Lou Lamoriello sits in his office on the forty-first floor of Toronto Maple Leaf Tower. He is concentrating with such singular focus that he does not notice the door to his palatial work space opening for Brendan Shanahan, Mark Hunter, and Kyle Dubas. Mark walks straight to the full service bar that takes up one wall of the office. Brendan and Kyle head for Lou.

“Lou!” Brendan says. “Did you forget that you were supposed to fly down to Florida with the team? It’s the annual dads trip. What are you doing here?”

“Brendan,” Lou looks up, surprised by the intrusion. “What day is it? I got a little side tracked over here.”

“It’s Tuesday!” Brendan notices signs that his GM has not left his desk for days; The stack of pizza boxes; the ashtray overflowing with cigar butts and roaches and, most revolting of all; the smell. Lou has a reek about him that combines unwashed sweat and rotting food with traces of feces and vanilla bean. The latter from an air-freshener that is horribly over matched by its surroundings. “What are you doing?”

“Oh this?” Lou points at the object of his attention, a shoe box tipped on its side facing him. Strips of plasticine in every colour imaginable surround the box, as well as a pile of felt scraps and a stack of tooth picks. “I’m building a diorama of the early Jurassic time period. The golden age of the dinosaurs ”

Despite the reek Brendan and Kyle both step around the desk to get a closer look. For a long moment no one speaks. Mark joins the group. He carries three pints of beer in one hand and a tray filled with shots in the other. He puts the tray down on the desk then walks over to the group. Mark gives a beer to Brendan, Kyle, and Lou. He looks over at the diorama as he passes and his right nostril twitches in amusement. Returning to his tray Mark picks up a shot glass in each hand and downs them both at once.

Kyle finally breaks the silence. “There are little people in there riding on the dinosaurs.”

“And a city.” Brendan adds.

“Of course there are people. Who do you think invented dinosaurs? And those people needed to live somewhere right, so why not a city?”

“People didn’t invent dinosaurs Lou.” Kyle says.

“Prove it.” Lou retorts.

“Well, um, science tells us that there were no people on Earth when the dinosaurs were around.” Kyle is cautious in his explanation, knowing Lou hates to be taught anything.

Lou laughs. “What does science know? You can put your faith in that mumbo-jumbo if you like. I know the truth when I see it.”

“You’ve been to the Jurrasic time period?” Kyle asks.

“Of course not, stupid.” Lou laughs again for a long time. Brendan and Kyle both sip their beers while practicing their patience. Mark continues to down shot after shot. Finally Lou gathers himself. “Oh ass, you’re pretty funny. What am I, a time traveller over here? Of course I haven’t been to the Jurrasic. I saw it in a dream.”

“A dream?” Brendan asks.

“Well, not my dream exactly,” Lou explains. “I was sent the vision of the past by a person from that time. Obviously the best way to project into the future is through dreams.”

“Obviously.” Kyle says.

“I am confused.” Brendan says.

“It’s pretty simple. Back before the Earth split people used way more of their brain potential than they do today.”

“Earth? Split?” Brendan is more confused than before. Kyle just shakes his head.

Lou sighs. “You guys don’t know anything do you. Hundreds of millions of years ago the Earth was twice the size it is today. Not only was it bigger, it was also colder. It was this cooler temperature that allowed humans to reach almost fifty percent of their brain use potential. anyone could accomplish simple things like telekenisis or telepathy, most would have been able to see into the future using their dreams, and the truly dedicated could send themselves into the future through their dreams as well. That’s how I met Tha’zen, she is a dreamer from the Jurrasic time period and my great-to-the-tenth-power aunt. Not only is she teaching me about the past, she is teaching me how to see into the future. Of course I can’t do even a fraction of the things she can do, but I’m getting stronger everyday.”

Mark knocks back a shot in the silence that follows. Then another, and another.

“So what your saying,” Kyle attempts to wade through the glut of information he has just received. “Is that the reason humans can’t use more of our potential brain energy is because we will overheat, but we used to be able to before the planet was broken?”

“Exactly!” Lou is impressed that Kyle has grasped the concept so quickly.

“And your saying that all this happened without leaving any evidence? No archaeological trace at all?” Kyle feels like his point is invulnerable

“Evidence? Bah-humbug!” Lou spits. “Archaeologists only believe evidence that proves established theories. Anything that challenges what is accepted is ridiculed until it it is eventually proven irrefutable. You can keep your science. I don’t need an equation to tell me gravity works.”

“But how did the planet split?” Kyle cannot resist engaging once again. “Why don’t more people have these visits from the past? And what does any of this have to do with dinosaurs?”

“Excellent questions.” Lou grins. “First, lot’s of people have visits from their ancestors, it’s just that most think of them as crazy, awesome dreams. It takes a special kind of person to see the truth when it’s revealed. Truth like the evidence of a catastrophic space collision starring us in the face. The moon was once an interstellar comet of immense size, it collided with the Earth which was called Tiamat at the time, splitting it. The moon was then caught in the gravitational pull of the remnants of the planet that we call home. The rest of the debris is still floating between us and Mars as the asteroid belt. This is such an old story that just about every creation myth references it in some way or another. Of course no modern people take ancient stories seriously, how could they be true, right? Sometimes I hate our species”

“But what about the dinosaurs?” Kyle is still confused by the explanation.

Lou is about to go into further detail when Brendan’s phone rings. The president has zoned out and only after a full minute does he realize it is his phone making noise.

Brendan check the caller ID. “I have to take this. Just, um, don’t wait for me.” He holds the phone to his ear as he steps out of the office. “Mike, I am so happy you called.”

It is Mike Babcock, head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, he is with the team in Florida. “Hello Brendan, I am glad we got a chance to talk too. The team is having their game day nap. The dads and I are about to go to Hooters for some wings. I just snuck out for a second to see if you wanted to say it with me real quick here.”

“I’d love to.” Brendan says. After a moment of silence the two men speak 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. So the dads are having fun Mike?”

“Fun?” The coach chuckles. “They are worse than the players, all they do is day drink and brawl. Is Lou ever going to come down? Even bad help is better than no help at all.”

Brendan peeks into Lou’s office where the GM is shouting at Kyle. “I wouldn’t count on it.”

“Well great. Talk to you later Brendan.” Mike says and hangs up.

Brendan watches as Lou strives for ruder and more creative ways of calling Kyle stupid. Kyle nods patiently and sips his beer, doing his best to keep an open mind. Mark pours the last two shots down his throat then crushes the glasses in his bare hands. The glass is powdered and Marks hands are not even scratched.

“Finish up in here without me guys. I have a hair appointment to get to.” Brendan does not have a hair appointment, but he leaves his management team to their work knowing they will keep guiding his Leafs the only way they can, like pros.