[ Fraser takes the puck with a smile and a nod, tossing the hard rubber circle in the air and catching it again. ]

My best friend and I would play for hours, even after it got dark. He could drive a puck further into a snowbank than any of us.

[ There's a faint air of wistfulness in his voice at the memory; he's followed Mark's career since his friend was just a rookie, but, well.

They haven't spoken in a long time.

Fraser nods to a small pile of things on the shoreline: a bag, a pair of hockey skates, another stick. ]

I brought an extra pair of skates, if you'd like to join me.