Legends aren害羞草研究所檛 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.
害羞草研究所淚 kind of look at this as a David and Goliath story repeating itself,害羞草研究所� said director/producer Robert Barrett. 害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�
The gold-medal wins by the 害羞草研究所�39 and 害羞草研究所�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.
害羞草研究所淓veryone has been so ultra-supportive here, when they find out what we害羞草研究所檙e doing,害羞草研究所� said Barrett. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝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.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淗ockey in Trail is like 害羞草研究所楩riday night lights害羞草研究所�, where football in the states is everything, in Canada it害羞草研究所檚 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. It害羞草研究所檚 a community centre, it害羞草研究所檚 the hub of Trail. So how do you place value on that?害羞草研究所�
The assistance of the Silver City害羞草研究所檚 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 Eaters害羞草研究所� 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.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 worm-holes left, right, and centre that we go down and we explore and that害羞草研究所檚 what kind of gives it texture,害羞草研究所� said Barrett. 害羞草研究所淎ny time you害羞草研究所檙e making a film you害羞草研究所檙e looking for texture and perspectives and this thing害羞草研究所檚 loaded with that.害羞草研究所�
The crew met with members of the 害羞草研究所�61 Smoke Eaters at the Rex Hotel last month, celebrating Norm Lenardon害羞草研究所檚 86th birthday over a beer, with two cameras on hand to document the memorable event.
害羞草研究所淭hese guys are blue-collar, humble, hard working guys who like to have a beer, they are full of humility, quiet and confident 害羞草研究所� but they are dragon slayers.害羞草研究所�
Barrett first conjured the idea of a documentary after talking to his friend, Stephen Sweeting, who had visited Trail to appraise its museum害羞草研究所檚 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 Trail害羞草研究所檚 history revealed itself.
害羞草研究所淲e became intrigued, and as a filmmaker, it sounds like it害羞草研究所檚 got good bones to be able to tell a story,害羞草研究所� said Barrett. 害羞草研究所淭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.害羞草研究所�
Longtime Trail historian, John D害羞草研究所橝rcangelo, author of the anthology A Trail to Remember, was also interviewed alongside Terry Brennan, whose father Mickey played on the 害羞草研究所�39 Smoke Eaters.
害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 an excellent idea,害羞草研究所� said D害羞草研究所橝rcangelo. 害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 overdue, and I害羞草研究所檓 glad they害羞草研究所檙e doing this because it害羞草研究所檚 a remarkable story, both teams.害羞草研究所�
The 害羞草研究所�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 Union害羞草研究所檚 Red Army team at the height of the Cold War, and beat them soundly.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a huge feat,害羞草研究所� added Barrett. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e playing against trained soldiers. These (Trail) guys worked in a plant by day, and scored goals at night.害羞草研究所�
The Smoke Eaters legacy and influence goes well beyond the bounds of southeastern BC and D害羞草研究所橝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, Saprunoff害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所�39 championship.
害羞草研究所�(Anatoli) Tarasov, the father of Russian hockey, called the 害羞草研究所�39 Smoke Eaters one of the greatest teams, amateur or professional he害羞草研究所檚 ever seen, and he patterned his team after their style of teamwork, passing and possession of the puck,害羞草研究所� added D害羞草研究所橝rcangelo.
害羞草研究所淭he inspiring story of Trail is just remarkable, when you consider it害羞草研究所檚 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.害羞草研究所�
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.
害羞草研究所淭hat compounds it, they worked a whole shift at Cominco which wouldn害羞草研究所檛 be easy, and then go and practice,害羞草研究所� said D害羞草研究所橝rcangelo. 害羞草研究所淎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.害羞草研究所�
The additional interviews are many and varied, and include talking to 害羞草研究所�61 Smoke Eater goalie Seth Martin害羞草研究所檚 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.
害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a very much Canadian story,害羞草研究所� said Barrett. 害羞草研究所淭he 害羞草研究所�39 and 害羞草研究所�61 Smokies are our two pillar pieces within it. All the other pieces will get woven into the historical winds, adventures, and journeys.害羞草研究所�
The documentary is expected to be completed next year, with hopes of playing at the Toronto International Film Festival.
害羞草研究所淚 think it害羞草研究所檚 one of the most amazing stories in Canada.害羞草研究所�
sports@trailtimes.ca
Like us on and follow us on
