This documentary is a rare and welcome entry into the world of sports documentaries. Most of the time, sports documentaries get overloaded with stats, unfair comparisons to players of different eras, and shine a favorable light on one, or maybe two, franchises.
This one is different.
This one is a must see, simply because it delves into the human side of the gauntlet hockey players run to earn the trophy at the end. It examines the toll it takes on the men who get there - both the winners and losers. It makes the audience feel the joy of winning it all and the pain, the absolute heartbreak suffered by those who fell short, especially for those that never earned a second chance.
The history of the actual cup is almost secondary (who donated it, when it became what it is today, and so on). This is the story of the men who earned the right to have their names engraved on the cup, what it took to get there, and why it is so important.
Bryan Trottier said that he wished everyone who played could have that feeling, just once, of lifting it over their heads. Then, after a second, he followed up by saying that it's better this way that not everyone gets to do it because that's what makes it so special.
