Free Frostbitten: The Complete Series by Ilia Bera Page A

fights than most professional boxers. He was good at what he did—well-known in the leagues, and feared by other teams.
    Michael stared at the net, deep in thought. Snowflakes were once again beginning to float down from the sky, and the short-lived sun was quickly sinking over the distant mountains.

    He’d made it to the AHL—The American Hockey League. Drafted to The Winnipeg Jets, Michael played for The Jets’ farm team in Newfoundland. He was getting paid nearly a quarter million dollars every year—hoping to get exponentially more once he made the move up to The Jets. The average player in the NHL made 2.4 million. Michael was above average. He had a bright future—putting Snowbrooke on the map.
    Then, the lockout happened. The NHL and the AHL went on hiatus for a year while players negotiated new contracts, and officials negotiated a new set of rules.
    Once the lockout ended, everything changed for Michael. The fighting rules became stricter, and brawling became frowned upon. The League started to give out big fines and suspensions to people who incited fights.
    Suddenly, there was no place for the enforcers on hockey teams. People like Michael were quickly being dropped and replaced by more technically skilled players—players who could shoot with impeccable accuracy, move with impressive agility, but would break like a twig if they ever got hit by someone of Michael’s size and density.
    But Michael was versatile and he adapted, so his team kept him around. Things were looking up, until Michael became the victim of a cruel misfortune.
    Everyone in Snowbrooke can still remember watching that game on TV—it was Michael, with The Newfoundland Ice Caps against The Portland Pirates. The Pirates had just drafted a young rookie forward, Matty Bremkin. Matty was one of those small guys, whose job was to wait in the offensive zone and try to skilfully manoeuvre the puck around the defence man. He was a sharpshooter—insanely accurate. His shot-to-goal ratio was unmatched. He was a rising star.
    He also had a notoriously bad temper.
    In that particular game, Matty was getting particularly frustrated. Every time his coach put him on the ice, The Ice Caps coach would send out Michael. Michael was the king of intimidation. Whenever the puck landed on Matty’s stick, Michael would be steamrolling towards him. Matty would pass the puck and move out of the way, afraid of Michael’s monolithic stature.
    During the first intermission, Matty stormed into the Ice Caps dressing room and started to scream at Michael—calling him a cheater and a bully.
    Matty’s frustrations only got worse throughout the second period. His teammates stopped passing the puck to him, knowing that Michael would just put an end to the play. The little eighteen-year-old brat ended up screaming at his teammates, reminding them that he was the prodigy, and not them. By the third period, Matty was fed up.
    Down five goals with no chance to catch back up, the puck finally landed on Matty’s stick. He had a clear path towards The Ice Caps’ net and for once, Michael was at a safe distance—halfway across the ice. It would have been an easy goal—an easy point onto his already impressive record. But Matty didn’t shoot for the net. He had a different idea.
    Matty turned towards the oncoming train that was Michael. He pulled the puck back and flexed his stick. Then, with his immaculate accuracy, he released—sending a rocket straight towards Michael’s face.
    Matty claimed that it was a mistake, and the officials reluctantly believed him. He didn’t get a fine or a suspension. He didn’t even get a two-minute penalty. The Ice Caps were shocked. Wade was devastated.
    Michael spent a week in the hospital with a serious concussion and a broken jaw, as well as bad whiplash to his neck. The doctor’s feared there would be some serious brain damage, and that Michael would never be able to play again. Michael was told that he had to spend the next