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On-ice enforcers struggle to rise through the professional ranks of the world’s most prestigious hockey league, only to be confronted with a new found fight for the existence of the role itself.
“Hockey’s not just played on ice, hockey’s played on hormones.” – Howard Bloom, Author & Mass Behavior Expert, Ice Guardians.
Brett Harvey’s documentary “Ice Guardians” opens with a split in opinion: some folks think hockey brawls interrupt the games’ flow, others come purely for the bashed-in helmets and shattered noses. What’s hockey aboot? Is fighting just as much a part of hockey as the game itself? Do the players feel bad aboot it? Those are the central questions permeating the very Canadian study of hockey enforcers – the bulky guys hired to protect the stars of the team – and their struggles, both on ice, with the media, and ultimately with themselves. A bit too neatly/predictably structured – skimming through the players’ personal lives, split into many chapters, siding with its giant heroes every step of the way – the film is nevertheless eye-opening, because it examines the players’ “purpose” from many angles, but mostly due to the testimonies coming from the players themselves, massive fellows who prove to be quite fragile.
The aforementioned chapters speak for themselves. “Why Hockey?” inquires why hockey, of all sports, is defined by the number of teeth left on the ice. As it turns out, it’s the higher speed, players attacking each other “with a massive stick in your hand that could be used as a weapon”. As another player states, “the danger, the adrenaline level is far higher” than in other sports. The players seem to be drafted based on their physical self-preservation skills, lured in with the golden ticket into the NHL. “I waited by the phone all day,” remembers Todd Fedoruk, an NHL/AHL player (the difference between NHL/AHL is explained in the film), “and I got the call from the Philadelphia Flyers, and my father said, ‘Well, you’re their type of player, that’s for sure!” “Type” being bulky, eager and ready to punch.
“Welcome to the Jungle” delves into the enforcer’s responsibility: to protect his inmates, and, (in)advertently, instigate the one thing that keeps hockey truly compelling – the fighting. There’s no arguing the greats’ success: Wayne Gretzky would be nothing without his enforcers, particularly the beast-like Dave Semenko. It’s the aggression, the concussions, the broken teeth and limbs that come along and get the crowds cheering that raise ethical and moral questions. Some of the players do resemble brutes, trained dogs snarling at each other toothlessly on the ring – or, regarded from a different perspective, Vikings, six-foot-five gladiators, showcasing their skills in front of an adoring crowd. “It is the league’s responsibility to prevent cheap shots,” a neurosurgeon states, “as long as they follow the rules.” But where does one draw the line when the rules are blurry?
And so the documentary goes: “Power of Intimidation” reveals the power play dynamics within the game and how it’s built on dominance and fear; “The Beginning” goes back in time to the first-ever hockey game that ended in a fight; “Welcome to Broad Street” traces hockey’s past through the days of Philadelphia Flyers infusing it with overt testosterone; “Building a Warrior” scrutinizes the tactical aspects of a hockey fight… In “Injuries”, the players proudly showcase deep-purple knuckles, talk about popped shoulders, knocked-out teeth, and forehead gashes. The guys claim it doesn’t even hurt in the moment when all you see is red and adrenaline pumps through your veins. The emotional toll proves to be tougher to handle: anxious sweats, seeing your family after a bloody match, being embarrassed, getting knocked down, not wanting to let teammates down, the media’s scrutiny – and, of course, the term “goons,” to which the players seem averse.
“The enforcer is the most moral and ethical member of the tribe, because he is willing to go through such sacrifice,” argues Howard Bloom, the Mass Behavior Expert, but then he adds that it’s all about perspective: from within the group that’s what an enforcer is, but from the outside, they look like enemies or goons. “Ice Guardians” then delves into more interesting territory, comparing hockey and the roles of teammates in sports to the way we structure societies. It’s “the externalization of an old, emotional, deep human template,” says Bloom, referring to the roles of enforcers. It’s in our human nature to separate ourselves into certain roles within a group. It also happens to be in our nature to be mesmerized by violence, a “fundamental tribalism”, an exorcism of our demons, an “innate desire to see justice being done” without killing each other.
One can’t blame “Ice Guardians” for not being meticulous enough. Chapters like “Etiquette” show how such a thing can emerge “out of the chaos of hockey,”, and how there are rules, such as no sucker punching, no eye gouging, no breaking someone’s head through the ice. The doc also discusses substance abuse, and how the media tends to perceive their drug use and concussions as causes of the deaths in the NHL – but the filmmaker is too adoring to truly dwell on the dark side of things. Among my chief few niggles with the doc is its clear awe of the protagonists, as if it doesn’t dare to step into their shadows, in fear of being knocked out.
Candid tidbits from the players themselves form the heart of the “Ice Guardians”. NHL/AHL player Dave Schultz shares, “I didn’t start playing hockey to fight! That’s the last thing I would’ve thought of. But once you start… I was never able to stop.” “It’s really not the safest thing to be doing,” another player states, chuckling, “but that’s why there are only a few of us maniacs that do it.” “I used to wrap my hands in those chains and then go and whack trees,” yet another player states nonchalantly. Hockey fan and actor Jay Baruchel (who directed the hockey-themed “Goon”) pops up briefly to talk about momentum and its role in the game; he also dares you to “check your fucking pulse” if you don’t feel the hair on the back of your arms stand up when witnessing a hockey fight.
The “rags-to-riches” process is laid out in detail, the doc portraying what it takes to make it up the NHL ladder, when your sole role is to fight, and the repercussions of such a life. Kudos to Brett Harvey for both directing and shooting the doc, though it’s an odd jumble of styles: an in-your-face, biased, ESPN-like profile, clashing violently with a poignant, intimate study of what drives those “on-ice enforcers,” which casts a dark mirror to society. At 105 minutes, it’s also at least 20 minutes too long. If you’re not a hockey fan, this may prove to be as dry as the ice on the ring, but if you’re into the sport, you’ll want to get onto that ring with the “Ice Guardians.”
Available on VOD March 7th
