AAOOOSC! Playoffs

So the playoffs continue, wrapping up the first round. The teams that remain are the Bruins, Canadians, Penguins, Rangers, Wild, Blackhawks, Ducks, and Kings.
One night in early May, Tommy decides to hold a formal party for all of the powerless players to help them understand why their powers had disappeared.
So he invites all twenty-nine players, turning the basement in a nice place to socialize with other players. Then at seven o' clock, the players come in, wearing their suit and ties (or bow ties) while Tommy checks them off on his clipboard to see if everyone is at the party.
"Well, hello there, Jonathan!" Tommy greets as Jonathan walks out of the elevator, looking terrible. "Are you okay?"
"Eh, yea." Jonathan walks off into the basement.
"Hm." Tommy checks off Jonathan's name. "There's something wrong with him."
The elevator opens up and Mike D'Agostini of the Buffalo Sabres and Taylor Hall of the Edmonton Oilers stroll in together.
"Hello you two, Mr. D'Agostini and Mr. Hall." Tommy crosses of both of their names.
They greet him and walk off.
"This is a really good idea! I hope everyone comes!" Tommy exclaims quietly.
Roberto comes in. "Are there any burritos here?"
"No, I'm sorry, Mr. Luongo, but there are refreshments and little pastries." Tommy checks off his name.
"Alright, that works." Roberto goes deeper into the room.
"I should've boughten burritos..."
The elevator's doors slide open, letting in Evander Kane of the Winnipeg Jets, Mike Cammalleri of the Calgary Flames, and John Tavares of the New York Islanders.
"Wow, is this a party of what?" John says, adjusting his collar with a smirk.
"This is really neat," Evander comments.
"I agree," Mike adds.
"Thank you for the compliments, gentlemen." Tommy checks off their names. "Please, make yourselves comfortable."
"Thank you, Mr. Gorman," John tells Tommy, walking off the Evander and Mike.
"Wait 'til everyone's here!" Tommy mutters.
Cam runs into the room with Bernier next to him. "Ohmygosh, I can't believe I'm actually at a party! This is awesome!" He throws confetti in the air.
"Errr...not that type of party there, Ward," Tommy tells Cam. "This is suppose to be formal."
"Ohhh...so that's why Jo told me to wear this suit." Cam tugs at his collar.
"Is there any maple syrup and maple cookies here?" Bernier asks with his brown eyes wide.
"No, I'm afraid not. I'm sorry, Bernier."
"That's okay, I brought my own!" Bernier pulls out a tall bottle of maple syrup and begins drinking it straight out of the bottle.
The elevator doors open and Martin stumbles into the room. "Ohmygoodness, can't you guys run any faster‽"
"I was just so excited to go to the party!" Cam jumps up and down happily.
"And I wanted to get here quicker so that I can drink maple syrup." Bernier raises his bottle in the air and continues drinking more.
"Well, it's great that you three NHL policemen are here! Thank you for your service!"
"No prob--we enjoy it!" Martin salutes Tommy and walks off with Cam and Bernier.
Tommy checks off their names. "Who else is missing...?"
"I hope we uh geht our powersh bahk!" a voice shouts in the elevator.
"Oh right, the powerless EHP." Tommy shakes his head. "At least Jimmy's not coming."
The elevator opens and Carey, Giroux, Ryan, Kari, and Henrik walk out of it, not noticing Tommy.
"Well, okay..." Tommy checks off their names. "Nice to meet you, too."
The elevator door opens again and Tuukka runs out of it, carrying his pony in his arms. "Waaaait!!!" He rushes over to the rest of the EHP. "Odota!!!" (Wait!!!)
Then Sergei Bobrovsky strolls out of the elevator cooly, wearing a bow tie. "Здравствуйте!" He waves to Tommy. (Hello!)
"Oh yes, you don't speak English, but I do know a little Russian," Tommy tells Sergei.
"В самом деле? Это хорошо!" (Really? That's good!)
"Да!" (Yes!)
"Спасибо за приглашение на эту вечеринку!" Sergei walks into the party. (Thank you for inviting me to this party!)
"Yes! I still know my Russian!" Tommy check's off Sergei's name.
The elevator doors open and Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche comes in. "Hey!"
"Hello! How's your first season in the NHL?"
"It was great! Until we lost to the Wild." Nathan frowns.
"Hey, you just gotta practice your shooting, that's all!" Josh Harding of the Minnesota Wild comes in.
"What, you're here‽" Nathan turns around, facing Josh. "Aw, man...we'll getcha soon!"
Josh throws his hands up in the air. "I wasn't even playing against ya guys!"
"Okay, okay, enough the rivalry." Tommy places his blue hands on each of the rival's shoulders. "Now in here, we are friends. And whatever happens on the ice--"
"--stays on the ice," the two players finish together.
"Good. Now go enough yourselves and make friends." Tommy lets go of them and they walk off. "Oh my..." Tommy checks off their names.
Antoine Vermette of the Phoenix Coyotes and Ryan Kesler of the Vancouver Canucks walk out of the elevator with Craig Anderson of the Ottawa Senators.
"Hello, Mr. Kesler and Mr. Vermette and Mr. Anderson! Welcome!" Tommy checks off their names.
They greet Tommy and walk away.
The elevator closes and a few seconds later, it reopens, letting out Steven Stamkos of the Tampa Bay Lightning, and Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals.
"Well look at we have here! Palát and Holtby! Welcome!"
"Thank you!" Braden says.
Without Steven speaking a single word, the two walk off into the party, which is getting full.
"Let's see, who's missing..." Tommy looks at his clipboard. "Hiller...Kane...Rinne...Crosby...Niemi... Where are they?"
"We're here!!!" Sidney shouts, jumping out of the elevator with the rest of the GHP behind him. "Oh Bubby, look at this: a party for us!!!" He hold Bubby in the air, who is wearing a bow tie just like his owner.
"Hello, Gorman," Antti greets.
"Oh look at that! You brought over the whole gang! Lovely!" Tommy starts checking off their names. "And I believe that's everyone!"
"Sorry that we were kinda late--Sid didn't want to come without his gorillas." Pekka nods towards Sidney, who was walking into the party, chatting with Bubby.
"Of course. Now go enjoy yourselves!" Tommy nods the party to his left.
They left Tommy, except for Antti.
"Just wondering, but why are you holding a party for us?" Antti asks, adjusting his tie.
"Because to tell these players the reason why they lost their powers and how to get it back."
"So all thirty players are here?"
"Twenty-nine," Tommy corrects. "Jimmy's not here, since he's the one with all the powers."
"Oh, okay... So you're gonna give a speech then?"
"Yup! In about seven minutes. Now go on."
"Okay, thanks." Antti walks into the party.
Nathan MacKinnon gasps with his blue eyes widen. "Are you...are you...Sidney Crosby?"
Sidney turns around, holding Bubby in his arms. "Yea, I am! Uh-huh-huh-huh-huh-huh!"
"Ohmygosh! You are so awesome!" Nathan jumps up and down a bit. "I went to the same high school as you!!!"
"You did?" Sidney makes a confused look. "I don't remember you in my class."
"Well, I went to your school way after you graduated. Oh man, I can't believe this...I'm actually talking to the Sidney Crosby!!!" Nathan places his hands on his cheeks.
"Wow..." Sidney looks uncomfortable. "...I don't know what to say..."
"Is that a gorilla?" Nathan points to Bubby.
"Oh, how could I forget my manners!" Sidney slaps his forehead a bit. "This is Bubby." He raises Bubby in the air.
"Nice to meet you...Bubby..."
"And this is Bubby Jr.!" Sidney yanks a smaller version of Bubby out from his pants, who also has a bow tie, showing him to Nathan. "He's Bubby's son!"
"Wow...that's cute..."
"Wait, hold up." Sidney places Bubby Jr. to his ear. "What was that, Bubby Jr.?" He pauses for a moment, then turns to Nathan. "Bubby Jr. says that he wants you to carry him. Here." He gives him the small gorilla.
"Oh, um--" Nathan holds Bubby Jr. carefully, looking at his shiny, black eyes. "I'm actually holding what Sidney Crosby held!!!"
"Bubby Jr. likes you holding him!" Sidney hugs Bubby.
"Is it okay to pet his head?"
Sidney looks at Bubby Jr. "Is it, Bubby Jr.?" He pauses for a moment, then looks up at Nathan. "Yea, he says it's okay, 'cause you're a great friend!"
Nathan smiles wide and pets Bubby Jr's small head. "Wow, he's so fluffy! Am I also your friend?"
"Well..." Sidney thinks for a moment. "You're in the..."
"Avalanche."
"Yea...wait, why are you even here?"
Nathan stops petting Bubby Jr. "Because I had powers...but then I lost 'em."
Sidney gasps. "That's what happened to me, too!"
"Really‽ You also have powers?"
"Yea! Ice powers!"
Nathan gasps. "No way! I have snow powers!"
"Wow! What's the difference between snow and ice powers‽"
"I don't know! Can you make a snowman‽"
"No! When I try, I make ice cubes stacked up on each other! Can you freeze someone in an ice cube‽"
"No! When I try, I put that person in a pile of snow!"
"So that's the difference between snow and ice powers! Now we know!"
"Yay! Can I be your friend‽"
Sidney thinks for a moment. "Sure!"
"Yay!" Nathan hugs Sidney, squishing Bubby.
"I finally got a new friend!" Sidney pulls apart. "And a friend who has similar powers!"
"If we ever get our powers back!"
"I think we will! I can't imagine a life without my powers!"
"Yea, same here! We'll get our powers back!"
"Yea!"
"Yea!"
"Yea!" They high-five each other.
"Hey, there, Quick." Henrik walks up to Jonathan, who was standing in a corner alone.
"Hi."
"You do not look good! How many hours of sleep did you have last night?"
"None."
"That's the reason why you don't look so good."
"Trust me, you do not want to know what I'm going through."
"Yea, same here. Get some sleep tonight." Henrik walks off.
Kari leans his elbows on the refreshment table, looking at Jonathan. He then turns to his left, seeing Antti drinking from a glass cup. "Do you know what's wrong with Jonathan, Nemo?"
Antti looks at Kari, placing his cup down. "Yes. And that's non of your own business."
"Because he looks really bad. I mean, he's got those dark circles under his eyes, he has that look and--"
"Kari, thank you for telling me how Jonathan looks like, but I can see him by myself."
"But how can you let him look like that‽"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you're the Master--you're suppose to be taking care of your guys!"
"They have minds of their own, they can take care of themselves! Kari, don't tell me what to do."
"But you're suppose to make sure that they're doing fine! You can't let them go out lookin' like that!"
"Kari, you just don't understand."
"Yes I do and it seems like you forgot how to be a good Master!"
"Kari Lehtonen, can you please--"
"Kari, stop bothering him," Jonathan snaps.
The two Finnish goalies look to their side, seeing Jonathan giving a dark look at Kari.
Kari gives him a 'okay-okay-you-win-gosh' look and walks away.
Antti sees Kari walking away, then turns to Jonathan to thank him for getting him off of his back, but Jonathan is back in his corner.

Notes