hockey players

My friend Alina and I were walking in the park. She's always straightforward, she can say what she thinks out loud, and that's exactly why I love her.
We were walking and chatting, and at some point the conversation turned to hockey players.

"Ugh, they're all the same!" Alina snorted, crossing her arms. "Huge, noisy, thinking only about their game."

I chuckled, looking at her.
"I don't know, I like hockey players. And anyway, what difference does it make what someone plays or does? The main thing is that they're good."

We had no idea that three famous hockey players were walking right behind us. Tall, almost two meters each, incredibly handsome, and confident, they exchanged glances and clearly heard our every word.

Alina continued to criticize without turning around, and I felt as if there were gazes burning on the back of my head.

Suddenly, a muffled chuckle came from behind. One of the guys clearly couldn't help himself.
"Huge and noisy, you say?" a low voice rang out.

We turned around abruptly. Three tall guys were looking at us with obvious interest. They were all hand-picked: strong, handsome, with confident looks. Their demeanor made it clear they weren't just random guys.

Alina froze, as if the words were stuck in her throat.
I felt my cheeks flush, but I still pulled myself together and said:

• Well... I meant that the main thing is not the profession, but the character.

One of the hockey players chuckled and bowed his head:

• So, we have a chance to redeem ourselves?

His friends chuckled and looked at each other.