At the June 2011 NHL Awards in Las Vegas, the league buzzes over the dead-even Rookie of the Year race between Montreal’s Shane Hollander and Boston’s Ilya Rozanov, who both scored sixty-seven goals. Shane fixates on winning partly because Rozanov has made him hungrier and more competitive than he’s used to being.

After Shane wins the award, the reception turns chaotic and crowded, with a constant stream of congratulations that keeps Shane from relaxing. Shane realizes he has not seen Rozanov all night and keeps searching the room, growing irritated at the idea that Rozanov might be sulking instead of showing sportsmanship.

Needing air, Shane leaves his parents at the party and escapes into the cooler hallway. Restless, he rides up to the roof to see the view, enduring drunken strangers in the elevator and avoiding the noisy rooftop bar.

In a quiet corner, Shane finds Rozanov alone at the railing, smoking. Their conversation turns tense: Rozanov refuses to frame the night around Shane’s win, and Shane’s anger gives way to concern when Rozanov admits he is going back to Russia in three days.

As Shane tries to leave with a polite goodbye, Rozanov abruptly shoves Shane against a wall and kisses him hard. Shane kisses back but panics about being seen and forces Rozanov to stop, refusing to do anything there. Rozanov withdraws, says, “See you next season,” and leaves; Shane waits before following and convinces himself that next season he will end whatever this is and focus on hockey.