Kyle Dubas is searching Toronto Maple Leaf Tower for Lou Lamoriello. The GM has taken Kyle’s car keys and vanished. No one has seen Lou anywhere and Kyle’s imagination is beginning to run wild with a growing sense of urgency. Kyle’s search brings him to the seventh floor of the tower, the Toronto Maple Leaf Education through Recreation Center. The Leafs with head coach Mike Babcock are currently in one of the classrooms.

Kyle walks quietly to the back of the room as Mike lectures the team. Todays lesson is about reparing a cuckoo clock. Each Leaf has a clock infront of them and following Mike’s direction they are taking the clocks apart piece by piece. Kyle waits for over an hour before Mike finally wraps up the lesson.

“So don’t forget to mind your three G’s right. Clock repair is all about your grip, your grease and your gears. Steady grip, lots of grease, and pick the right gear. Pay attention to those details and it will all work out. Now, lets put these clocks back together and then we break for lunch.”

Mike waves for Kyle to follow him outside the classroom. Shutting the door behind him Kyle whispers so as not to disturb the Leafs.

“Have you seen Lou?”

“Yeah.” Mike says. “He was down here a little while ago talking to the players. It was right in the middle of my ‘Quiz Up’ time so I wasn’t paying attention to what was going on. He left with Matt Hunwick maybe fifteen minutes before you barged in.”

“That’s awesome Mike, thank you.” Catching Lou was like pinning an eel to a bar of soap but if he was with a player than he was as good as found. Every Leaf could be tracked by the Toronto Maple Leaf nano-bots that had been implanted in them on the first day of training camp to help monitor and track individual bio-rythms. Kyle turns to leave but Mike stops him with a hand on the shoulder.

“Will you just say it with me real quick here?” The coach whispers into Kyle’s ear. “I’ve been with the team all day and haven’t had a chance to yet.”

Kyle nods and bows his head and the coach does the same. After a moment of silence they whisper in unison as if the words were a spell. And maybe words do hold the power to create.

“Dear God and Lord Stanley, thank you for bringing us together here in Toronto and please help Steven Stamkos find his way home.”

Mike lets out a sigh of relief. “I really needed that.” He says. “I love these players like my own sons but I would never want them to know I was praying like this. Especially after last night. They deserved that result. I know this team can win more games. But they need some help is all. All the heart on the world can’t win without skill to back it up.”

“Whooo!” A shout erupts from the classroom. Kyle follows Mike in to see what is happening. Richard Clune stands with his arms raised triumphantly while the clock in front of him cuckoos.

Mike pats Clune on the back. “You are really on a roll today. First in carpentry class and now this. I’m really proud of you.”

“Coming out of the woodwork,” Clune says, “I visualized this.”

“But how did you finish so fast?” Kyle asks

“I watched the triple G.” Clune answers.

“Well your concentration is excellent.” Mike says, patting the Leaf on the back once more.

“My mind is bullet proof.” Clune is justifiably satisfied with himself.

“You might as well go enjoy your lunch break.” Mike says. “We have music lessons at one o’clock.”

“I like the music.” Clune says as he turns to leave. Kyle blocks his way.

“Do you know what Lou wanted earlier?”

“With Lou Lamoriello you don’t ask questions.” Clune answers with a grin. Stepping around Kyle, he takes off at full sprint out of the class.

A chair falls over on the other side of the room. Dion Phaneuf is on his hands and knees under his desk. “Gotta find that little extra gear.” He says.

“Extra gear!” Mike rushes over to Dions desk. “None of those gears are extra!”

Kyle leaves the classroom and pulls out his phone. It takes the tracking program a moment to locate Matt Hunwick. Kyle is relieved to find he is still in the building, a few floors below in the Toronto Maple Leaf Cafeteria.

The cafeteria is beginning to fill up but in a quiet corner Lou Lamoriello sits facing Matt Hunwick reading from a book laying open on the table. As Kyle approaches he can hear Lou speaking with an odd, high pitched lilt in his voice.

“But screw your courage to the sticking-place and we’ll not fail. When Duncan is asleep.” Lou notices Kyle standing at the table. “What?”

“What are you doing Lou?”

“I’m practicing. I’m playing Lady Macbeth in Shakespeare’s Macbeth. It’s a play.”

“I’ve heard of it.” Kyle says. “And I don’t think you are supposed to say that name.”

“What, Macbeth? That’s what he said.” Lou points to Hunwick. Who shakes his head, embarrassed. “ I hate that stupid tradition. It’s like putting together a video tribute for an ex-girlfriend. ‘O I miss you. Remember how much fun we had together? Don’t you miss me too? Bullshit.”

Kyle looks blankly at Lou. “Huh?”

“I ain’t afraid of no ghosts!” Lou yells.

“Okay. So why did you take Matt away from the group?”

“Huni is in a theatre troupe, Jeff O’Neill’s Bro’Dogs. He’s helping me with my lines.”

Kyle had heard of the troupe, but had not yet made it to a show. “You’re in Bro’Dogs?”

“They make good plays.” Hunwick answers with a shrug.

“How come you never told anyone?” Kyle is genuinely hurt a little.

“I’m kinda low key when it comes to that.” Hunwick says.

“He’s embarrased by you.” Lou barks. “Now focus. What do you think of my preformance.?”

“I haven’t thought a whole lot about it.” The Leaf says.

“I gotta work on my femininity though right.”

“Obviously.” Hunwick agrees.

Lou looks to Kyle.“Oh, Ass.” Lou calls every assistant GM in the NHL ass. It no longer bothers Kyle “I gotta deal for you to think about. Nylander and two first round draft picks for Corey Perry. Now, before you say no.”

“No.” Kyle interrupts.

“Fuck!” Lou Shouts. “This is bullshit. All I get to do is call guys up and send them down. Candy crunching ass! Let me trade something.”

“You can make trades Lou, just not that one. If you want I can run it by Brendan, but he will say no too.”

“Don’t bother. I know you’re right. I gotta get back to this.” Lou clears his throat and glances at his script. “Where to the rather shall his days hard journey soundly invite him. His two chambermaids shalst I wine and bangeth to convince, What?”

Hunwick is shaking his head. “The script.” The Leaf taps the book on the table.

Kyle leaves them to it. Walking all the way across the cafetteria to the elevators before remembering he forgot to get his keys back from Lou. When he turns back to the table Hunwick is alone.

Lou has vanished.