The Chiefs

After playing hockey for many years back in Canada, I saw this documentary in the clearance bin and decided to give it a go.

What's crazy is that this really IS a semi-pro league in Quebec. I did some research on the making of the movie itself and the people in it ... an interesting note is that that one of the main players on the team that the movie focuses on - is the brother of the producer. No matter.

There are some members of the team that have been drafted in the NHL, but other than Bobby Dollas (Ist Round draft pick who played for many years - he is not showcased in the movie), they have seen little or no NHL playing time, they have spent their entire careers languishing in the minors. And this league is "semi"-pro.

This movie is excellent - there are parts that seem so depressing, I mean this is really the end of the line. They are playing because they really love the game. Some seem like they could do nothing else BUT play hockey. I thought the coach was a weasel. The little pit bull of an owner suffered from LMS ... and the story of "Gun-For-Hire" Tim Leveque was exploitative and sad. I also read that a few years after the movie was filmed - the team folded. There was no way it could allude to this on the DVD.

I wish they would've showcased more of the players other than just five. The rabid fan they show so much ... pure comedy. This guy was right over the top when it came to 'team loyalty' ... but he added so much to the movie.

I would recommend this movie - it it so raw, so real. It really shows the unglamorous side of hockey. In a way, it really reveals how tough it is to make it the NHL - without ever referring to it.

The opening scene is playing and a disturbing feeling comes over me: this is dull. The camera work is atrocious. It goes nowhere very slowly, This is your grabber off the top? Uh oh. It wasn't long before a scene so inept appeared that it caused my DVD player to crash. There were several other egregious faults with this waste of a fantastic subject, but the one fault that lead me to register with IMDb was this: your exploitation of Tim Leveque. It's ironic he was badly exploited by the team he played for but you guys fed on another, sadder type of exploitation. Shamefull, really. Nos Amours: the Saga of the Montreal Expos. Now that's a documentary.

I saw the cover of this film and immediately started laughing being a hockey player myself and seeing 5 players in the penalty box. I read the back and decided to pick this one up. On the way home I couldn't wait to watch this film and started watching it right away. THIS MOVIE IS AMAZING!!!! The story of a hockey team full of goons... These guys come from all over the place to play in Laval. Guys trying to make it in the pros. The film is packed with so many fights, after you watch it you want to fight somebody. The film is set up beautifully with lots of scenery shots and interviews that make you second guess these goons and best of all after you watch this film you actually feel good about it. Its weird how documented violence can make you feel good but it does in this film. Overall this film is unbelievable and I highly recommend it. 10 out of 10.

I watched this movie with my teenage son. Every parent of a kid who aspires to become a hockey player or just plays hockey should watch this film and take notes. We both thought this movie had some very funny scenes, but it wasn't a comedy. The hard life that semi-pro and minor-league hockey players live due to low wages and tough travel schedules is downright heartbreaking. The way hockey players are used and discarded like yesterday's trash after accomplishing what they were traded or brought to the team to do is sad beyond words. This movie shows the 'win-at-any-cost' mentality of some owners, and the consequences it has on players. The sport is not as brutal as the insensitive and greedy owners are. We wish all of the real-life players and their families in this movie all the best. This film brings to mind the proverb 'All that glitters is not gold....'

The film-making is a bit dull at times but will generally appeal to hockey fans interested in seeing the less glamorous side of the game. Set in a semi-pro league in Quebec, the players featured here are literally fighting to keep playing the game they love. At times there doesn't seem to be enough meat to the subject though. It feels like we watch the same talking heads in the same scene over and over again. I get that the director's trying to show that the biggest goon on the ice can be the sweetest guy off it but I've seen that chiché a million times before. I would like to have seen a better context of how these goons fit in with the rest of their team, their families and the community(i.e. other than the rabid Laval fan, how does the rest of the community + skilled teammates feel about being associated with a goon squad?)