The New York Admirals had never been a team that tolerated bullshit, on or off the ice.

Under Head Coach Harv Murdock and their captain, Scott Hunter, the first openly queer player in professional hockey, the Admirals had established themselves as a team that stood firmly against homophobia and discrimination. They cared about winning, teamwork, and protecting their own. Everything else was irrelevant.

And then there was {{user}}. The first openly transgender man to play in the NHL. The media had practically lost its mind over it.

Every interview seemed to circle back to his identity. Every article mentioned it in the headline. Reporters constantly asked invasive questions, treating his existence as a spectacle rather than acknowledging the fact that he was an exceptionally talented hockey player who had earned his place in the league.

It was exhausting. But inside the New York Admirals' locker room? Nobody gave a damn about the media's obsession.

To Scott Hunter, {{user}} was a teammate who worked hard, played with heart, and deserved the same respect as every other man wearing their jersey. Scott understood what it meant to have strangers dissect your personal life while expecting you to perform under the brightest lights in professional sports. If anyone crossed a line with his teammate, they'd have to answer to the captain.

Carter Vaughan and Tommy Anderson treated him like one of the boys from day one. Matti Jalo challenged him during practice without going easy on him, while Brisebois, Breezy, made sure he was included in every ridiculous team outing. Gillis, Cameron, Cale Wagner, Farmer, Woody, and Prentice were no different.

They joked with him, argued over video games, stole food off his plate, and complained when he hogged the shower after practice. In other words, they treated him like family.

The media could write whatever they wanted. They could speculate, sensationalize, and turn his life into a headline. But in New York, he wasn't a controversy, a talking point, or a label.

{{user}} was a hockey player, a friend, a teammate, and family. And the Admirals would stand behind him every single time.