Pier 21: A Sacrifice to Simon

[LucyXpher 1,588]

Following two consecutive losses on home ice to begin their second round series against the Saskatoon Wild, reports are coming out that some kind of strange ritual took place in the Halifax locker room.  This story comes from sources close to the team who say that following a 3-1 game two loss in the VHLM Playoff Semi-Finals, the Halifax locker room door was locked to all media members and strange noises could be heard echoing through the walls.  When asked to comment about what went on in the dressing room, team representatives called it a simple "team meeting".  By all accounts, this was no ordinary team meeting and many of the reporters who heard the noises were left quite shook.

 

"After the game we saw the management team come down to the locker room.  They went straight in and locked the door behind them.  At first we thought it was just a team meeting like they told us, you know, to tell the players to keep their heads up and stick to the game plan going into game three, but after a few minutes we started hearing odd sounds coming from the room-- stuff that would keep you up at night.  It's hard to describe, honestly." (Larry LeRoy, The Halifax Morning Star)

 

"It sounded like screaming-- not like a coach yelling at the players though, but like blood-curdling screams, and wailing.  Nothing like I've every heard in a hockey rink before." (Logan Lawrence, The Low Down)

 

"At first I thought maybe they were playing some music in there, but they were chanting.  It was very odd and kind of unnerving.  It started softly and they kept getting louder.  That's when the shrieking started.  After a while it stopped, but they still wouldn't let us in, though I'm not sure any of us really wanted to go in at that point." (Lacy Lewis, Fire On Ice)

 

When the door was finally opened, an equipment manager was seen scurrying off with one of the big garbage bins while the rest of the team seemed to resume business as usual as though nothing had happened.  

 

"When they finally let us in it was very eerie.  Everyone in the room seemed to be in good spirits, you know, laughing, joking, they had the blutooth going.  It was like nothing had happened, but we all know what we heard.  Oh, and there was a weird smell, I can't really put a finger on it... maybe bleach?" (Larissa Lacroix, The Crux of the Pucks)

 

Obviously, this is not the kind of story one takes lightly and there is only one question on everyone's lips-- what the hell was going on in there?  For my part, I wasn't present to hear the noises first hand, though I arrived at the room after it had been opened again.  It smelled like a locker room, sure, but there was something else lingering in the air.  It could have been bleach, but it definitely smelled like some kind of strong cleaning agent.  Looking around, I noticed that the floor was wet on top of the big Halifax logo in the center of the room.  I didn't see a mop anywhere, but it seemed like that area had just been cleaned.  Some of the other reporters I was with commented that a number of players seemed to have blood splattered on their white jerseys, though it is hard to say where it came from.  This is the playoffs, after all, and we know things can get pretty brutal on the ice. It's a noteworthy observation, nonetheless.

 

 

I reached out to Halifax General Manager Lexie Leitner for comment.  She didn't seem eager to reveal much about the "meeting" except to say that the team was in good spirits and ready for the next game.  I pressed on and asked her to comment on the reports of screaming and strange chanting coming from the room.  Her answer to this question was very interesting indeed.

 

"Well, you know, we just needed to take care of a few things.  It's an infernal-- excuse me-- internal matter so I can't comment on details, but I think the bottom line is the team is going to come out next game and play like they're possessed, you know?  If we're going to have a chance at coming back in this series, we're going to need our players smelling blood." (Lexie Leitner, Halifax 21st GM)

 

Out of context, perhaps we might think nothing of this statement from the rookie GM, but with everything that transpired in the postgame and the ominous signs-- the writing on the wall, so to speak-- her choice of words was a little hair raising, to say the least.  Was something truly nefarious happening in the Halifax locker room?  Could they have been engaged in some kind of occult ritual, perhaps even some kind of sacrifice?

 

 

I did some more follow up with a few others around the team who claimed to have heard the noises and they had more to say.  By way of a caveat, I don't know these witnesses well enough to certify their credibility so I can only offer their  testimony with a grain of salt-- that's blessed salt just so we're clear.  One source said they heard a name being chanted over and over-- Simon.  If true, who is Simon?  Nobody on the team or in the organization goes by that name so I really can't say what that could mean.  Another source said that the same equipment manager who ran off with the garbage bin was seen midway through the 3rd period carrying some kind of animal and that they saw what looked like horns sticking out of the bin as he ran off with it.  Another source seemed convinced that something had happened to John Season @dylanjj37 since the last time he was seen was when the team left the ice after the final horn.  I can confirm that Season was not present with the team in the locker room once the doors opened, but anything more is pure speculation.  Suffice it to say, there are more questions than answers and Jeopardy seems to be the jeu du jour.

 

...And now that I think of it, here's one more question: did you read the story about Maple Dogwood's Sauna Snafu?  According to the article's author, Dogwood @dogwoodmaple "accidentally" melted the ice surface in Halifax before the start of round two, mistaking the ice temperature control panel for the sauna thermostat.  The result was massive flooding across the lower levels of the building.  Luckily, the arena crew was able get the water under control and re-freeze the ice surface in time for game one, but I've yet to hear an explanation for why the tunnel leading from the 21st locker room to the ice surface has become an honest-to-god pond full of frogs.  Look, I've seen my fair share of horror movies and I don't need to be told that creepy secret rituals and frog infestations are bad omens.  This thing has the 10 plagues of Egypt written all over it and I don't want to stick around for when Azrael decides to show up!  

 

 

Okay, okay, it's possible we're sensationalizing this and blowing it all out of proportion.  Who knows, maybe it's nothing more than a quirky team-bonding exercise, an unfortunate flood, and a few rapidly breeding amphibians.  On the other hand, maybe it's something much more sinister...  Games three and four between the Halifax 21st and the Saskatoon Wild go tomorrow and only time will tell if something evil is afoot!  

 

༻⛧༺

Lauren Lambert for VHL.com

Edited April 30 by LucyXpher

[Aimee 1,150]

Reminds me of a few I did lol. Great read!

 

 

 

[LucyXpher 1,588]

6 minutes ago, aimkin said:

Reminds me of a few I did lol. Great read!

 

 

 

Thanks! I'll have to check those out!

[ace_five_ 469]

He was hesitant to come forward, but I’ve hear the Miami Mauraders AGM has some inside sources on the team that have insinuated that the Halifax GM has some sort of affiliation with the lord of the underworld himself. 

[dylanjj37 342]

"I heard from my sources that captain Andrew Skilton is leading some kind of cult in Halifax. He and his cult are planning a mutiny to replace Lexie Leitner with the Marauders AGM." - Marlins GM

 

[Banackock 8,143]

Baba Ganush is the one you want. Trust me. If you have to ask, you’ll never know. If you know, you need only ask. 
 

[LucyXpher 1,588]

1 hour ago, ace_five_ said:

He was hesitant to come forward, but I’ve hear the Miami Mauraders AGM has some inside sources on the team that have insinuated that the Halifax GM has some sort of affiliation with the lord of the underworld himself. 

I can’t confirm, but I certainly won’t deny

 

…mostly because he made me sign a non-disclosure agreement when I sold my soul but I’ve probably said too much…

Edited April 30 by LucyXpher

[LucyXpher 1,588]

1 hour ago, dylanjj37 said:

"I heard from my sources that captain Andrew Skilton is leading some kind of cult in Halifax. He and his cult are planning a mutiny to replace Lexie Leitner with the Marauders AGM." - Marlins GM

 

Cults are fun… mutinies, not so much

[Alex 3,253]

Davos knows all about this idea of sacrifices for Simon right @Ahma?

[Ahma 1,444]

5 hours ago, Alex said:

Davos knows all about this idea of sacrifices for Simon right @Ahma?

it has been a long time tradition in Davos indeed

[Thunder 1,205]

I’m pretty sure there was an exorcism that went on and definitely a little bit of brujaria.  The hex is on Saskatoon right now.  That’s gotta change.