is gone, we have a new coach who just moved to Howling. I heard his son plays hockey too.â
âRight,â Johnny said. âHis son is Eldridge Elwell.â
Just then, a new kid walked into the dressing room with his hockey bag.
âHi,â the new kid said. He was not too tall and not too short. Not too fat and not too skinny. He had dark hair. He also had a shy smile. âMy name is Eldridge. My dad is the new coach. He is going to be here in a few minutes. He just had to park his truck.â
âHi,â Johnny said to the new kid. âGlad youâre here. I need your help.â
âSure,â Eldridge said. âWhat is it?â
âWell,â Johnny said, âIâve got a bat trapped under this bucket. Can you keep it trapped while I go get Mr. Gregg? He is in charge of the arena.â
âYes,â Eldridge said, âIâll help.â
âGood,â Johnny said. âHold this stick and press it hard against the bucket.â
Chapter Two
Donât Make the Coach Mad!
âEldridge,â Coach Elwell said. He had just walked into the room. âWhat are you doing?â
Coach Elwell was a big man. His head was half bald. He had a moustache. He was wearing a suit and a tie. It was the first time the players had seen him. He was Coach Smithâs new boss. Coach Elwell was going to be their coach for four weeks while Coach Smith was on vacation. Coach Smith never wore a suit and a tie. Coach Smith would be back for playoffs.
âIâm holding this bucket up against the ceiling,â Eldridge said. âIf I let go, itââ
âI can see youâre pushing a stick up against a bucket,â Coach Elwell said. He had a big voice to match his bigsize. âDidnât I tell you that the first thing you needed to do was fill the water bottles?â
âYes, butââ
âDonât make excuses,â Coach Elwell said. âI expect you to listen to me. Now put that hockey stick down right away.â
âYes, butââ
âYoung man, I just said I expect you to listen to me.â
âExcuse me,â Johnny said to Coach Elwell. âI can explain.â
âDid I ask you to interrupt?â Coach Elwell said to Johnny. âAll of you should learn right now that I donât like to be interrupted.â
âYes,â Johnny said, âbut you should let us help Eldridge with the bucket orââ
âEnough,â Coach Elwell said to Johnny. âOr you will be benched for the whole game. Players donât tell coaches what to do.â
Johnny didnât say another word. He did not want to be benched.
All of the other players were quiet too. Coach Elwell was big. Coach Elwell had a big voice.
Coach Elwell looked at Eldridge. Eldridge was still pushing the bucket against the ceiling. âPut that down this minute!â
âBut if I let go of the stickââ
âWhen will you learn that I donât like back talk?â Coach Elwell said. âPlayers donât tell coaches what to do. Sons donât tell fathers what to do.â
He stepped right up to Eldridge.
âI want you to fill the water bottles,â Coach Elwell said to Eldridge. He put his hand on the hockey stick. âDo it now!â
Eldridge held on tight to the hockey stick. âButââ
âEnough!â Coach Elwell said. He yanked the stick from Eldridgeâs hands. The bucket at the top of the stick fell from the ceiling. It landed on Coach Elwellâs head.
It made a clunking sound on his skull. It fit over his head like a helmet. The water soaked his suit and tie.
The room was very quiet.
Except for Johnny Maverick. He remembered what Scooby-Doo would say when something like this happened.
âRuh-Roh!â Johnny Maverick said in his best Scooby-Doo voice.
Stu and Tom giggled. Coach Elwell had a bucket over his head. He was still holding the hockey stick. His