When the biggest risk is playing it safe.

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Stormhawks’ Captain Griffin Lapierre has spent sixteen years as an elite NHL player—and sixteen years in the closet. Traded to the Portland expansion team, he’s determined to redeem his career while keeping his sexuality hidden. But now that’s more of a challenge than ever.

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Wesley Hutton knows the cost of a secret romance. After a devastating scandal destroyed his last job, he’s repaired his reputation as the Stormhawks’ PR manager. He can’t repeat past mistakes, even if Griffin is too tempting to ignore. Getting involved with a player—especially a closeted one—isn’t just forbidden, it’s professional self-destruction.

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One kiss ignites an attraction neither can deny. As their clandestine relationship deepens, Griffin realizes that hiding is costing him more than honesty ever could. But coming out means risking it all—his captaincy, the career he’s built, and the team’s dynamic.

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An impulsive moment changes everything, and Griffin faces an impossible choice: keep his sexuality secret and watch Wesley lose his job or come out publicly and potentially lose everything else.

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With a closeted captain and a forbidden attraction, First Shift delivers a high-stakes MM hockey romance about taking the shot that matters most.