By Joel Smart (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: November 30, 2011
When the final horn sounded, there was a moment of sweet relief. The Canucks had managed to sweep their road trip. Back-up goaltender Cory Schneider had picked up back-to-back shut outs, and then went on to an astonishing 43-save performance against a determined San Jose Sharks team that was out for revenge. The final weekend of November was a Canucks fan’s dream, but in the chaotic beauty of it all they might have missed something; on Friday, November 25, HBO began the season preview for 24/7 Flyers/Rangers: Road to the Winter Classic. Though the matchup might not excite Canucks fans, with a little imagination it becomes clear – a Canucks version is absolutely necessary.
Last year’s series, which followed the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals, was a high quality, unfiltered documentary-style look into the lives of the players – and into the game. Viewers saw the lives of their favourite players at home, as well as followed them on a road trip – even catching some of the pranks teammates played on each other. When it came to game time, 24/7 put the viewer into the locker room. It was no longer a guessing game for fans as to what players said to each other to get into game mode, or what the coach would say to motivate his team.
“We start with a blank canvas and we have no idea of the storylines that will unfold,” explained HBO sports executive producer Rick Bernstein to nhl.com. “That’s what makes it exciting for all of us. Having that access and taking the fan into the locker room, taking them home, this is something I don’t think hockey fans had ever seen before – let alone fans of other sports. When have you ever seen this type of access in the locker room of another sport than what they gave us for 24/7? It was unprecedented.”
One of the neatest points in last year’s series was a moment where a player was cut on the ice. Instead of a quick shot of the player heading to the dressing room as fans so often see during a televised game, 24/7 followed the player into a room deep within the stadium, capturing every moment as he was stitched up by a team medic. Another series highlight: viewers got access to upper-level meetings between the coaches and general manager.
For Canucks fans, this could be an incredible look into the organization that they spend so much time thinking about. How fascinating would it have been to see Vigneault’s message to his team after the first period 1-1 tie against the Sharks – or to see what Canuck had words for his teammates? I know a number of Canucks fans would also love to see each player go out Christmas shopping for their families – a highlight from last season’s series.
The only important decision left, then, would be to decide which team to see the Canucks face off against in the series. Three choices seem obvious: The Calgary Flames, the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins. HBO would almost certainly scrap the idea of following two Canadian teams, because that loses the entire American audience. Although the final meeting between the Bruins and the Canucks was epic, it just doesn’t match the same-conference rivalry between the Canucks and the Blackhawks. Though HBO might opt to film a Blackhawk’s 24/7 with an original-six matchup against the Detroit Redwings instead, for Canucks fans the dream of such an incredible series still makes the fantasy worth imagining. As a bonus, it would likely give us something new to obsess over, instead of the seemingly never-ending Luongo-versus-Schneider saga. Dare to dream big! 24/7 Canucks/Blackhawks: Road to the Winter Classic.
