Indigenous characters at centre ice in ‘Shoresy’
‘Letterkenny’ spinoff tells story about minor league hockey with inclusion and collaboration
“Shoresy,” the much-anticipated “Letterkenny” spinoff, is first and foremost a love letter to scrappy minor league hockey teams and it is also rich with Indigenous representation.
And it was important that the show, which premieres Friday on Crave, get both elements right.
“It’s good for (everyone) to see a Canadian hockey TV show based in Sudbury, Ont., with many Indigenous characters and players on the team because we don’t all live on reserves in the middle of nowhere,” said Jordan Nolan.
Besides portraying an Indigenous player on the Sudbury Bulldogs senior hockey team in “Shoresy,” Jordan is one of the 3Nolans, running First Nations hockey schools across Canada with his brother, Brandon, and father, Ted, a former NHL player and coach.
The lead of the series is Jared Keeso, taking his Shoresy character from “Letterkenny,” the hit Crave TV comedy he created, writes and executive produces, to the spinoff, in which he tries to rebuild the hapless Bulldogs into a winning team.
Many of the Bulldogs players and management are Indigenous and played by Indigenous actors, including Harlan Blayne Kytwayhat, Keilani Rose, Blair Lamora, and former professional hockey players Jon Mirasty, and Jordan and Brandon Nolan.
Keeso himself is a former junior hockey player who’s still deeply immersed in the sport.
“(Keeso) wakes up every morning and watches hockey fights from all over the world,” said Jacob Tierney, an executive producer and director on “Shoresy” as well as a producer, director and writer on “Letterkenny.”
“He’ll ask me ‘Did you see this fight in Kazakhstan?’ Of course I didn’t. Nobody has but you,” said Tierney.
Keeso and his team tapped into the experiences of the former pro hockey players in the cast for details from how the fisticuffs unfolded to how the locker room looked.
For Brandon Nolan, a former OHL all-star who played briefly in the NHL, taking part in “Shoresy” aligned with the 3Nolans’ goal to inspire Indigenous youth.
“Growing up we looked up to the players playing in the NHL, like Chris Simon or guys who paved the way like Fred Sasakamoose,” he said. “For us, it’s really just about inspiring the next generation, whether that’s acting, hockey or in any profession.”
Kytwayhat, always a fan of “Letterkenny,” is thrilled to be part of the show’s universe.
He was introduced to “Letterkenny” by his uncle, who fittingly showed him a YouTube compilation of Shoresy clips. In “Shoresy,” Kytwayhat plays the titular character’s best friend.
The new series shares the original’s hallmark rapid-fire dialogue and unusual speech patterns, but Keeso and Tierney wanted to offer audiences something different.
With “Shoresy,” “we’re telling a story. We’re building momentum” with a clear beginning, middle and end.
Another familiar name attached to the spinoff is Kaniehtiio Horn, Tanis in “Letterkenny,” but here she’s behind the scenes as a consulting producer, her first time in that role.
She ensured “Shoresy” didn’t play into Indigenous stereotypes, passing the new Indigenous characters through the “smell test,” as Tierney called it.
“She’s one of the smartest people that both of us know,” said Tierney. “She’s invested in her community in these issues in a very serious way, but she’s also invested in storytelling and filmmaking in the same serious way.”
Kytwayhat called Horn “Auntie” on set.
“I talked to her a bunch before we actually got there, questions about acting, being on set or the protocols, and she was really great,” said Brandon Nolan.
The inclusion and collaboration of “Shoresy” was meaningful to both the cast and production team.
“There’s something different about this show because it’s a show about hockey,” said Horn.
“Hockey involves everybody in Canada, and Indigenous people were a huge part of the landscape of hockey and a huge part of the landscape of Canada. (‘Shoresy’) lets us just be that. There’s no statements being made.
“Whether or not these Indigenous characters are from the rez or from the city, they’re just there,” Horn said. “And that’s revolutionary in its own right.”
“SHORESY” DEBUTS FRIDAY ON CRAVE.