Because Shane Hollander was perfect. Shane Hollander, who was talked about just as much as Ilya was. Shane Hollander, who had his parents come to every game, every event, every minute he was on the ice. Shane Hollander, who was young, but not stupid. Strong, fast, and competitive. It made Ilya feel, for the first time since he had landed in America, like he needed to push himself again. Not just for the fans, or his team, or even his family. He needed to be good for Shane.
Adult, mild puppy play. Another entry from my favourite Hollanov tag, in which Ilya admits to himself (and then to Shane) that he very much wants to be his good boy. Lovely!