In a little over a week, the documentary Ice Guardians will be available on video on demand. Love it or hate it, fighting has been integral part of hockey since the first blades were strapped the feet of players.
Ce Guardians documents the role of the enforcer in hockey and features players every hockey fan will know.
As the voice-over of the trailer reminds us all, there are two camps when it comes to fighting. One is populated with those for whom fighting is an arcane and troubling remnant of the sport from the 1970’s. The era of fighting for the sake of fighting and entertainment.
The other camp dominated by those who believe there is a role for fighting in the form of the enforcer. Would Wayne Gretsky have been able to skate as freely as he did without a shadow following him around the ice? Touch the Great One, just touch him and the wrath of Marty McSorley would be coming.
The inherent conflict between the desire for the purity of the sport and the absolute need for the enforcer to protect the most vial assets of the club are diametrically opposed to each other and crucial to the survival of the sport long-term.
Lose your star and you lose your fan base.
From director Brett Harvey, Ice Guardians explores the most controversial and provocative of positions in the history the National Hockey League, the enforcer.
Ice Guardians was written by Harvey and Scott Dodds and features interviews with NHL greats such as Dave “The Hammer” Schultz, Clark Gillies and Dave Semenko.
Very few understand this position and even fewer appreciate what is involved in becoming one.
Image courtesy of Michael.Johnson@prohockeynews.com
Watch a clip of the documentary
It’s a punishing profession unlike any other, holding little mercy for its candidates on or off the ice.
Born out of self-policing a game where 200=pound men fly towards each other on metal blades with sticks, the role now finds itself facing the scrutiny of national newspapers, on-line blogs and TV news casts.
Due to its violent nature, it has drawn opinions from both fans and critics alike. But what do we really know? What led to its spectacular rise? What purpose does it serve in the eyes of its beholders and what drives them forward in the face of adversity?
Ice Guardians steps beyond the hype and heads directly to the source of the debate… the players themselves.
Watch a clip of the documentary
Through their eyes, tough exteriors are shed to reveal the humanity behind a role that struggles to maintain its existence.
Ice Guardians hits VOD March 7 from Upstream Flix.
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