Pond Hockey

The pond is where hockey was born—under the open sky—where the ice is gritty and so is the play.

Genre

Sports and Environment

Synopsis

The pond. This is where hockey was born—under
the open sky—where the ice is gritty and so is the
play. For generations, Northlanders have grown
up on outdoor ice. But, there are new climate-
controlled arenas in every town, and that’s where
the kids go to practice year-round now. The frozen
ponds are losing their inhabitants.

In Pond Hockey, director Tommy Haines and his
Minnesota crew chronicle the changing culture of
hockey. Through interviews from Wayne Gretzky,
Neal Broten, and Sidney Crosby to local rinkrats,
Pond Hockey examines the true meaning of sport.

More than just a celebration of a beloved game,
Pond Hockey asks: is there room for the free
spirit of the pond in today’s sports experience, or
will the open sky and howling winds give way to
whistles and metal ceilings?

Stage

finished

Running time

79 minutes

Official Website

Pond Hockey Official Website

Buy this film

Buy DVD

Other sites

Northland Films

Tommy Haines ... Director/ Producer

Prod. Co.

Northland Films

Country

United States

Production years

3

Locations

Minnesota, Massachussettes, Nova Scotia, Illinois,

Prod. Partners

Phil Falcone, JT Haines, Nick Duetsch, Andrew Sherburne

Release year

2008

Festivals

Rhode Island International Film Festival, Minneapolis/St. Paul International Film Festival, Landlocked Film Festival

Awards

"Best of Fest" at MSPIFF, "Audience Award" at Landlocked

Broadcast (Acq.)

NHL Network, PBS-Twin Cities, PBS-Alaska, Hulu, Snag Films, Netflix

Language

English