Legends aren91裸聊视频檛 born, they are made, built like a wall, one brick at a time.
More than 80 years have passed since the 1939 Trail Smoke Eaters won the World Hockey Championship, but they and their 1961 Smoke Eater counterparts will have the caps put on their respective stories in an upcoming documentary entitled, Trophy Town: Local Heroes, International Legends.
91裸聊视频淚 kind of look at this as a David and Goliath story repeating itself,91裸聊视频� said director/producer Robert Barrett. 91裸聊视频淭hese guys came from this exotic, beautiful, and remote place in Canada and in my mind they went overseas and kicked the baddest asses on the block in both cases.91裸聊视频�
The gold-medal wins by the 91裸聊视频�39 and 91裸聊视频�61 Smoke Eaters in Europe are well known to Silver City residents, but not necessarily common knowledge across Canada and beyond. The Toronto filmmakers, comprised of Barrett, writer/producer Dave Alexander, and cinematographer/cameraman David Cain, are trying to change all that and revisited Trail last month as part of their quest to share the unique and incredible stories with the rest of the world.
91裸聊视频淓veryone has been so ultra-supportive here, when they find out what we91裸聊视频檙e doing,91裸聊视频� said Barrett. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e been to all the restaurants - the Colander, the Arlington, the Beer Refinery - the bakery, the hotel, everywhere so our whole journey and stay here has been wonderful.91裸聊视频�
The documentarians also enjoyed a Trail Smoke Eaters game first hand, and attended the Trail vs Nanaimo Clippers tilt on Oct. 18, a match that drew more than 2,400 fans.
91裸聊视频淗ockey in Trail is like 91裸聊视频楩riday night lights91裸聊视频�, where football in the states is everything, in Canada it91裸聊视频檚 hockey. I was really impressed and felt emotional about being there on Friday night, and seeing families getting together and old timers having a beer, shooting the breeze, and watching hockey, and kids in the stands dancing and being silly. It91裸聊视频檚 a community centre, it91裸聊视频檚 the hub of Trail. So how do you place value on that?91裸聊视频�
The assistance of the Silver City91裸聊视频檚 curator Sarah Benson-Lord and videographer Eric Gonzalez have been indispensable for the making of Trophy Town, as have the many players, coaches, wives and Trail residents interviewed.
The 90-minute film will feature the Smoke Eaters91裸聊视频� stories, but also a variety of topics that include its rich sporting legacy, the landscape and the people that contributed to make Trail, The Home of Champions.
91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 worm-holes left, right, and centre that we go down and we explore and that91裸聊视频檚 what kind of gives it texture,91裸聊视频� said Barrett. 91裸聊视频淎ny time you91裸聊视频檙e making a film you91裸聊视频檙e looking for texture and perspectives and this thing91裸聊视频檚 loaded with that.91裸聊视频�
The crew met with members of the 91裸聊视频�61 Smoke Eaters at the Rex Hotel last month, celebrating Norm Lenardon91裸聊视频檚 86th birthday over a beer, with two cameras on hand to document the memorable event.
91裸聊视频淭hese guys are blue-collar, humble, hard working guys who like to have a beer, they are full of humility, quiet and confident 91裸聊视频� but they are dragon slayers.91裸聊视频�
Barrett first conjured the idea of a documentary after talking to his friend, Stephen Sweeting, who had visited Trail to appraise its museum91裸聊视频檚 collection in Sept. 2018. Sweeting was so impressed with the sporting archives and excess of Trail sporting awards, he told Barrett. The more the director and his writer looked at it, the more the rich colours and texture of Trail91裸聊视频檚 history revealed itself.
91裸聊视频淲e became intrigued, and as a filmmaker, it sounds like it91裸聊视频檚 got good bones to be able to tell a story,91裸聊视频� said Barrett. 91裸聊视频淭he more myself and my writer started exploring it as a story and digging more, it had all these crazy twists and turns and all these amazing characters.91裸聊视频�
Longtime Trail historian, John D91裸聊视频橝rcangelo, author of the anthology A Trail to Remember, was also interviewed alongside Terry Brennan, whose father Mickey played on the 91裸聊视频�39 Smoke Eaters.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 an excellent idea,91裸聊视频� said D91裸聊视频橝rcangelo. 91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 overdue, and I91裸聊视频檓 glad they91裸聊视频檙e doing this because it91裸聊视频檚 a remarkable story, both teams.91裸聊视频�
The 91裸聊视频�39 Smoke Eaters played 72 games in Europe, in the months leading up to the second World War. They defeated Nazi Germany twice in Berlin in games that had Swastikas decorating flags and programs. In 1961, Trail faced off against the Soviet Union91裸聊视频檚 Red Army team at the height of the Cold War, and beat them soundly.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a huge feat,91裸聊视频� added Barrett. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e playing against trained soldiers. These (Trail) guys worked in a plant by day, and scored goals at night.91裸聊视频�
The Smoke Eaters legacy and influence goes well beyond the bounds of southeastern BC and D91裸聊视频橝rcangelo and Brennan were integral in fleshing out additional storylines for the filmmakers.
In particular, that of Trail WWII pilot Steve Saprunoff, whose Smoke Eaters sweater that was given to him by Mickey Brennan, may have saved his life.
A former mascot and stick-boy for the Smoke Eaters, Saprunoff91裸聊视频檚 plane was shot down over Germany in 1944, and the young man became a prisoner of war. His fate changed when a German prison guard noticed the Smoke Eaters jersey he wore under his flight jacket for luck.
The guard was a huge hockey fan and had watched the Smoke Eaters play Team Germany in Berlin in December of 1938. He smuggled food to Saprunoff, who survived the ordeal and returned to Trail after the war.
Another Trail hockey figure, Mike Buckna, became the father of Czech hockey and coached the Czech national team, the only team to score against Trail at the 91裸聊视频�39 championship.
91裸聊视频�(Anatoli) Tarasov, the father of Russian hockey, called the 91裸聊视频�39 Smoke Eaters one of the greatest teams, amateur or professional he91裸聊视频檚 ever seen, and he patterned his team after their style of teamwork, passing and possession of the puck,91裸聊视频� added D91裸聊视频橝rcangelo.
91裸聊视频淭he inspiring story of Trail is just remarkable, when you consider it91裸聊视频檚 only made up of about 10,000 people. What a team can do with a hard work ethic and team play and pride and confidence.91裸聊视频�
The accomplishments are considerable, considering that many of the Trail players were Cominco employees with families, who played senior hockey more for enjoyment than a grasp at fame or fortune.
91裸聊视频淭hat compounds it, they worked a whole shift at Cominco which wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be easy, and then go and practice,91裸聊视频� said D91裸聊视频橝rcangelo. 91裸聊视频淎nd in the case of Bobby Kromm, I was around in those days watching their practices, he worked them diligently. He worked them into great condition and Normy (Lenardon) told me in the final game against the Russians going into that third period they felt confident they could hold on and win because they were in great shape.91裸聊视频�
The additional interviews are many and varied, and include talking to 91裸聊视频�61 Smoke Eater goalie Seth Martin91裸聊视频檚 wife Bev, who offered an insightful perspective from the spouses. Barrett also had the pleasure of interviewing Olympian Gordie Robertson before he passed, former Trail Times editors Bruce Hogle and Murray Grieg, and Trail native and former NHLer Cesare Maniago.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a very much Canadian story,91裸聊视频� said Barrett. 91裸聊视频淭he 91裸聊视频�39 and 91裸聊视频�61 Smokies are our two pillar pieces within it. All the other pieces will get woven into the historical winds, adventures, and journeys.91裸聊视频�
The documentary is expected to be completed next year, with hopes of playing at the Toronto International Film Festival.
91裸聊视频淚 think it91裸聊视频檚 one of the most amazing stories in Canada.91裸聊视频�
sports@trailtimes.ca
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