When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. The Leafs have undergone a major overhaul this year. Of all the changes, none has been more impactful than the addition of a squadron based tactical deployment that head coach Mike Babcock and GM Kyle Dubas designed to keep the peace on the mean Toronto streets. Today we follow Ether squad: the goalies

Frederik Andersen meditates in the Toronto Maple Leaf rock garden. He breathes easy as calmness wraps around his body. Contentment and ease play smooth jazz in time with his hearts beat. In his minds eye Freddy sees a snow covered hillside, the sun rising behind it. He can feel the crisp cold on his nose and lips. He can feel the snowflakes that fall fat and heavy, melting on his face to leave dripping kisses wherever they land. A sound like a deep gong intrudes on Freddy’s inner peace.

After the second gong Freddy opens his eyes. The crystal floating beside him glows with an orange light. The light flares as the gong sounds for a third time. Freddy taps the crystal and the image of a head projects above it, fuzzy at first but gaining in clarity with each passing second.

It is Mike Smith, wizard for the Calgary Flames.

“Hi Freddy.” Mike smiles in greeting. “I was wondering if you could come over and look at something I’m trying. I’d love your advice.”

Wizards are a strange bunch. Even though they compete endlessly with each other they value their fraternity, so that rivals may go to great lengths to assist each other. Freddy doesn’t care what Mike is working on but he forces himself to be polite.

“Sure I can come, when would be convenient?” Freddy hopes it’s soon.

“You can come now, I mean, can you come now?” Mike is eager, obviously.

“Yeah, sure.” Freddy resists the urge to roll his eyes in a great display of will. “I’ll be right there.”

Freddy reaches out and grabs the crystal. It is magical, of course, and it’s magic grabs Freddy in a firm grip. The crystals are given to wizards once they make it into the NHL. They can communicate with each other and they can also be used to teleport to each other anywhere within the nine dimensions. In the time it takes to blink Freddy is in Mike’s Hotel room.

The Calgary wizard has set up a potions table and several opaque beakers billow with smokes and mists of many colours. Mike stoops over the table and pours a thick yellow liquid into a small cauldron that floats over a green flame. He puts down the beaker and reaches blindly for another one, clumsily knocking it over. Freddy catches the beaker with a magic hand he conjures quicker than thinking.

“Thanks.” Mike says sheepishly.

“What did you want to show me?” Freddy asks.

“This.” Mike says waving a hand at the cauldron. “It’s an elixir of growth. One drop will make anything grow five times its regular size.”

“Five times?” Freddy is impressed. Five times is a lot of growth, a standard elixir will grant three times normal size as a rule. “So have you tested it?”

“Not yet, that’s why I called you.” Mike turn back to the table and grabs the beaker out of Freddy’s magic hand. “How many drops of pregnant molten salamander saliva should I use?” Mike starts pouring before he hears Freddy reply.

“None!” Freddy yells, too late to stop what’s going to happen next. “Oh god” The Leaf tries to take cover but there is none close enough. A massive explosion rocks the hotel. Mikes room is covered, floor to ceiling, in thick yellow goo.      

“That was great.” Freddy wipes the foul tasting stuff off his face. “Let me know how this all turns out.” Without another word Freddy teleports back to the Toronto Maple Leaf rock garden. He leaves the goo behind but the foul taste is still in his mouth.