Legends arenB次元官网网址檛 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.
B次元官网网址淚 kind of look at this as a David and Goliath story repeating itself,B次元官网网址� said director/producer Robert Barrett. B次元官网网址淭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.B次元官网网址�
The gold-medal wins by the B次元官网网址�39 and B次元官网网址�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.
B次元官网网址淓veryone has been so ultra-supportive here, when they find out what weB次元官网网址檙e doing,B次元官网网址� said Barrett. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝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.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淗ockey in Trail is like B次元官网网址楩riday night lightsB次元官网网址�, where football in the states is everything, in Canada itB次元官网网址檚 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. ItB次元官网网址檚 a community centre, itB次元官网网址檚 the hub of Trail. So how do you place value on that?B次元官网网址�
The assistance of the Silver CityB次元官网网址檚 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 EatersB次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 worm-holes left, right, and centre that we go down and we explore and thatB次元官网网址檚 what kind of gives it texture,B次元官网网址� said Barrett. B次元官网网址淎ny time youB次元官网网址檙e making a film youB次元官网网址檙e looking for texture and perspectives and this thingB次元官网网址檚 loaded with that.B次元官网网址�
The crew met with members of the B次元官网网址�61 Smoke Eaters at the Rex Hotel last month, celebrating Norm LenardonB次元官网网址檚 86th birthday over a beer, with two cameras on hand to document the memorable event.
B次元官网网址淭hese guys are blue-collar, humble, hard working guys who like to have a beer, they are full of humility, quiet and confident B次元官网网址� but they are dragon slayers.B次元官网网址�
Barrett first conjured the idea of a documentary after talking to his friend, Stephen Sweeting, who had visited Trail to appraise its museumB次元官网网址檚 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 TrailB次元官网网址檚 history revealed itself.
B次元官网网址淲e became intrigued, and as a filmmaker, it sounds like itB次元官网网址檚 got good bones to be able to tell a story,B次元官网网址� said Barrett. B次元官网网址淭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.B次元官网网址�
Longtime Trail historian, John DB次元官网网址橝rcangelo, author of the anthology A Trail to Remember, was also interviewed alongside Terry Brennan, whose father Mickey played on the B次元官网网址�39 Smoke Eaters.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 an excellent idea,B次元官网网址� said DB次元官网网址橝rcangelo. B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 overdue, and IB次元官网网址檓 glad theyB次元官网网址檙e doing this because itB次元官网网址檚 a remarkable story, both teams.B次元官网网址�
The B次元官网网址�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 UnionB次元官网网址檚 Red Army team at the height of the Cold War, and beat them soundly.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a huge feat,B次元官网网址� added Barrett. B次元官网网址淭heyB次元官网网址檙e playing against trained soldiers. These (Trail) guys worked in a plant by day, and scored goals at night.B次元官网网址�
The Smoke Eaters legacy and influence goes well beyond the bounds of southeastern BC and DB次元官网网址橝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, SaprunoffB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址�39 championship.
B次元官网网址�(Anatoli) Tarasov, the father of Russian hockey, called the B次元官网网址�39 Smoke Eaters one of the greatest teams, amateur or professional heB次元官网网址檚 ever seen, and he patterned his team after their style of teamwork, passing and possession of the puck,B次元官网网址� added DB次元官网网址橝rcangelo.
B次元官网网址淭he inspiring story of Trail is just remarkable, when you consider itB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淭hat compounds it, they worked a whole shift at Cominco which wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be easy, and then go and practice,B次元官网网址� said DB次元官网网址橝rcangelo. B次元官网网址淎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.B次元官网网址�
The additional interviews are many and varied, and include talking to B次元官网网址�61 Smoke Eater goalie Seth MartinB次元官网网址檚 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.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a very much Canadian story,B次元官网网址� said Barrett. B次元官网网址淭he B次元官网网址�39 and B次元官网网址�61 Smokies are our two pillar pieces within it. All the other pieces will get woven into the historical winds, adventures, and journeys.B次元官网网址�
The documentary is expected to be completed next year, with hopes of playing at the Toronto International Film Festival.
B次元官网网址淚 think itB次元官网网址檚 one of the most amazing stories in Canada.B次元官网网址�
sports@trailtimes.ca
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