"FLY ON THE WALL"

INT. UNITED CENTER - THURSDAY MORNING

DALE TALLON
Savvy, get in here.

DENIS SAVARD
Yeah, Dale?

DALE
What's this I'm reading about that Khabibulin guy being in goal last night? What about that other fella' I brought in here? The French one.

DENIS
But Dale, we won the game! Nikolai made 29 saves!

Tallon rubs his chin, shakes his head. He sighs deeply.

DENIS
What else could you possibly want from me?

DALE
Well I don't know. Scotty, what do you think?

SCOTTY BOWMAN
Fire him.

DENIS
WHAT?!

Tallon shrugs his shoulders.

DALE
Sorry, Savvy. You know how it is.

DENIS
But we're only four games into the season! You can't be serious! We were three freaking points away from making the playoffs last year!

Tallon looks over to Bowman.

DALE
Scotty? A little help here?

SCOTTY
Fire him.

Tallon looks back to Savard, points to the door.

DALE
You heard the man.

Savard walks toward the door.

DENIS
This is unbelievable. What do you think you're going to do now? Who could you possibly bring in?

Door FLIES OPEN.

JOEL QUENNEVILLE
Am I late?

DENIS
What the hell are you doing here? I thought you were just some part-time scout now.

Quenneville HICCUPS, waves his hand in front of his mouth.

JOEL
Nope. I'm your replacement, dickhead.

DENIS
What? Have you even committed to the Indian yet?

Quenneville HICCUPS again. Savard winces.

DENIS
What is that? Bourbon?

DALE
We're going in a new direction, Savvy. This guy's been a winner in St. Louis, Colorado, and he just doesn't have any baggage.

DENIS
But he just got a D.U.I.! Last month! For driving without his freaking headlights on!

DALE
Yeah, well ...

Quenneville VOMITS in trash can, wipes mouth with sleeve.

SCOTTY
Make him leave.

Tallon places hand on Savard's shoulder.

DALE
I can walk you out if you'd like.

DENIS
But he hasn't even committed to the Indian! I thought you guys loved that stuff.

Door FLIES OPEN.

JOHN MCDONOUGH
Woo hoo! We're on our way now!

DENIS
John, how could you do this to me? He didn't commit to the Indian!

JOHN
Savvy, Savvy, Savvy. Don't worry. We loved that whole thing where you got pissed last year and pushed the jerseys ... It was all great. Really, it was.

DENIS
But?

JOHN
But we're going in a new direction. Don't worry though. You'll always be a part of the family.

Door FLIES OPEN.

ROCKY WIRTZ

Did you tell him yet?

JOHN
Yeah, just broke the news.

ROCKY
How ya' feelin', Denny?

DENIS
Miserable. I didn't even see this coming. It's almost as though you took somebody very close to me and slashed their throat with a skate, and I'm now watching them bleed to death all over a fresh sheet of ice, gasping for air and looking to me for help and all I'm able to do is——

Door FLIES OPEN.

TOMMY HAWK
Can I finally take this fucking thing off?

ROCKY
Sure. Give it to Denny here. He should probably see if it will fit.

Tommy Hawk removes headgear.

BOBBY HULL
God damn ... Hot as a cunt in that thing.

DENIS
You're making me the fucking mascot?

ROCKY
Hey, Denny, do we need to remind you ...

ROCKY, BOBBY, DALE and JOHN
(in unison)
YOU COMMITTED TO THE INDIAN!

Quenneville VOMITS in trash can again.

SCOTTY
Get him out of here.

DENIS
You're talking about him, right?

Savard points to Quenneville, still bent over trash can. Bowman shakes his head "NO."