I like to think that Ilya is indifferent to the fact that almost everyone in his life, those from Boston, Ottawa, even Shaneâs parents, pronounce his name wrong. Shane is the only one who pronounces his name in the Russian way, with only two syllables instead of three.
Shane, early on in their situationship phase, just straight up asked if he was pronouncing Ilyaâs name wrong, and for some reason, probably the love he felt for Shane, but refused to admit to himself at the time, he said yes and corrected Shane.
That night, Shane repeated it until he got it right, never wavering, unlike everyone else. Everyone else drags it out as Il-ee-yuh.
It isnât until Shane and Ilya are watching a compilation of each other's best goals on a lazy weekend that Shane brings up the name thing.
âIf it bothers you the way that the announcers pronounce your name, Farah can probably get that fixed.â
It never even occurred to Ilya that he could do that. He usually silently dealt with the shitty pronunciation of his name.
His mother named him Ilya, meaning âthe Lord is my Godâ. Names mean something in Russian culture. They are a big deal with complex ties to lineage and intimacy, and Ilya is a bit embarrassed that he let his name be butchered for this long.
So, Ilya phones Farah the next morning and asks her to make sure his name is always said correctly, by announcers, in his brand deals, etc.
Ilya takes his personal relationships and matters into his own hands. He sits down with David and Yuna and, after years of being part of the family, asks them to pronounce his name correctly.
Ilya has a bit more fun with the Centaurs, though. Instead of just asking them to change their pronunciation, he flat-out refuses to respond to the incorrect pronunciation of his name. Why? Because heâs a bit of a diva.
Ilya thinks this plan is bulletproof, except everyone on the Centaurs rarely used his first name. Itâs usually âCap,â âRoz,â âRozy,â or âHey Assholeâ.
Finally, before a morning skate, Ilya calls the locker room to attention.
âListen up guys! I have something I want to tell you,â Ilya starts. âMy name is âEl-yaâ.â
Ilya is immediately cut off by snide remarks: âUh, we knowâ, âYouâre calling a meeting about your name?â âWho doesnât know Rozâs name?â
Bood whistles sharply and gets the impromptu meeting back to order.
âYouâre all saying my name wrong; it's âEl-yaâ, not âIl-ee-yuhâ. I may be an asshole, but I have never called you the wrong names.â
He points to Shane as he continues, âI have never called him âShawn Ho-lander â.â Ilya turns to Wyatt to continue proving his point. âOr him, âWhat Hayesâ. I always say your names right.â
Luca Haas takes that moment to walk into the room, obviously late.
âThatâs kind of a sick name,â LaPointe calls out.
âWhat is?â Luca asks, trying to get up to speed.
âExactly!â LaPoint responds, clearly ignoring the question and deciding to mess with the kid.
âFrom now on, you either say my name right, or you donât say it at all.â And thatâs how the world begins to fix the pronunciation of Ilyaâs name.
Anyways, check me out on AO3: thoughtsthinksandthings
