This was not requested, but I decided to write it. It is a combination of a movie adaptation and an interview with Ralph Cox:)

His heart sunk as he was told his coach, Herb Brooks, was waiting for him in a small conference room in the hotel they were staying while training in Minneapolis. He was one of the young and hopeful 21 players, dreaming of the Olympics in the Lake Placid, New York. While walking down the corridor, he suspected that was it, that his path to dreams, which knitted those young college or fresh-off-college men together, was ending. Through out the practices and games he had a feeling he was doing fairly good, but that seemed not to be enough.

Before he knocked on the door, he sat down on the cold floor, back leaning on the wall, and took few deep breaths, mentally preparing for what coach Brooks had to say to him. When he gathered enough strength, he took the last deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Coach Brooks was walking back and down the small conference room.

"Coach Patrick said you wanted to see me," he said quietly from the door step before entering the room. Coach gestured him with a serious face after few moments in which even the man who never showed much emotions had to catch his breath, prepare for what he was about to say. Ralph seemed calm for that moment, believing everything will be fine at the end. Herb gave his player a small smile before he finally spoke up: "Ralph, I enjoyed having you on the team. I enjoyed your enthusiasm on the ice, watching the passion you carry for the game. But your injury slowed you down, Ralph and we will be playing on much bigger surface in five months. I had to make a tough, if not the toughest decision. Ralph, I will not be able to take you to Lake Placid."

Coach stood up again and started pacing back and forth the room a bit more before taking his seat. Ralph was prepared, or at least that's what he had thought before he entered the room, to be sent home, but he wasn't prepared to see his coach like that. They talked a bit before Ralph quietly admitted: "Olympics have been my dream, coach. But I have a feeling. A good feeling about this team. Maybe you will win a gold medal."
Herb looked at the player he had just told he couldn't take him to the Olympic and started laughing: "Many people don't believe in us. I am glad you do, Ralph. Remember my words. If you will ever need anything in your career from me...let me know, okay?"

Ralph nodded his head, feeling weirdly happy with himself, with what he had shown, but he had to fight tears. He really hoped he would make the team, he hoped he'd be one of the guys going to Lake Placid. Then he looked at his coach and it hit him. Herb Brooks knew the pain of being the last man cut from the team. Of being that guy who was so close to the Olympics he could nearly taste it, but had to leave empty-handed.

"I wish like hell I could keep you, Ralph. I do. But rules are rules and we are at 21 right now. And not to mention your injury."
"Y-Yeah, I know," Ralph finally spoke up, words hardly leaving his mouth. Herb smiled again" You are hell of a hockey player, Ralph. This doesn't change that."

"Thanks," Ralph said before standing up. Herb did the same things and two men, who were both cut as the last one from the Olympic team, shook hands.

"Thanks for giving me a shot, Coach."

"Thanks for giving me your very best."

With those words, their conversation ended and Ralph left the conference room, broken on the inside, but satisfied with the face coach Brook had seen his potential and had given him a shot.