The Chiefs

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....'

Welcome to Laval, Quebec - home of the world's craziest hockey league, the LNAH! Les Chiefs takes you on-board the Chiefs bus with five guys who are trying to make the big leagues any way that they can.. while living in the arena! Yes, they actually live in tiny, horrid apartments inside the arena! Les Chiefs is the story about the guys that don't make the cut. In a way, it's a sad story of dreams that refuse to come true. But, it's also a Don Cherry style Rock 'Em Sock 'Em fist fest that's sure to appeal to fans of the games darker side. (The side Gary "the Snail" Bettman has been trying to eliminate for the past decade) This league jumped into the spotlight a few months back when NHL enforcers Donald Brashear (Montreal, Vancover, Phillie) and Slyvain Blouin (Montreal, Minnesota), Vancover) where both involved in a massive brawl that lead to the two players being banned from the league.

This documentary was a shocking, back-stage sight at the world of professional hockey enforcers. The horrific fighting scenes, as brutal as they could be, were nothing compared to the human emotion that followed as you get to see first-hand the players' living conditions, their self-pride, their sacrifice and the pressure of performing at that level on a consistent basis. You see the daily fights that Mike, Cory and Tim must go through send a message to viewers that their never-give-up attitude is what hockey is all about. Unfortunately, this may not be the last movie about hockey enforcers, since the "new" way to play is so focused on speed and defense, these are the guys that are being left behind. The guys that will drop the gloves to have that edge. This truly is a must see movie for all true-blue hockey fans. Never before has a documentary captured such greatness - especially when it comes to hockey. I only wish I lived in Laval.

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.

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?)