When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

Gagged and bloody, hogtied in the trunk of a moving vehicle, William Nylander is more relaxed than he has any right to be. To be fair, it is not the worst place Wily has been trapped. For a Toronto Maple Leaf danger is just part of the gig.

A strange dull crackling overwhelms the noise of the car engine. As the sound dissipates the engine sputters. Muffled voices begin to argue as the car rolls to a stop

Wily hears a door open and shut, then more muffled voices. He hears heavy footsteps getting closer and suddenly he can hear one side of a conversation.

“Yeah sure I’d love to open it but I lost the key.”

Wily can’t hear what’s said in response.

“Weird right? When I got it I said, to the sales guy I said, ‘whadda ya mean it’s a different key to get in the trunk, that’s weird.’ But whadda ya gonna do right, a deals a deal.”

Wily is completely restrained, he tries to shift around but doesn’t accomplish much. In the end he manages to smack his forehead against the side of the trunk. He waits until he can’t hear any talking and smashes himself frantically, making as much noise as he can. There is a short mumble.

“That’s, um, that’s my dog. We locked her in by accident but I’m driving to get the key right now.”

Wily can now clearly hear the voice that answers the car owner.

“Why don’t we just open that up for you. She sounds frightened.” The heavy footsteps walk even closer.

“No, no, it’s fine. She’s fine.” Wily hears the sound of lock tumblers clicking. “Damn. Boys!”

Gunfire explodes into the night. After a very brief firefight the trunk is opened. Wily blinks in the sunlight and slowly makes out two figures in the unfamiliar armour of the Tampa Bay Lightning. He immediately recognizes Victor Hedman and Anton Stralman. His fellow Swedes smile wide as they cut Wily free.

“Good puppy.” Victor says. “Want a treat?” The Lightning burst out laughing. Wily doesn’t have much to say back.

Without getting to sticky on the details that we still don’t know, the reaction to last nights alleged slur was very interesting.

By no means do I advocate hateful speech. I do, however, advocate free speech. And as such I must accept the possibility that I might not like what other people have to say.

As a society we have to allow for ignorant and repugnant thought. It cannot be eradicated overnight, and it cannot be beaten out of someone.

Punishment is the language of oppression. It is a flawed logic which uses the language of oppression to free the oppressed.

The fact is that people may hate you and wish you harm for reasons beyond your control. As a being existing in this universe it is irresponsible to ignore this fact.

Fight ignorance with compassion. Fight hate with love. If someone slaps your cheek, punch ’em in the neck.

It is unfortunate when our role models are proven to be human. But let’s all try to remember that people can make errors in judgement and they can be taught.

That is all.

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

The melting snow crunches under Morgan Rielly’s boots as he walks through the woods. His Toronto Maple Leaf assault rifle is slung over his shoulder, his combat knife is gripped in his fist. Somewhere in the surrounding brush is his quarry. Somewhere nearby, hidden but scared.

It’s not every day that Morgan gets to feel the thrill of the chase. The Toronto Maple Leaf technopath usually finds who or what he is after with very little effort. Today is different because he’s trying to find someone who uses no technology more advanced than a pointy stick.

Movement catches Morgan’s eye and he ducks just in time as one of those pointed sticks darts out of the shadows. Lashing out with his knife Morgan cuts the makeshift spear in half. Diving into the brush Morgan just misses the filthy foot of his fleeing foe.

Morgan gets up and is starting to feel frustrated. He takes a deep breath plunges deeper into the thicket.

Morgan moves steadily North along the wooded banks of the North Saskatchewan river, the water source that feeds the city of Edmonton, Alberta. He is trying to find out what exactly is in the water in Edmonton. The crazed pigmy bushman is his only lead. The search lasts all through the night and into the next morning. But in the cold dawn Morgan finally finds something.

A tiny village of four crude huts, none larger then a Hyundai Elentra, is nestled in amongst the tall grass. Morgan watches as one after another pigmy bush folk walk over to the river and empty their bowels. Probably twenty individuals relieve themselves into Edmonton’s water source. One older woman comes back for a second squat after a few sips of tea.

Morgan deliberately rustles the bushes around him and the village disappears in a blink. The tiny community will have a new home in a new patch of river grass before the hour is out. Morgan begins the long walk home. He’s figured out the problem at least. Whoever can figure out how to solve it will be a legend in Edmonton for as long as the city lasts.

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

Nic Petan and Fred “the Goat” Gauthier are stuck beneath almost a kilometre of rubble which is all that’s left of the seaside tower. The Toronto Maple Leafs are lucky that they weren’t crushed but it is not an ideal place to be fighting for your life.

The murderous gnome that toppled the building on the Leafs cackles as he prepares another spell. Nic hurls a piece of rubble at the gnome, distracting it for a moment. Goat dives out and lands on the creature. 875 pounds of solid granite slam onto the ground, Goat gets up and brushes the dust off his granite shoulders. Both Leafs expect to see a smear in the dirt but there is nothing.

Lightning slams into the back of Nic’s head, throwing him face first into the shattered concrete that surrounds them. The gnome cackles and it seems to come from every where at once. Goat spins but he can’t destroy the gnome if it stays hidden. Hard to play when you’re not in the game. Goat tears at the rubble where he thinks the lightning came from. Another bolt lances out and ripples across the granite form of the Goat.

“I’m pretty well grounded.” Goat jokes with the cursing gnome.

The gnome cannot help but appreciate the pun and starts to giggle. Goat hears and pounces on where he thinks it must be. He is wrong. The gnome laughs harder and sends a lump of concrete hurtling towards Goat. Goat punches through the first lump but the smaller second coming in behind it catches him by surprise. Goat is knocked back and the gnome jumps onto his chest, magical energy blossoming between his wiggling fingers.

Before the gnome can cast any magic it is dazzled by sunlight as the rubble above is tossed aside. Three figures slid into the pit, but Goat can’t make out any details as his eyes adjust.

“Canucks, ho!” One of the shadows yells.

Blinking, Goat watches as three Vancouver Canucks spread out around the gnome. Brock Boeser holds a huge piece of rubble, ready to throw. Elias Pettersson spreads his fingers wide and the digits elongate into a wiggling wall that begins to encircle the confused gnome. Josh Leivo dashes forward and grips the gnomes beard before it can teleport away. The gnome stabs out with a cute little dagger into to Josh’s eye but the Canuck is impervious to harm so the blade snaps.

Josh punches the gnome in the head until it stops moving then he places the limp creature into a burlap sack.

“We’ll take that thanks.” Brock says, dropping his chunk of rubble and taking the sack. He swings it roughly over his shoulder and starts scrambling up out of the pit. Josh helps Goat to his feet and gives him a quick bro-hug before turning to leave as well. Elias grins and reaches up to the top of the pit with his long fingers and pulls himself up effortlessly.

Goat watches his old friend leave. There’s nothing to say. Josh is in a better place, even if it is needlessly salty.

Third, and ostensibly last, time I write an editorial style blog. I like fiction, always have and always will. So please appreciate how important this message must be for me to forgo my typical creative process. This process also acts as a coping mechanism for the culmination of myriad bad choices that is my life (not all of them mine). To make a short story long, I don’t do this lightly.

I have been a Toronto Maple Leaf fan living in Edmonton, Alberta for a decade now. It’s not been easy but it has given me a family so that’s cool. I don’t often feel as if I’ve assimilated well. I don’t often feel as if I belong here, a creative artist playing at being a real tradesman in the land of the cobalt collars. I struggle daily with these feelings, with the sense that I’ve missed something or am just wrong for being. But there is one thing I know, one thing that I can say which proves I belong.

Here it is. I mean this from the very bottom of my heart. For reasons beyond the human mind to contain in something as trivial as a list. One truth that defines what it means to live in Edmonton:

FUCK CALGARY

Go Leafs! Go!

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

Auston Matthews places his hand on Jack Eichels shoulder with as soft a touch as he would use to place a vial of nitroglycerin. The explosive Buffalo Sabre does not make any indication that he has noticed the Toronto Maple Leaf at all. He just keeps punching.

Jack is punching the forehead of a giant that had been attacking Toronto. Jack had shown up to save the day, as super heroes do, and he arrived just in time to see Auston blast a hole in the giants chest. Andreas Johnsson chopped off it’s head before it could fall to the ground and Jack could only watch, as usual.

It was too much. Running toward the dismembered head Jack started punching.

“It’s not fair!” He shouts with every strike. “It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair! It’s not fair!”

The Leafs gathered silently behind the enraged Sabre and eventually Auston approached.

He leaves his hand on Jack and waits. There is nothing Auston can say. It is not fair, but it is life.

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

John Tavares and Leo Komarov were never teammates, but the two heroes are working well together. The New York Islander and the Toronto Maple Leaf are caught in a vortex that has been growing for weeks a few kilometres away from the Long Island coast. Within the vortex a mob of enraged water sprites had been in the process of mustering into an army before the heroes arrived. Now they are in a battle and they are losing it.

John emits a zone of super chill that freezes any nearby sprite where they stand. Leo rockets through the frozen forces and shatters them. For an instant both heroes consider what might have been but they are not teammates no matter how synergistic their energies. Now matter how effectively they coordinate, and they are effective. Soon the demons responsible for the vortex are forced to confront the heroes.

As the water sprites begin to abandon the swirling maelstrom two shark-headed monsters, with squid bodies that have a pair of human arms amidst the myriad tentacles, step out of the shadows. The demons are both armed, one wields a pair of axes while the other swings a two handed hammer.

Leo rockets into the axe wielder but gets swatted out of the air as the creature is quicker than it seems, stronger too. John channels his chill into a blast which slams against the demons head as it turns toward the fallen Islander. The other demon belches fire into John, knocking him back and forcing him down. The Leaf battles, he fights with all his might, but the demons hell fire is endless. It takes all John has to keep himself from being burned alive. When the second demon starts in John starts to wonder if his powers will be enough.

John feels something happening before he understands what it could be. Suddenly the heat being thrown on him is gone. John lays smouldering and bewildered for several moments. He can hear conflict, roaring and clanging and shouts of rage. Soon he realizes that he knows those voices, it’s his team. Then John opens his eyes and sees it’s not his team. Not anymore.

Joining Leo in battle are Islanders heroes Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee. John can only be impressed as he watches his old companions fight like warrior poets, dismantling the demons with style and authority. Nothing would make him change his decision, and even beaten John is glad to see his friends doing so well

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

Travis Dermott wraps his old teammate Connor McDavid in a hug. The two men hold the embrace. Connor sobs into Travis’ hurt shoulder. The Leaf winces But doesn’t stop the Oiler from letting it all out.

“It’s not your fault.” Travis says. “It’s not your fault.”

It may not be Connors fault but he still has to pay the price. Incompetence can diminish even the brightest of stars.

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

The tunnels underneath Toronto Maple Leaf tower reach out to every corner of the sprawling metropolis. The rough hewn stone passages twist around and about making it hard to navigate if you don’t know the way. Luckily Kasperi Kapenen carries a map, but as he speeds through the tunnels at mach 2 he starts to notice that some of the map is wrong. He takes a left turn and finds a wall where there shouldn’t be one.

“This is crap.” Kasperi says out loud.

From far away an explosion booms through the tunnels.

“Crap!” Kasperi takes off again as fast as he can, approximately five times the speed of light. He ignores the map, moving fast enough to out race the reverberating sound wave back to its source. He finds a battle.

Kyle Okposo, hero of the Buffalo Sabres, fends off a dozen alien robots (which means robots made by aliens not a species of robots from outer space). Blood drips from various cuts about his face neck and body but Kyle looks ready, if not entirely eager. The robots hiss as they raise their claws and advance.

Kasperi speeds into action, deactivating ten of the robots the quickest way he can think of, cutting their heads off. He only misses two because Kyle detonates the oxygen inside them.

“Hey, um, guy.” Kasperi says. It’s an awkward moment for both heroes.

“I’m trying to find something.” Kyle says. “I’m not here for any trouble.”

“Well there’s trouble.” The Leaf points up. “Not sure what you saw, but there’s at least two warships up there.”

Kyle doesn’t answer. That’s two armies floating above the city. His mission was supposed to be an easy retrieval.

“You feel like doing some work?” Kasperi asks, hiding his impatience. Kasperi is always getting slowed up by someone.

“I can’t.” Kyle says. “I have to find this, um, well it’s important to someone.”

“Cool, that’s pretty lame.” Kasperi says. “Well enjoy your boring scavenger hunt, I’m gonna go be a super hero. Be careful, oh, and get out of my tunnels.”

The Leaf has already zoomed away before Kyle can answer. The Sabre wants to follow but he sticks to his word and keeps searching. The sounds of battle ring out incessantly, tempting Kyle with the promise of glory. It takes an effort to resist the pull, but in the end Kyle is a team player. After another hour of searching the tunnel wall in front of Kyle caves in.

Two alien robots grapple with a Toronto Maple Leaf, their wicked claws scrapping against his granite skin. Kyle doesn’t immediately recognize Freddy ‘the Goat’ Gauthier, but is impressed by the Leafs abilities as the robots are quickly smashed into pieces.

“Hi.” Kyle says.

The Goat looks at Kyle and smiles but before he can say anything a clawed fist slams him into the wall and pulls him out of the tunnel. Ashamed, Kyle presses on, not even looking at the hole in the tunnel wall. It’s only natural that he would question his heroic nature, but ultimately he knows the Leafs are going to win and so he justifies staying out of the fight.

It takes another hour for Kyle to find what he seeks. A small babies rattle made of copper and bone. It is a relic of an ancient time but whatever enchantments it might have held have long since worn away. Kyle picks up the rattle and tucks it away in his pouch.

“I’ve got it.” Kyle says. “I’m coming home.”

There is no answer, but he doesn’t expect one. The trip back to Buffalo is, as usual, uneventful.

When humanity is threatened only the super powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. As the days start to get longer the Maple Leafs start to focus on their true goal. The only thing that can get in their way is themselves.

Max Domi and Andrew Shaw smash through the door of the dungeon at the top of the necromancers tower. A pair of skeletal guards clatter toward the Montreal Canadiens heroes. Max crushes one with his war mace and Andrew kicks the other into the far wall where it shatters.

“We’re here to save you!” Max shouts without really looking around the room.

“Buddy.” Andrew puts a hand on Max’s shoulder to slow him down.

The cage in the middle of the dungeon is a blasted ruin. The shattered remains of several dozen skeleton guards carpet the floor. The supposed prisoners have already begun putting their Toronto Maple Leaf armour back on. Auston Matthews still glows faintly with a radiance that dazzles even as it fades. Everything John Tavares puts on is immediately covered in frost from his super chill. The Leafs don’t even look at the Canadiens until they are all geared up.

“Can I help you?” Auston asks when he finally decides to acknowledge them.

“We actually came to help you.” Andrew says. “We heard there was some serious dark magic here.”

“There is.” John says. “It’s under control.”

“If you guys want you can come with us while we clear the tower.” Auston says, trying to be nice to his rivals.

“We cleared the tower on our way up.” Max insists.

“Wanna bet?” John asks. “Just stay out of our way.” The Leaf brushes past the Canadiens into the stairwell. He pulls back and two arrows clatter against the door frame. “We hold them at the door, what’s left of it.” The look John gives Max does not show a lot of appreciation for the rescue attempt.

The Leafs lead the way and for the next hour the heroes fight their way down to the base of the tower. Max and Andrew don’t have to do very much. The Leafs tear through the necromancers forces leaving nothing in their wake. A few dozen skeletons try to sneak up behind the heroes giving the Canadiens a chance to feel relevant but in the end the Leafs power is just too awesome.

At the base of the tower, knee deep in the ruined corpses of their enemies, the Leafs examine an ornate bookshelf.

“What are you looking for?” Max asks after waiting for two minutes.

The Leafs don’t answer. Max makes to ask a second time but Andrew motions him to stop.

“It’s here, right?” Auston asks John.

“I think it has to be.” John says.

“We need Freddy.” Auston says after a pause.

The air begins to shimmer and coalesce into a swirling portal. As if he were summoned Frederik Andersen steps out. The Maple Leafs wizard doesn’t say a word but darts to the bookshelf and begins to mutter and wave his hands. There is a blinding flash and as his vision clears Max sees the Leafs mage step away from the broken shelf.

“It’s a good thing you waited for me.” Freddy says to his teammates. “That thing had some deadly traps cast on it. It might have been enough to kill you two, and for nothing because it’s empty.”

“Empty?” John and Auston say together.

“I guess the necromancer didn’t like their odds.” Freddy explains. “They took their phylactry and left. I can still feel traces of the magic. It was here for a long time and it left very recently.”

“Excuse me.” Andrew interrupts. “Have you seen Carey?” The Canadiens wizard, Carey Price, is renowned for his skills with death magic.

Freddy looks over at the pair of Canadiens, genuinely surprised that they are there.

“He was around.” The Leaf wizard says. “I don’t know where he went but maybe you two could, I don’t know, just wait here for him?” Freddy makes a portal and beckons the Leafs through. As it closes the Canadiens are left with more questions then answers, and a very unsettled confidence.