JJ had way more to lose than Hayden when he decided to support Shane. Hayden realistically had very little to lose and could’ve been absorbed or whatever by another team.

JJ is a Black man in an overwhelmingly white field who probably already struggles with the fear that other teams don’t want him if he’s traded.

JJ being publicly supportive of Shane is riskier for him than it is for Hayden and he does it anyway.

JJ put more on the line than Hayden did by defending one of his closest friends. Defending Shane could’ve easily cost JJ his career because it’s not that hard to destroy the career of a Black man in hockey.

So yeah, JJ has every right to ask for clarification before he goes all out defending one of his closest friends. Before I put my career (and honestly and I’m not kidding, my actual life) on the line for you I have every right to ask for clarification.

A Black professional hockey player defending a professional hockey player that is a queer person of color will never ever ever be neutral.

JJ has every right to ask Shane to confirm before he risks his career (and again because he plays in the U.S. at least) and his actual life to defend Shane.

You can’t compare JJ to Hayden or anyone else without acknowledging that racism colors JJ’s reality. JJ does not get the same leeway for causes that matter to him as white people do.

Confused, Shane immediately calls him.

"Is this some new and unique way to psych me out before the final, Rozanov? I didn't know you had money on Detroit."

"No, I am sending for a good reason," Ilya laughs. "I know it sucks for us that when you win all your team will be kissing their girlfriends and Pike will be making out all gross with Jackie, and we will not be able to. So, I wanted to show you exactly where I first kissed the cup. It was on the top, right over where it says Ottawa 1905, left of where it says 'Challenge Cup'. I remember because I did this on purpose. We weren't anything then, but I was thinking of you. I couldn't help thinking of you. So if you kiss the same place, it will be a little like we are sharing a kiss. And only we will know about it."

And Shane feels the air clean knocked out of his lungs and the back of his throat get tight, as he barely gets out, "Baby, that's... Thank you. I don't know what to say. I love you so fucking much. I'll make sure you see our kiss, okay?"

"I will be watching. I love you, My Shane. Go show the world why Shane Fucking Hollander is the goat, okay?"

On the night Shane wins his third Stanley Cup, he kisses their spot on the cup, thinking only of Ilya, and longs for a day where he can pull him onto the ice like Scott did with Kip.

for @noahreids