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AAOOOSC! All-Stars!

The Dog Whisperer

In his sunlit hotel room, Pekka Rinne wipes down the countertop in the kitchen with a paper towel in one hand. His other hand is occupied by his smartphone, which is pressed against his ear.

“I know, it is exciting,” he says into the phone. “Of course, it would be more exciting if you were around…” He pauses while continuing his movements. “Uh, no I haven’t asked Eichs...or Skinny if they’ve missed you…” He stops talking again; he rounds the countertop. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll do that—”

Knock, knock, knock!

Pekka halts behind the countertop; his bright eyes flick to the door on his right. “Oh, there’s someone at the door— I’ll talk to you later.” He shifts his phone-occupied hand, only to halt for a beat. “Okay, bye, Hutts.”

Pekka then hangs up and tosses his phone on the surface. He whisks to the door and opens it.

Standing on the other side is Miro Heiskanen, gazing up at him with a worried look.

“Voi, hei, Heisky.” Oh, hi, Heisky. He gives him a warm smile.

“Olen pahoillani, jos häiritsen sinua, voin palata toisen kerran tai en palata ollenkaan— “ I’m sorry if I’m bothering you, I can come back another time, or not at all—

“Ei, ei, itse asiassa—” No, no, in fact— Pekka places his hands on his shoulders and leans closer to him. “—olen iloinen että tulit. Tule sisään.” —I’m glad you knocked. Come on in. He then turns around and leads the rookie past him, into his hotel room.

He closes the door behind him and turns around. “Eli mitä on meneillään?” So, what’s going on?

Miro stands next to the kitchen, facing the living room and its large windows. His shifts perks around. “Jotakin pahaa.” Something bad.

With wary eyes on him, Pekka steps up to him. “Kuinka paha?” How bad?

He turns to him with knitted eyebrows. “En-en löydä koiriani.” I-I can’t find my dogs. He mimics the actions he describes with his hands: “Aioin ruokkia heitä, palvelin heitä, soitin heidän nimensä, mutta he eivät koskaan tulleet!” I was going to feed them, I put their food into their bowls, I called out to them, but they never came!

He drops his hands. “Katsoin kaikkialla hotellihuoneessani, ja minä huusin heidän nimensä, mutta he eivät koskaan ilmestyneet! Tarkistin jopa Sebsin ja Mikon kanssa, mutta he eivät olleet heidän kanssaan! Mietin, olivatko he kanssasi.” I looked everywhere in my room, shouting their names, but they never appeared! I even checked with Sebs and Mikko, but they weren’t with them! I was wondering if they were with you.

Pekka blinks at him in confusion. “En...edes tiennyt, että sinulla oli koiria.” I...didn’t even know you had dogs.

“Minulla on kaksi koiraa.” I do; two dogs. Miro steps into the living room, passing by the sofas. “Ne ovat samat laji ja he reagoivat nopeasti heidän nimiinsä—” They’re the same breed and they quickly respond to their names— He halts at the window to the right and shouts with cupped hands, “Leo! Max!”

He drops them, staring helplessly at the window. He then huffs and drags himself across the room to the other window.

Pekka follows him with his eyes and hears him crying out: “Lee-ooo! Maaa-aaax!”

Miro groans and pulls away from the window, dropping his hands. He then turns around and stomps up to the kitchen. He swings his head underneath the countertop and shuffles around it.

Pekka turns around, watching him disappear behind the countertop from his view. “Minä vain kiillotin siellä; heidän ei pitäisi olla siellä.” I just cleaned there; they wouldn’t be there.

The back of Miro’s head reappears from behind the countertop. Miro halts as he catches a glimpse of the oven’s time. He stares at its green digital numbers: 11:45.

He gasps. “Onko se se aika?” Is that the time?

Pekka strolls to his phone on the countertop, picks it up, and looks at it. “Jep.” Yup.

Miro whirls to him with wide eyes and upward slanted eyebrows. “Voi ei, minun täytyy mennä!” Oh no, I gotta go! He passes by Pekka and whizzes to the door.

Pekka turns his head to watch him. “Minne?” Where to?

Miro whirls to him at the door. “Fan Fair! Minun täytyy vastata fanien kysymyksiin ja tavata heidät jälkeenpäin.” I have to answer fan questions and meet them afterwards. He swishes his head around, his hand crawling up to his mouth. “Mutta minun koirat…!” But my dogs…!

Pekka steps up to him. “Ei hätää, aion etsiä niitä.” No worries, I’ll look for them.

Hope springs into Miro’s face as he gazes up at him. “Todella?” You will?

“Tietysti!” Of course!

Miro lets out a sigh. “Kiitos!” Thank you! He opens the door behind him. “Heidän nimensä ovat Leo ja Max!” Their names are Leo and Max! He takes a step backward into the doorway. “He reagoivat nopeasti heidän nimiinsä!” They’ll quickly respond when they hear their names! He pulls the door in front of him, only leaving a slit for his head to pop out. “Kiitos jälleen!” Thank you again!

He then pulls his head out and slams the door closed.

Pekka stares at the door with pressed lips. “‘Leo and Max…’” He grimaces. “Olen tekemisissä kovien koirien kanssa…” Yikes, I’m dealing with tough dogs here…




In the Plaza de César Chávez, Pekka strolls down its walkway lined with the puck-shaped banners. He whips his head around while shouting, “Leo! Max!”

He shakes his head and whisks down the stairs of the walkway.



Pekka ambles up the sidewalk, spotted with palm trees and more puck-shaped banners; in front of him is the SAP Center; to his right is the Arena Green West.

“Lee-ooo! Maaa-aaax!” he hollers through his cupped hands.

He then drops them to the sound of anything but dogs barking. He halts at the corner and gazes up to his right, rubbing his chin in deep thought. His eyes catch sight of the faint mountain range peeking out from behind the arena’s and park’s trees.

A smirk then forms on his face.



A large shadow slips over the bustling city.

The source of the shadow is Pekka, who is now standing over the city from its outskirts in his enhanced size. His eyes dart to every nook and cranny visible in the city. However, no two dogs next to each other of the same breed appear.

With a deep exhale, Pekka turns himself around. He gazes out to the mass of redwoods in the distance with green, rolling hills separating the two. He then trudges over the hills and wades through the waist-high redwoods.

Pekka keeps his eyes down, focusing on the ground visible in between the tops of the redwoods. A light-colored furry texture then flashes beneath the leaves.

He halts, his eyes lighting up. He leans forward and sticks his hand in between the two tops the flash of fur appeared through.

He then pulls his hand back up into the sky, revealing Patrik Laine, whom he is holding by his long hair. Patrik spins around slowly to the momentum, confused.

Pekka runs red. “Voi, pahoillani.” Oh, sorry. He then lowers him back into the mass of trees.

Pekka continues wading through the trees. He cups his hands over his mouth and belts out, “Lee-ooo! Maaa-aaax!”

High-pitched barking echo from the distance.

Pekka drops his hands and halts with hope in his eyes. “Koirat!” Dogs!

He increases his pace, sending quakes across the woods. In the distance, an area with no treetops appear.

“Leo! Max!”

The barking resumes, sounding closer.

“Leo! Max!”

Pekka enters the glade, halts his running, and looks down.

At his feet are a crowd woodland animals, including bears, wolves, birds, deer, and rabbits. Mixed in with these animals are two golden, fluffy Pomeranians, who are sitting on each side of Zach Parise. Zach sits on the grass, petting the dogs.

“You guys are excited to hear your names, huh?” he tells them.

The dogs continue yapping.

Pekka drops back to his usual height. He steps up to the Wild power player, gazing around the animal heaven warily.

“Uhhh...Parise…what’s this?” He halts in front of him and gazes at him.

Zach looks up at him with a calm look; he holds his hands out from his sides. “This is my ideal vacation during the All-Star Break.” He resumes petting the two small dogs, gazing at both of them. “Surrounded by those who actually get me and I actually get.” He stops petting them and snaps his eyes up at him. “How do you know their names?”

Pekka points to the dogs with raised eyebrows. “That’s Leo and Max?”

“Yes.” He gazes down at them and gives them both a good back rub. “They belong to Heiskanen.”

“Oh…” Pekka furrows his eyebrows. “I-I thought they would be bigger…”

“They like their names.” Zach looks back up at him and halts the petting. “It boosts their egos.”

Pekka crosses his arms. “Wow, when Heisky told me their names, I thought they were gonna be...anything other than...poofy chicken nuggets.”

Zach chuckles. “They’re adorable.” He peers down at them and rubs their sides. “They’ve been telling me they hate the dog food he gives them.”

Pekka cocks an eyebrow. “Really?”

“Yeah—” He pulls his hands onto his lap and looks up at him. “—they prefer wet food over dry food. And they like the snow over the heat.”

“Of course, uh—” Pekka pinches the bridge of his nose. “—why did you bring them over here?”

“I didn’t bring them over here. They came here.” Zach looks back at the dogs and scratches their fur. “They needed someone to talk to and felt my presence, so here they are.”

The Pomeranian to his right yaps.

“And Leo says he’s glad he came. “

Pekka looks to aside and scratches the back of his neck. “Okay, um, can you tell them to come with me?” He snaps his eyes back at him. “Their owner wants them back.”

Zach drops his arms and sighs. “Alright.” He swishes his head, glancing at each of them. “It was nice chatting with you, Max and Leo, but I guess we gotta go. Your owner misses you and wants to see you guys. Okay?”

The Pomeranian to his left barks.

He turns to the dog. “Okay, I’ll tell him that.” He gazes up at Pekka. “Tell Heiskanen to get them wet food; no more dry food.”

Pekka gives him an uneasy look. “Uh, sure.”

Zach cracks a smile at the two small dogs and pets them roughly. “You got it, guys!”

The dogs yap in unison. They trot up to Pekka and peer up at him, wagging their tails.

Pekka peers down at them before looking at Zach. “Oh, thanks!”

“Sure thing.” Zach waves to them. “Have fun, guys!”

The dogs face Zach yap at him with wagging tail.

Pekka gazes down at them in bewilderment.

“They’re just thanking me,” Zach clears up for him.

Pekka looks back at him. “Can I pick them up? I wanna get home before sunset.”

“Okay—” Zach reverts his eyes to the Pomeranians. “Okay, guys, climb into his arms; he’s gonna take you to the skies.”

The small dogs whirl around and gaze up at Pekka with their large, black eyes.

Pekka kneels and scoops them up into his arms. He then stands back up and grins at Zach; each dog hangs on each side of Pekka, their tongues hanging out happily.

“Thanks, Parise!” he calls out to him.

Zach gives him a thumbs up among the wandering animals. “You got it.”

Pekka then increases in size, reaching up beyond the trees. The dogs’ excited barking echo across the forest as Pekka turns around and steps back into the sea of trees.


The End of “The Dog Whisperer.”

Notes

Episode 12/15


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