Any really good hockey documentaries?

[Brodie]

Hey HoH!

I've been out of the loop on the NHL for a while. The last lockout really dented my interest, the Wings descent into mediocrity didn't help. However the past two years worth of awesome playoffs have pulled me back in and now I'm looking for content!

I just finished my third watch through of Ken Burns' baseball series and I would love to watch a cool history of hockey doc. I know there's nothing out there with quite the level of intensity Burns brings, but anything remotely comparable would be of interest. Thanks!

 

[Kyle McMahon]

Legends of Hockey (produced by TSN in the mid-90s) is the closest thing I have seen to a Ken Burns-style hockey documentary. It has probably been 20 years since I watched it, but it was excellent as I recall.

 

[BigBadBruins7708]

History of the Boston Bruins - a full in depth history from the beginning put together by NESN. Many interviews from countless former players and lots of archived footage going back to the 30s

Part 1




Part 2




Bobby Orr and the Big Bad Bruins

 

[Thedogo]

Ice Guardians a documentary about enforcers and fighting on Netflix really really good!

 

[Pominville Knows]

'Hockey-A Peoples History' is like 10x45 minutes long and each segment is generally about one decade from the game's inception. The first ones are more than one decade becouse of i guess a lack of video from back then, although they use actors to portray it instead.
Its overall good although the european part of the game gets less attention, possibly or perhaps probably due to the series theme being about the birth of Canada and the game of hockey there.

 

[tony d]

Yeah, "Legends Of Hockey" is probably the best hockey documentary.

 

[Brodie]

Thanks for all the suggestions!

'Hockey-A Peoples History' is like 10x45 minutes long and each segment is generally about one decade from the game's inception. The first ones are more than one decade becouse of i guess a lack of video from back then, although they use actors to portray it instead.
Its overall good although the european part of the game gets less attention, possibly or perhaps probably due to the series theme being about the birth of Canada and the game of hockey there.

This is very "Baseball"esque... clearly heavily influenced by it!

 

[greyraven8]

Like others, Hockey A People's History is the first thing that comes to mind.


The ones below are more time/topic specific but might also interest you.

Remember the book more than the movie but Net Worth might be worth a view for you:


Saw 'Red Army' at a local film festival years ago. Liked it then. Extended preview here (out on dvd and other):


Haven't watched this yet but loved his 'Tropic of Hockey' book:

 

[NyQuil]

I really liked Ken Dryden’s home game.







Ken Dryden's Home Game - Episode 4

Ken Dryden's Home Game - Episode 5

Ken Dryden's Home Game - Episode 6

 

[Pominville Knows]

This is a documentary made by Sweden's national broadcaster SVT, something right up their alley becouse it is about a communist regime's hockey program centered around the soviet team of the eighties. It contains english subtitles and i'm sure there are some interviews in english there as well, Larionov for example.

 

[ted2019]

I loved watching Net worth and the Red Army documentary. There is also the NHL Network Alex Mogilny special about when he left the team and tried to sneak out of the country. Don Luce still looked terrified when talking about it.

 

[Pominville Knows]

Thanks for all the suggestions!




This is very "Baseball"esque... clearly heavily influenced by it!

I would not know, aside from that I for some reason come to think of the Winter Classic thing they used to do going into it. Good pulse there.
Still, the series is sound even including the first episode's speculation about the game's roots which still to this day is somewhat of mystery although that probably is much due to the monstrous wild winter that faced the europeans in their new country, so too few records remains. But they did mention Bandy which is probably much of the right ticket to go. Another matter that that game then evolved in its own way paralleled to ice hockey. Obviously the canadian version then came back over the ocean to start yet another new type that is sometimes referred to as 'big ice hockey' and we have guys like Bibi Torriani, Mike Buckna, Vsevolod Bobrov, Ulf Sterner, Valery Kharlamov, Börje Salming, Jari Kurri, Peter Forsberg and Erik Karlsson to show for it.

 

[Big Phil]

I'll agree with Legends of Hockey. How about "A Year in the Life of the NHL" from 1998? It was a 6 part series. Loved it. Another one-off was in 1996 called "Forever Rivals" between the Canadiens and the Maple Leafs. I loved it and it is still on YouTube. It was really touching seeing the clips from the closing of the Forum. One of the big things that came up there was during the next expansion that the Habs and Leafs ought to be in the same division. Everyone seemed to agree with that.

 

[The Wizard of Oz]

As a Wings fan I recommend Red Army and there’s also a brand new Russian Five documentary I haven’t seen yet still in local theaters.

 

[Jim MacDonald]

Ice Guardians a documentary about enforcers and fighting on Netflix really really good!

I second this on Ice Guardians! Very very good!

 

[shello]

Another vote for hockey a people's history

 

[The Panther]

It won't surprise anyone that The Boys on the Bus (1987) is my favorite. It's really a remarkably insightful look at the Oilers in their glory-days. Very intimate portrait from 'documentarians' who spent time with the team in 1986 (fully expecting them to win the Cup...but they didn't) and through 1986-87 (when they got the Cup back).

Sadly, the documentary is also notable today as being in painful opposition to the franchise's current trainwreck status.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

 

[sabremike]

 

[Cursed Lemon]

The Russian Five film is pretty excellent.