When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. All over the continent small seeds of chaotic force have been seeking to control the powers of the National Heroes League. The battle to save the planet has begun.

John Tavares is the Captain and so he is the first to confront the mob. Morgan Rielly, Auston Matthews and multiple Mitch Marners stand behind him. All four Maple Leafs are appalled by what they see roaring as it rushes them. A mass of humanity, the citizens of Toronto (Torontogozians), have fallen under the control of the seeds of chaos. Until now the seeds have only taken over heroes. Multiple failures around the continent must have convinced the hungry force behind the invasion to try a new tactic.

Horror makes the heroes hesitate as the mass of snarling, angry people surrounds them. Fists pummel, nails scratch, teeth seek out soft parts, and instincts take over. For Morgan and the Mitches it is a matter of subduing the frenzied crowd without harming them, a challenging task. For Auston and the Captain there is the added challenge of not smashing the Torontogozians into a pulp with their super strength.

Dozens of people are knocked out of the fight every moment, but more and more of the crazed civilians pour out of every building. The heroes are sorely tried, nearly overwhelmed, when a pulse of pure force radiates out from a glowing portal that appears in the center of the conflict. Freddie Andersen, the Maple Leafs mage, steps out of the portal with magic cascading out from him in waves of golden light that press the Torontogozians to the ground. The other Leafs take the moment to regroup.

“How long can you keep this up, Freddy?” John asks.

Before the mage can answer a rock, thrown from who knows where, smashes his face. Freddy goes down to one knee with blood dripping steadily from between his fingers. The mob roars and rises as one, their anger and effort redoubled, as if the threat of magical defeat pushed them deeper into their frenzy.

John is buried under a pile of humanity, his teammates lost in the sea of bodies. Even with his amazing strength The Captain is swept off his feet. Dozens of people latch onto his flailing limbs and John starts to worry as he feels his joints being yanked in opposite directions. It doesn’t take a genius to realize that the only way out of the mob is to stop playing gently.

Before John has to choose between getting torn to pieces or killing innocent Torontogozians he is dropped to the ground. The rage filled roar of the mob has stopped. In its place the confused mumble of a mass of people who do not understand how they arrived in their current circumstance.

The Maple Leafs assemble and question each other in confusion. None of them can account for their sudden reprieve. From the clear blue sky there is a crash of thunder and a flash of lighting. Steven Stamkos, the golden god, waves to the Leafs as he flies home, another day saved for the Tampa Bay Lightning hero.

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. All over the continent small seeds of chaotic power have been seeking to control the powers of the National Heroes League. The battle to save the planet has begun.

Even split, the boulder pulses with a sickly red light. Freddy Andersen leans over the rock and peers into the chaotic swirling mass of energy. It is mesmerizing and the Toronto Maple Leafs mage can feel the danger even as he ignores it.

“Seed is exactly the right word.” Freddy says. “It seeks to latch onto our plane of existence. To do what? Not sure exactly, but definitely to grow.”

“So how do we stop them?” The Captain: John Tavares asks. “And if we can’t stop them can we at least figure out where they’re coming from, or better yet where they’re going to be.”

“Those are good questions.” The mage says. “I can tell you where they are from, they are from chaos. Imagine a place without any material form, but matter is rampant throughout, twisted and tortured and warped into whatever malign will takes hold of it. Chaos is where all our worst traits come from. If you accept that we are beings of light then chaos is a sickly filter that magnifies horror, pain, and deception.”

“Sounds lovely.” The Captain says. “So we go there and stop whatever is making these things, right?”

“Sure.” Freddy smiles. “As soon as I figure out how to keep everyone from being torn apart at a molecular level the moment we cross over.”

“Guys.” Morgan Rielly speaks to his teammates over the Toronto Maple Leafs comm link. “Bozie is here with a friend. He wants to talk to you.”

Tyler Bozak was once a cornerstone of the Maple Leafs. He has moved on and thrived and no one grudges him his success. That said it is a bold move to bring the young mage of his new team into the base of his old team. Jordan Binnington does not seem fazed by his first visit to Toronto Maple Leaf tower. The St. Louis Blues mage positively struts into Freddy’s study.

“Stop whatever your doing.” Jordan says. “I figured out what we’re dealing with. I know how we can predict the spores.”

Ignoring the rudeness, the Maple Leafs wait for the young mage to continue.

“They are basically mushrooms.” Jordan says, his excitement bubbling over. “A vast network that mimics the growth patterns of our planet’s mycilium. It’s amazing really, a vast interconnected network that is spreading into our world. The strange part is that this network is created with a sort of chaotic magical force. It’s tiny but it can be traced, Here, let me show you.”

As much as he hates to admit it, Freddy is impressed with the young mage. The more he listens, the more he realizes that the kid is correct, and also not much of a kid.

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A season of danger and excitement has arrived for the National Heroes League. With untarnished hopes and untested vigour the campaign begins. For the Maple Leafs it is a time to show the rest of the league what true power looks like.

Kasperi Kapenen has a splitting headache. A horrible itch throbs on the inside of his skull and the Maple Leaf hero would do anything to stop it. He had a mission, that much he remembers, but he can’t recall what it was. The sluggish pace of his thoughts concerns Kasperi in a vague way. He knows he is fast, in fact he is one of the fastest heroes alive. That must be the answer, more speed, so Kasperi goes faster.

The Toronto Maple Leaf can’t remember where he is supposed to be going. He can’t see anything through the red haze that clouds his minds eye, he can’t even tell if his eyes are open. The throbbing in his head gets worse, the pain enough to make Kasperi want to dig into his skull with a spoon to scoop out whatever is in there making him so miserable.

He can’t hear, he can’t see, he can’t feel, all he can do is run. So Kasperi runs faster and faster and faster in the hope that he might run passed the all consuming pain. Suddenly a new sensation comes over the Leaf. The red haze is clears from his vision and the pain, along with the need to go faster, vanishes as suddenly as it came.

His head is throbbing still, but now Kasperi feels more than just a headache, his whole body aches. Slowly the Leaf opens his eyes. He is lying in a pile of rubble. Blood seeps out of dozens of small wounds. Memory returns and with it the certain knowledge that he messed up. The Maple Leafs were investigating another of the strange boulders that have been popping up all over the continent. Apparently Kasperis is not as immune to the boulders effect as some of his teammates. A hand reaches down and Kasperi takes it, standing up with a groan.

He is in the middle of a ruined street, the evidence of battle all around him. The Captain: John Tavares stands beside him.

“It’s okay Kappy.” John says. “We’ll just clean up and be ready for next time.”

“What happened though?” Kasperi asks. “How’d you guys save me?”

We didn’t.” John shakes his head and points over his shoulder to where several Montreal Canadiens heroes are standing.

“No.” Kasperi realizes what must have happened. “Not them, anyone but them.”

“Sorry.” John says. “It’s over, it happened, just move on. Don’t engage them, it’ll just make it worse.”

The Maple Leaf heroes start to tidy up the street, ignoring the Canadiens heroes who approach.

“Nice effort guys.” It is Max Domi who speaks. “Good thing we were here to save the day huh.”

The Leafs do not respond. Max laughs as does Carey Price, the Canadiens mage and also the force behind their triumph. A hand lands on the mages shoulder and he jumps in surprise. It is Auston Matthews, and a ripple of fear flashes across the Canadiens face.

“That was a close one wasn’t it?” The Maple Leaf tightens his grip on the Canadiens shoulder. Carey winces and pulls away.

“Let’s go.” The Canadien says. “We don’t have time to play with these guys anymore.”

“See you next time, Carey.” Auston shouts at the retreating mage. With a shudder and a glare back at the young Leaf, Carey opens a portal and the Canadiens leave to enjoy their victory. “I hate that guy.” Auston says as the portal closes.

“You really shouldn’t engage.” John says.

“I’m so sorry guys.” Kasperi says.

“Don’t worry Kappy.” Auston says with a laugh.” We’ll get the next one.”

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A season of danger and excitement has arrived for the National Heroes League. With untarnished hopes and untested vigour the campaign begins. For the Maple Leafs it is a time to show the rest of the league what true power looks like.

Cam Atkinson lops the head off of one Mitch Marner, and runs another Mitch Marner through with his longsword. Seth Jones slams a Mitch Marner onto a car and throws another Mitch Marner through a cinder block wall. Unfortunately for the Columbus Blue Jackets heroes there are more Mitch Marners, many many more.

The multiple Marners work together to keep the two out of control heroes contained while the rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs look for the evil boulder that is controlling them. Morgan Rielly coordinates the search with his technopathic powers, but he also has his boots on the ground to help in a more tangible way.

The pulsing red tendrils of energy that tether the heroes to the boulder lead Morgan into the basement of a designer pet clothing store where he finds the sinister glowing stone in an impact crater.

“Bingo.” Morgan says over the Toronto Maple Leaf comms. “Converge on my location to attempt an extraction.”

The boulders have been popping up all over the continent without rhyme or reason. As a rule they are being destroyed on contact but Morgan and the Leafs want to analyze the threat. Maybe if they can learn more they can find out where the boulders are coming from, why, and how to stop them. It is presumably a risk to the heroes under the things control but no more of a risk than getting ripped apart by a dozen Mitches.

“How you holding up Mitchy?” Morgan asks.

“We’re good” The Mitch who answers is panting out of breath. “Ouch, that hurt. Oh, damn! Did you see that? What do you mean you’re not recording. Well I didn’t tell you to stop, did I? Gotta go Mo.”

Morgan shakes his head and laughs. Auston Matthews and The Captain: John Tavares step into the basement together, both laughing as well.

“I guess Mitch has the Jackets handled.” John says. “What do we do about this?”

“Can you guys feel that?” Auston asks. He means the strange itchy tickle inside the back of their skulls that seeks to become the only thought in the heroes minds. His own amazing self control has no problem ignoring the sensation. Morgan and John are likewise unbothered, and so just nod in response to the young Leaf.

“We aren’t sure what moving it will do to the heroes under it’s control” Morgan says. “We also don’t know if touching it will help it take over our minds.”

“Didn’t seem to have any effect when I touched it.” John offers.

“Small sample size though.” Morgan answers.

“Well lets see what happens.” Auston steps into the crater, then looks up. “Guys, the ceiling is fine. This thing didn’t fall from anywhere above.”

“So how is the crater so deep?” Morgan and John both say at once.

“We’ll just have to get it home and see what we can find out.” Auston says, kneeling to wrap his arms around the boulder. “I wish Freddy was here.” With a grimace the hero picks up the heavy stone. Immediately the pulsing intensifies and two things happen at once.

“Guys.” Mitch says over the comms. “Whatever you’re doing is making them totally nuts. They are, ouch, they are fighting like demons to get to the boulder.”

“Auston!” Freddy Andersen blasts into the basement through a small portal and the Toronto Maple Leaf mage immediately begins casting a spell. “Put it down, right now!”

Auston drops the boulder and looks down to see that his armour is smouldering where it isn’t completely melted off. Freddy finishes his spell and a containment shell materializes around the boulder. With a gesture the mage beckons and the magical shell floats into the air to follow him.

“I finally found the source of these spores.” Freddy says. “They are seeds of chaos.” The Leafs follow their mage out of the basement with the boulder floating before them.

“Okay, they calmed down.” A Mitch says over the comms. “Was that Freddy? I bet Freddy’s there.”

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A season of danger and excitment has arrived for the National Heroes League. With untarnished hopes and untested vigour the campaign begins. For the Maple Leafs it is a time to show the rest of the league what true power looks like.

Conor Brown and Tyler Ennis approach the smoldering boulder from opposite sides. The Ottawa Senators heroes are nervous, but at least they are familiar with the city. Toronto used to be their home, they used to patrol these streets all the time, now they are visitors but they are still heroes.

“Dare you to touch it.” Tyler says.

“Don’t be dumb.” Conor replies. “What even is that thing?”

The boulder glows with a pulsating red light, a faint wave of heat comes with each pulse. When they have closed to two feet the Senators stop. For several heartbeats they watch the boulder. It is Conor who first notices that his heart is beating in time with the pulses. It is Tyler who first hears the faint buzz that tickles the inside of his skull. Simultaneously the Senators realize they are no longer in control of their bodies.

Conor picks up a hunk of concrete and hurls it at the plate glass window of the cafe behind him, then another and another. Tyler picks up a fallen parking meter and beats in the windshields of the nearby cars. The destructive mayhem continues and it is this scene which the Captain arrives to.

He lands lightly on the rooftop of the building with the cafe on the ground floor. It is the first time John is on a mission with his new powers and he likes it. The power of flight is awesome, the terror aura will augment his own supreme chill powers well. In short, John Tavares was meant to don the mantle of the Captain and he will wear it well. Others might have done a fine job, but in this version of reality it has, and always will have been John Tavares.

The Captain looks down at the pair of former teammates rampaging in their small way. It only takes a second to see that the boulder in the middle of the street was having some sort of effect on the Senators. Beams of red energy extend from the rock to both of their heads. The rock pulses with energy that flows into the two enslaved heroes.

“Are you watching this?” John asks.

“I see it.” Morgan Rielly answers, the Leafs technopath is always there. “It looks like the rock is controlling them. That red coil you see, it’s actually a siphon. The longer they’re in it’s control the stronger it’ll get, until it sucks them dry.”

“I guess I better stop it then.” John says.

“Be careful, Captain.” Morgan is always worried.

John flies down to the street and lands beside the glowing boulder. He immediately feels the rapacious will trying to latch onto his own. Even unaltered, his will might have been able to resist. The power of the Captain easily bats aside the attempts to dominate it. The faces of captains past float by John’s imagination and he smiles to know that he is one with the timeless glory of the Maple Leafs from now unto eternity. He places his hand on the boulder, John lets his super chill flare out in time with the red pulse of the menacing stone.

The Senators both cry out in pain. They turn and glare at the Captain, who glances quickly at the two before sending out another burst of cold into the boulder. Conor and Tyler flinch and snarl then leap, as one, to tear into the Captain. Keeping one hand on the boulder, John fends off the feral attacks of his old friends. He lashes out with his power and blasts the boulder with absolute zero. The red glow goes out and the Senators collapse.

“You guys alright?” John asks with genuine concern.

Before they can answer Auston Matthews lands with a tremendous crash, obliterating the boulder and sending the Senator heroes flying to opposite sides of the street.

“What the hell was that thing?” Auston asks the Captain, who stands unfazed beside his young friend.

“Not sure.” John says. “But I think we’re going to find out.”

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A mysterious evil has begun to whisper promises of an unthinkable danger to the powers of the National Heroes League. Preparations are underway and none are more eager for the battle to begin than the mighty Maple Leafs.

Brendan Shanahan stands in front of his team. Twenty three men on the active Toronto Maple Leaf roster, and a handful of wounded warriors as well as all the coaches, trainers, scouts and management group. It is as impressive a collection of talent as exists within the National Heroes League. He believes this, but Brendan knows his faith counts for nothing. All that matters in the months ahead is that the group believes in themselves.

“Men.” There are women in the room, but Brendan addresses the twenty three heroes who will represent the Maple Leafs when terror lands. “You stand on the brink of destiny. No matter what it may be you few have been chosen to face the chaos that approaches. You mighty few have the chance to do what all heroes in the League dream of doing. You have the chance to write a destiny that will be remembered as long as stories are told. It will not be easy, some of you will not be here when the the story is completed. Strike fear from your heart and stride forward with pride. You are heroes, you are Maple Leafs, now is your chance. Go forth and become legends!!”

The assembled group roars a cheer. Whatever happens will happen, for the Toronto Maple Leafs there is only eagerness for the blood to flow.

Let’s get at it.

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. A mysterious evil has begun to whisper promises of an unthinkable danger to the powers of the National Heroes League. Preparations are underway and none are more eager for the battle to begin than the mighty Maple Leafs.

Mike Babcock spits over the rail that he leans on, the saliva arcs out over the void and instantly freezes in the absolute zero degree temperature. The Maple Leafs head coach watches the crystalline shape float for a few minutes.

Kyle Dubas approaches the coach, newly arrived at the Toronto Maple Leaf orbital base, his steps are cautious and unsure. Kyle looks out at the endless void for only a moment before he turns around to look back at the Earth.

“It’s almost time.” Kyle says, leaning back against the rail. “How are you feeling about the team?”

“Well.” Mikes spits again and thinks about his answer. Kyle waits patiently until at last Mike stands up and turns to look back at the Earth as well. “I would say I’m cautiously optimistic.”

“One tune up left.” Kyle says, with a smile. “Let’s get after it.”

“Let’s get after it.” Mike replies with a grin. The time for patience and theory crafting is almost over. It’s time to get serious… Almost.

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A mysterious evil has begun to whisper promises of an unthinkable danger to the powers of the National Heroes League. Preparations are underway and none are more eager for the battle to begin than the mighty Maple Leafs.

The heavy club lands with a thud on the arena floor, the giant who dropped it takes another few seconds to follow. Six panting Mitch Marners merge back into a singularity while John Tavares and Wily Nylander tend to minor wounds. Freddie Andersen helps Auston Matthews to his feet while Morgan Rielly cleans the gore off of his helm and armour. The roar of the spectators reaches a crescendo before the mechanical click which always precedes the end of a training simulation. Silence slams into the room with the sudden impact of a dropped coffee mug on an unprotected foot.

“Well done guys.” Morgan says. “That felt good, right?”

“We totally wrecked it!” Mitch goes for a high five with Wily.

“It was a training exercise.” John reminds the group.

“And we aced it!” Mitch refuses to let his spirit be dampened.

“You think you couldn’t have done better?” Auston asks. “I could have done better.” The words seems ripped from the young hero, as if to utter them causes him pain. “I could have done a lot better. So many things I could have done differently.”

Auston leaves the training simulator. Wily moves to follow him.

“Leave him be.” Freddie says. “He’s got to go through it. It’ll make him stronger in the end.”

“But he was awesome.” Wily protests.

The Leafs agree but they know there isn’t much they can do. Growing up is hard and painful for everyone. Auston will be fine, how long it takes for him to get to a place where he can learn from his mistakes is up to him.

(Editors Note: I do not believe there is any excuse for Mr. Matthews alleged behaviour. I do not believe he is making excuses for his alleged behaviour. The matter is in court and he will face consequences appropriate his crime if it is determined that he committed one.

None of that has any impact on how impressive Mr. Matthews is as a hockey player. The idea that athletes, or any public figure, are inherently possessed with an angelic nature is ludicrously quaint and dangerously naive. These are people, real actual humans, who are capable of a whole spectrum of beliefs and preferences that may leave you shocked or dismayed.

The question we all need to ask ourselves is ‘What do I value?’

Do you watch sports for moral advice? Do you pray to a higher power for suffering to to befall your enemies? Do you spread the jelly on your toast before the peanut butter?)

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A mysterious evil has begun to whisper promises of an unthinkable danger to the powers of the National Heroes League. Preparations are underway and none are more eager for the battle to begin than the mighty Maple Leafs.

Mike Babcock and Kyle Dubas stand side by side looking down at the city of Toronto. From the top of Toronto Maple Tower the view is spectacular, but neither man enjoys it. The responsibility of protecting the city weighs heavy on those tasked with organizing and deploying the forces that will be doing the actual protecting. Every choice is agonized over because every choice could be the one that leads to absolute victory.

“You have the dream again?” Kyle asks.

“Yup.” Mike nods. “It’s getting closer.”

“It’s almost time.” Kyle agrees. “Are they ready?”

“Not yet.” Mike is honest. “But they will be.”

The two men share the silence of the cold Toronto dawn. Time is short, the real test begins soon.

 

When humanity is threatened only the super-powered might of the Toronto Maple Leafs can be counted on to save the day. A mysterious evil has begun to whisper promises of an unthinkable danger to the powers of the National Heroes League. Preparations are underway and none are more eager for the battle to begin than the mighty Maple Leafs.

Jake Muzzin breathes as he places another toothpick on the tower he has been crafting for nearly an hour. He started wide with the base, a ring of twelve for the first two centimeters, contracting as the tower climbed. Now he is down to three picks per layer and each placement sends shivers through the delicate structure.

Jake places the next three toothpicks slightly out of line. He does the same thing with the next three, and the next. The result is a twisting effect at makes Jake smile. He makes ten centimeters before he stops to regroup. Now comes the hard part.

First Jake bites the points off of three toothpicks, then he splits them with a fingernail. Not all the way split, just enough to make a bit of a notch. Using a fresh toothpick as a center pole, Jake makes the base of what will be a pitched roof with the three modified picks. He gently presses the pyramid into the table until he judges the angle to be a perfect thirty three and a quarter degrees.

Jake takes a pee break because it’s important to always listen to our bodies. Also, stepping away from the tower gives him a moment to gather his perspective. The roof is the hardest part. Should he try and go for a horizontal line roof? The technique is way more intricate, but the result is quite remarkable. If he went with a vertical, lean-to style, roof the process would be much simpler, but Jake has never believed that the easiest thing is always the best thing. It’s an important choice, not because of any dire consequences, but because it is getting near time to wrap it up.

Still undecided as to the nature of the roof he intends to build, Jake sits down at the table carefully. Then he kicks the table leg as he shifts to adjust his pants. The tower comes tumbling down with barely a rattle. for a moment Jake’s heart is broken. Then he shakes his head and moves on.