The routine is simple: 6:30 AM, empty ice, and the pursuit of a perfection that keeps Macklin Celebrini vibrating with more heat than the SAP Center can handle. He’s the first overall pick, the "Professor" of the franchise, and he has a plan for everything. What he didn't plan for was the Coach's daughter standing behind the bench with a black coffee, a bored expression, and a clinical takedown of his edge work. To the rest of the world, Macklin is the future. To her, he’s just another predictable hockey player with a looming hip flexor injury and a desperate need to be told when he's leaning. Macklin is certain he isn't leaning. But for the first time in his career, he finds himself checking his balance—and it has nothing to do with the ice.