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91ƵThere was no holding back91Ƶ: Prime Video91Ƶs NHL reality series debuts Friday

6-part 91ƵFACEOFF: Inside the NHL91Ƶ docuseries is a behind-the-scenes sports showcase
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Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (74) and forward Connor McDavid (97) react after losing to the Florida Panthers in game 7 of the NHL Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Monday, June 24, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Connor McDavid stands in the middle of the locker room.

The Edmonton Oilers captain91Ƶs voice rises as he emphatically calls on teammates to give more. His passionate, expletive-laden message 91Ƶ a side rarely, if ever, seen publicly from the superstar centre 91Ƶ reflects the level of urgency in his team91Ƶs Stanley Cup quest.

Edmonton has just lost Game 2 of the final to fall behind the Florida Panthers 2-0 in the title series.

91ƵNot (expletive) good enough,91Ƶ McDavid says in a tirade that includes 14 f-bombs in 45 seconds.

A camera was there to capture the moment 91Ƶ albeit one partially obstructed by an Oilers staff member holding up a black curtain 91Ƶ and plenty more across the NHL last season.

The six-part 91ƵFACEOFF: Inside the NHL91Ƶ docuseries debuts Friday, a behind-the-scenes sports showcase from Prime Video.

McDavid91Ƶs group would indeed 91Ƶdig in91Ƶ as he implored, battling back from a 3-0 deficit to force Game 7 in a memorable series with massive momentum swings, but ultimately fell short in a slugfest that ended in tears in the bowels of Florida91Ƶs Amerant Bank Arena last June.

91ƵIt91Ƶs so (expletive) hard,91Ƶ a member of the Oilers says in the raw, immediate aftermath before the cameras are ordered to leave following the gut-wrenching loss.

Unlike past NHL reality endeavours that largely focused on teams, this show aims to bring viewers closer to hockey91Ƶs stars on and off the ice than ever before.

McDavid and a pair of teammates, Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman, feature prominently. The same goes for Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander, Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes, Boston Bruins sniper David Pastrnak, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and a host of other big names.

91ƵYou91Ƶre getting a series that, for the first time, probably has buy-in from everyone,91Ƶ Hyman said in a recent interview. 91ƵEverybody wants to open the doors and show you what91Ƶs under the hood, which has not really been done before.91Ƶ

The players have seen their episodes 91Ƶ an Amazon project in conjunction with Box to Box Films, the company behind a long list of all-access sports series, including Netflix91Ƶs 91ƵFormula 1: Drive to Survive91Ƶ 91Ƶ but Hyman doesn91Ƶt think he will ever watch the finale.

91ƵYou lived through it,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵIt91Ƶll be really interesting for fans to see an inside look into what it91Ƶs like to go through that journey and to ultimately fall just short.

91ƵPretty devastating 91Ƶ and the cameras have access to all of that.91Ƶ

NHL players have historically guarded their privacy, but Hyman said the goal was to show the personalities and life at home in an effort to entertain established fans and attract new ones.

91ƵI hope that for newcomers to the sport, they91Ƶll have an appreciation for how difficult it is to win a Stanley Cup,91Ƶ Hyman said. 91ƵHow guys react with their team, how teammates react on the bench, different elements that are really interesting. Hopefully it encourages new people to come in and to actually watch this upcoming season.

91ƵAnd then for hockey fans, it gives you another layer to understand what91Ƶs really happening behind the scenes and appreciate the game even more.91Ƶ

Hughes said his only worry about the series, which came together quickly following February91Ƶs NHL all-star game, was it being a distraction for teammates.

Those concerns put to rest, he was all-in.

91ƵWhen I heard the other guys that were doing, it91Ƶs like, 91ƵHow am I going to say no?91Ƶ91Ƶ said Hughes, whose episode is shared with Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog and New York Rangers counterpart Jacob Trouba. 91ƵIt91Ƶs cool to put yourself out there and try different things.91Ƶ

Nashville Predators forward Filip Forsberg said he never watched F1 racing until 91ƵDrive to Survive.91Ƶ Now hooked, he expects the NHL91Ƶs plunge will attract similar uninitiated audiences.

91ƵWe live a phenomenal life, don91Ƶt get me wrong,91Ƶ said Forsberg, who shared his episode with Vegas Golden Knights centre Jack Eichel. 91ƵBut there91Ƶs also a big grind.91Ƶ

Hyman said learning about athletes away from their crafts has similarly drawn him to other all-access series.

91ƵYou get to see who people really are,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵIt may not be the whole picture 91Ƶ you may be getting a version of that person 91Ƶ but at least you get a little bit more.91Ƶ

Hyman added that while the series zeroes in on individuals, hockey91Ƶs team aspect plays a prominent role.

91ƵA lot of it91Ƶs focused on (McDavid),91Ƶ he said of the two episodes featuring Edmonton. 91ƵYou91Ƶre watching his journey through the playoffs, but it91Ƶs ultimately our team91Ƶs journey.91Ƶ

Including those electric, painful and soul-revealing moments in the final.

91ƵThere was no holding back,91Ƶ Hyman said. 91ƵYou guys are going to see what it was like post-Game 7, what it was like during different parts of the series. As a fan, it91Ƶs a roller-coaster. As a player, when you91Ƶre in it, it91Ƶs emotionally a difficult journey.

91ƵTo come up short was really hard.91Ƶ

Viewers are poised to get a front-row seat.





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