‘Hockey 24’ documentary a welcome return to Canada’s signature game
TORONTO — When Scotiabank asked Canadians to share video snippets of community hockey across the country Nov. 17, it hoped to capture something special.
But it had no idea that hockey — like almost all other sports — would be on hold due to the global pandemic when the finished “Hockey 24” documentary was ready to show.
For Clinton Braganza, Scotiabank’s chief marketing officer, the 90-minute documentary billed as “a film by Canada” resonates louder as a result. “This is much much more than just a hockey documentary,” he said in an interview. “What we actually found is, as much as these are stories about hockey, you’ll find that these are actually stories about Canadians and humanity — and the life lessons that hockey teaches its players, whether it’s inclusion, whether it’s hard work, whether it’s team work, whether it’s dedication,” he added.
Scotiabank asked Canadians to submit home videos and photos from Nov. 17 that demonstrated their love of hockey. And it sent out 25 documentary film crews to add to that footage. The result is a homage to hockey — and the role it plays in Canadian life.
It is a chronological look at the day. The 12 minutes made available to the media before the full film airs May 24 on TV (it will also be available May 25 on the Hot Docs website) documents the time-honoured ritual of families getting up early to go to the rink.
It’s full of coffee, yawns and the anticipation of hitting the ice, not to mention the worker who fires up the lights at the neighbourhood rink.
“If I’m not here working and not here watching or not here coaching, I’m at home watching (hockey),” explains Dean Bevan, supervisor of Galt Arena Gardens in Cambridge, which dates back to 1922. “It’s something you love to do, then it’s not a job.”
One of the many stories told is that of courageous Quinn Kinsella, a member of Ontario’s Flamborough Sabres who has cystic fibrosis — the most common fatal genetic disease affecting Canadian children and young adults. Hearing Ryan Kinsella, Quinn’s father, describe his nine-year-old son’s frustration at the disease tugs at your heart. But hockey is his son’s haven. “You would never know Quinn has cystic fibrosis. He lives a daily life like every other kid,” said Greg Large, his coach. “As a coach it makes you feel so good the things that he can accomplish on the ice and off the ice. And, when you see him, it makes you proud that you’re part of his life.”
The documentary also tells stories from the LGBTQ community, new Canadians and those with physical disabilities, among others.
There is some Scotiabank branding in the film through the likes of “Scotiabank Teammates” Cassie Campbell-Pascall, Natalie Spooner and ex-Toronto Maple Leafs Lanny McDonald and Darcy Tucker.