If you haven’t heard about the documentary called “Ice Guardians” I encourage you to take a minute and watch the trailer above. Ice Guardians, produced by local filmmaker Adam Scorgie, is a documentary that takes us into the lives of a few hockey players that performed, arguably, the toughest job in the NHL. In this article we’re going to talk about the film, and also give you an opportunity to win tickets to the Edmonton premiere.
Fighting is the one major thing that separates NHL culture from that of other mainstream professional sports. Although you could argue that there are sometimes scraps in other leagues, fighting in the MLB, NBA and NFL is rare, and when a slap-fight does occur it is usually followed with fines and suspensions. As a result, there is more room for fake tough guys, trash talk, and shenanigans in other sports because the players know that there won’t be any physical consequences. Ice Guardians aims to look at the culture of self policing and what exactly does it mean to be a professional fighter.
WHAT IS ICE GUARDIANS?
For years we’ve all heard stories about NHL players policing themselves on the ice. Player A gets chippy and player B tells him to settle down or one of his teammates will get it. It’s a part of hockey that we’ve all grown accustomed to. As a result of that culture, the fighter role was born and thrived for decades. These days, fighting in hockey faces scrutiny from journalists, bloggers, TV pundits, and seemingly every fan in between. While opinions on the topic are certainly varied, there are still many fans that still feel fighting has a place in hockey.
Aside from keeping order and potentially injuring an opponent what purpose does fighting really serve? What about the players that are actually filling the role and actually getting punched in the face? Ice Guardians profiles several NHL legends in order to give us all a taste of what is really happening on the ice, bringing us closer to what it actually means to do the job and whether or not it’s still important, and if the position will survive.
Exploring one of the most controversial and provocative positions in the history of sport, ‘Ice Guardians’ journeys into the lives of those who perform what is undoubtedly the toughest job within the National Hockey League today, the enforcer. Very few understand this position and even fewer appreciate what is involved in becoming one. 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. Through their eyes, tough exteriors are shed to reveal the humanity behind a role that struggles to maintain its existence.
Ice Guardians examines both sides of the fighting argument, including the concussion controversy that we’ve all been reading about in the media. It focuses on the people behind the controversy, why they do this job, and what it means to fight on NHL ice. Needless to say, this is a premiere that you’re going to want to go see, and if you want to make that happen you have to act quickly as tickets are selling out. The details you need:
When: September 15th at 7:00pm
Where: Metro Cinema (8712 – 109th Street NW)
What Else? Drinks provided by Russian Standard & Big Rock
WIN YOUR WAY IN!
The fine folks at Ice Guardians have given us a few pairs tickets to give away, and I wanted to make a contest that is as wide open as possible. Above you will see the video from one of my favourite fights of all time. While many of you may not remember Mike Bishai, this man provided me with a memory that I will not soon forget. There’s just something about a good scrap that gets the cylinders firing, ya know?
If you want to be entered to win a pair of tickets to the Edmonton premiere of Ice Guardians all I’m asking you to do is tell me about your favourite fight of all time. When was the fight? Who was in it? From there you’ll head over to HockeyFights.com to find the scrap you’re talking about and post the link in the comments below for the rest of us to enjoy. Furthermore, I want to know why the fight you chose is your favourite, and what you think of the fighting role in general?
From there, we will select six random people (later this afternoon) to win a pair of tickets to the Ice Guardians premiere on September 15th. We will then list the winners in this article and have you contact us to make arrangements for your tickets. We will also have two more pairs to give away on Twitter and Instagram so keep your eye on social media for that. Sound simple enough? Excellent.
———————————-TICKET WINNERS———————————————–
1. Bardownbrown
2. MeteoChef
3. Rhettimus1
4. Oil Is In My Blood
5. Nifty-007
6. KL9
Congrats to all the winners! Please email your full name and phone number to chris@oilersnation.com to claim your pair of tickets. Stay tuned for more Ice Guardian ticket giveaways!
