the ice, the announcers turned their attention back to the crowd.
“Is that Rozanov?” One said, pointing to a skater stepping onto the ice without a jersey. “What the hell is he doing?” Everyone could hear the panic in his voice.
“Oh god, please tell me he is not going to start a fight. This had been a shockingly clean game, he really seemed to be on his best behavior all night.” The other said as they watched in horror as Rozanov skated toward the Metros Captain, Shane Hollander.
But what happened next shocked everyone watching. They could hear the gasps from the crowd as Rozanov wrapped his arms around Hollander. “Well this is unexpected.” Neither of them really knew what to say, but their broadcast was still being streamed, and they both knew that dead air was a bad thing.
“For those of you listening, It appears that Ilya Rozanov, Captain of the Boston Raiders, has returned to the ice, and is currently hugging Metros Captain Shane Hollander.” They explained.
“Um, I’m not quite sure what is happening right now, but it looks like Rozanov has a ring in his hand, he’s down on one knee. Hollander is nodding his head. If I didn’t know any better, I would think this was a marriage proposal.”
“Now they are kissing.” The other announcer gasped. “Rozanov and Hollander are on the ice, kissing. Am I hallucinating right now?”
“You are not, that is what’s happening. Folks, we have no explanation. We’re just telling you what we see. And based on the sounds coming from the audience, they are just as shocked and confused as we are.”
@#1MetrosFan - why is Rozanov on the ice? You lost, asshole. Go away
@MontrealHockeyRules - leave it to Rozanov to find a way to be even more offensive
@Raiders81Lover - youre just jealous we have the best player in the league
@HollandersWife - clearly we were not watching the same game, cause the best player is the person who won the game
@#1MetrosFan - something ain’t right here. Red Alert. Red Alert
@MontrealHockeyRules - that mf better not start a fight
@BostonIsTheBest - FIGHT! FIGHT! Yeah, get ‘em!
@HollandersWife - Um, guys? What’s happening?
@MontrealHockeyRules - They are hugging
@HollandersWife - Why are they hugging
@MontrealHockeyRules - Why is Roz down on his knee
@#1MetrosFan - Is this a fucking joke?
@Raiders81Lover - This has to be a joke
@MontrealHockeyRules - Ok that’s really fucked up
@HollandersWife - We all know Roz hates Scott Hunter, but this is fucked up even for him
@MontrealHockeyRules - And Hollander is going along with this? Roz I expect this shit from, but Hollander? He’s better than that
@HollandersWife - What if it’s not a joke?
@Raiders81Lover - You’re kidding, right?
@#1MetrosFan - They are kissing. Do you still think it’s a joke?
@BostonIsTheBest - Doesn’t look like a joke to me.
@HollandersWife - Hollander’s parents are out there too now.
@BostonIsTheBest - Is it possible it’s not a joke?
@ESPNHockeyNews
In what will probably be the strangest moment of the season, following tonight’s Raiders vs. Metros playoff game, Boston Raiders Captain Ilya Rozanov skated back out onto the ice and proceeded to get down on one knee and propose to Metros Captain Shane Hollander.
From what was seen in the footage, it appears that Hollander accepted, as Rozanov was putting a ring on his finger and the pair was then seen kissing.
Initial requests for comment from both camps have so far gone unanswered. We will update you further once we have more information.
@NYAdmiralsStan - @ScottHunter do you believe this shit?
@RozanovsBiggestHater - are you fucking kidding? How dare he trash Hunter like that? Complete fucking homophobic asshole
@CaptainScottFan - can’t believe Hollander went along with this stunt. Completely disgraceful
@HuntersLeftSkate - [eating popcorn]
@ScottHunter - Um, I’m not so sure this was a stunt
The internet was blowing up. Everyone had an opinion, and the speculation was all over the place. But sadly, the general consensus among way too many people was that it was some sort of sick joke.
Most of Shane’s team had not realized what had happened, all distracted with their own families and friends on the ice.
Even though this was a big win for them, most of the team had other obligations that night, and only a small group of the younger and single team members were going out to a local bar to celebrate. No one was surprised when Shane declined the invite.
Shane noticed that he was not asked to speak at the usual after-game press conference, and instead the alternate captain and their goalie were tapped instead. If anything, Shane was relieved not to have to deal with that. His head was still spinning from everything that had happened that evening, and he feared what questions may come up that he was not prepared to answer. Even if his teammates were not yet aware of what was going on, he was sure that the press would be.
He quickly showered and put away his gear, and managed to sneak out of the locker room without anyone seeming to notice. He felt bad for not saying goodbye to anyone, but his mind was very much elsewhere at the moment.
When he slid into the driver’s seat of his car, he finally felt like he could breathe. He needed the silence, needed to digest, needed to process. He needed to look at his left hand and see the ring sitting there. Everything had happened so quickly, he was still trying to process all of it.
He drove home in silence, trying to focus on his breathing, trying to keep himself calm. He knew Ilya and his parents would be there already, and he knew everyone would be excited. Even if it was only three people, it was still a lot for Shane.
@NHLHockeyOfficial
Following the Boston Raiders vs. Montreal Metros game tonight in Montreal, a situation was brought to our attention involving possible misconduct and inappropriate behavior between two players. We want to assure you that we take these matters seriously and we are investigating.
@MontrealHockeyRules - Vaguebook much?
@LGBTHockeyFan - unwilling to admit the possibility that a hockey player is not straight? Have we already forgotten about @ScottHunter?
@RozanovsBiggestHater - It was Rozanov. It was a fucking joke
@#1MetrosFan - I’m kinda thinking maybe it wasn’t
@MontrealHockeyRules - it has to be. There’s no way
@BostonRaidersOfficial
The Boston Raiders would like to congratulate the @MontrealMetros on their win tonight and wish them luck in their bid for the Stanley Cup. With that being said, we would like to remind fans that we do not discuss nor comment on the personal lives of our players without their explicit permission.
@RozanovsBiggestHater - Explicit? Yeah, I’m sure it is…
@MontrealMetrosOfficial
We are aware of a situation involving one of our players that occurred tonight following our win against the Boston Raiders. The Metros have a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate behavior, and are working with the league to investigate. If any wrongdoing is discovered, it will be dealt with accordingly.
@#1MetrosFan - Can someone explain how a marriage proposal is considered inappropriate?
@MontrealHockeyRules - Uh, when it’s Rozanov the homophobic asshole making fun of Scott Hunter
@HollandersWife - Rozanov may be a lot of things, but I don’t think homophobic is one of them
A glass of champagne was thrust into his hand when he walked through the door. Ilya then pulled him into the kitchen, which was filled with balloons and decorations. A small cake was waiting on the counter.
At first, Shane thought they were celebrating the win, which seemed a little rough considering it meant that Ilya had lost. But when he looked more closely at the decorations, he realized he was wrong. There were wedding bells hung from the ceiling, and the cake was topped with champagne glasses. This was an engagement party.
“You knew?” He whispered, trying to put all the pieces together.
His dad smiled widely, his mother nodded. “Ilya asked for our permission.”
Shane closed his eyes tightly, trying to hold back the tears. The day had been so overwhelming and it was all finally hitting him at once.
Ilya wrapped his arms around him, burying Shane’s face in his chest. “You are ok, I have you.” He whispered.
“How about some cake?” Yuna asked, and Ilya quickly agreed. It gave Shane a few minutes to pull himself back together while she cut pieces for everyone.
“You can have a little bit” Ilya assured him when Shane tried to refuse a slice. “Is your party.”
It was too adorable, there was no way Shane could refuse.
After cake and champagne, the four moved to the living room. But as soon as they looked at their phones, they realized what they had missed, and how out of control and wildly incorrect the stories spreading online had quickly become.
“We need to make a statement.” Shane groaned into Ilya’s chest. He was very much not looking forward to this. He much preferred to fly under the radar for anything in life except his hockey skills. He did not want or like being in the spotlight, especially when it came to his personal life. Until two hours ago, most of the world thought he was single. And straight.
When he very briefly dated Rose Landry, he was shocked and disturbed by the attention they drew. They were literally together for two weeks and went out on maybe four dates, but somehow in that short time they had made the cover of every newspaper and magazine in the country, and the speculation that swirled around them had been completely ridiculous. In less than two weeks, there was already stories of a secret marriage and a love child. He was not looking forward to going through all of that again, even if there was some truth to it.
“Let me handle this.” Yuna stepped in with a smile.
@YunaHollander is with @ShaneHollander and @IlyaRozanov81
🍾 Congratulations to the happy couple 🥂 @IlyaRozanov81, welcome to the family.
[Picture of Shane and Ilya cuddled together on a couch, smiling at the camera. Ilya’s arm is around Shane, and Shane’s left hand is resting on Ilya’s leg, a ring visible on his ring finger.]
@RealScottHunter - Well that was unexpected! Congratulations both, happy for you. But @ShaneHollander, are you sure?
@HaydenPike - Always have to make a scene, don’t ya? Love you Shane. Still hate you Roz
@CliffMarlow - Congrats. And @IlyaRozanov81, you got some explaining to do…
@RyanCarmichael - @ShaneHollander, we really need to discuss your taste in men
@JJBoiziau - @IlyaRozanov81, if you hurt him, I will kill you
As the responses continued to come in, Shane and Ilya just watched. The shock and confusion and funny comments. But laced between all the positive was also a lot of negative, a lot of hate, and lot of bitterness.
What Ilya had done was quite irrational, and now that things had quieted down, reality was finally settling in. This was not part of the plan. This was not what they had talked about. Neither of them had been ready to come out.
“Are you sure about this?” Shane asked, looking up to Ilya. It wasn’t that he was questioning the decision, it was more that he was still in shock from all of it.
Ilya took his left hand, spinning the ring shining on his finger. “Yes. I love you. I do not want to hide. I do not care what happens. You are worth it.”
Shane suddenly jumped out of his seat and grabbed the duffle bag he had left by the door. After digging for a minute, he pulled something out and returned to the couch.
“Then you should have this” he said, hanging a small black box to Ilya.
“What is this?” Ilya asked as he took the box from Shane’s hand and opened it. He gasped when he saw the ring inside.
“Great minds think alike?” Shane shrugged, and his parents laughed. “But I wasn’t going to do it on the ice like a menace!”
“If I am menace, then I am your menace.” Ilya snapped back, but he was too distracted by Shane putting the ring on his finger to say anything else.
“Yes, you are.” Shane confirmed with a kiss.
They had both hoped that the hype of the news would settle down after Yuna’s post, but if anything, it made it worse.
There were phone calls from their coaches and meeting requests with league officials, and very quickly, they were both overwhelmed with what was going on. The media had become relentless, posting speculation online, harassing their agents and teammates for information.
The questions were never ending. And they knew that eventually, they were going to have to say something.
At the same time, Shane was trying to prepare for their next game, which was the start of the Stanley Cup Championships. The distraction was becoming too much.
So with Yuna’s guidance, they eventually put together a joint statement.
@ShaneHollander is with @IlyaRozanov81
[Picture of Shane and Ilya face to face on the ice at the CCM photo shoot]
We have known each other and competed against each other long before we were drafted to the NHL. One the ice, we have always been, and will always be, the fiercest competitors. Our rivalry is real in many ways. We constantly push each other beyond our limits and we make each other better players.
Off the ice, it’s very different, and it always has been. We love and care about each other very much, and do not want to hide anymore. While what you saw on the ice a few days ago may have been unexpected, but we assure you it was not a stunt, it was not fake, it was not a performance in any way.
We know that some people may not understand or accept us as a couple, but we hope that this does not change how our fans look at us as hockey players. Our biggest fear has always been having our relationship interfere with our careers. Hockey will always come first to both of us, and nothing will ever change our dedication to our teams, to our fans, and to the league.
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