Niagara filmmakerʼs documentary chronicles our love affair with hockey

Victoria Nicolaou The St. Catharines Standard

Filmmaker Christopher Aylward’s approach to life has always been straightforward: do what makes you happy, do what you love, be passionate, try.

A simple approach, but the only way Aylward knows how to do things.

“If you have passions about things, just do them because life’s way too short to be regretting it at the end,” the St. Catharines resident says. “I’ll never be that person.

“I’d rather try a bunch of things, and if they don’t work out, that’s fine. I’ll be thankful for the fact that I tried.

Five years ago, Aylward took his own advice. Inspired by the HBO documentary Road to the NHL Winter Classic, he decided to combine his lifelong love of hockey with a passion for film and storytelling.

HBO’s 24/7 series spoke to Aylward because it was a little raw, and a little edgy. It provided audiences with a glimpse behind the spotlight, focusing on players off the ice: the frustration, the angst, the disappointment and the success.

But as he watched, Aylward began to ask, “What about us?”

He wanted to create a short film about hockey with a focus on regular people. He wanted to look at the grassroots level of hockey, and the raw love and obsession for the game.

Aylward became fascinated by people who run hockey leagues, lose money, but keep doing it anyway. He was intent on learning about people like him, who would spend five years and his own money, to finance a film about the love of hockey.

“It was just a film that talks about the passion. Why we love the game of hockey here in Canada,” Aylward said.

As a Niagara resident, he wanted to tell interesting local stories. But as he met more and more people, the idea for the film expanded, developing into a full-feature documentary entitled The Hockey Film.

The transformation started with an ex-St. Catharines native, now living in New Zealand. Aylward received an email from Cameron Green, co-founder of New Zealand’s Backyard Hockey League (NZBHL), who was interested in getting involved.

The NZBHL put crews together to shoot segments for the film and sent the coverage back to Aylward in Canada.

Years later Aylward still has a hard time contemplating how excited NZBHL is about the film. Aylward and Greene have Skyped a few times but have never met in person.

When he sees photos of the New Zealand crew filming footage wearing The Hockey Film t-shirts, it feels surreal.

“It just grew bigger as I started connecting with people who have done some amazing things,” said Aylward. “It’s those kinds of stories that … have moulded this film into what it’s become. And it’s still evolving.”

Aylward tells the story of another man he met named Ed. Ed is 69 and plays in two leagues: over 30 and over 65.

Playing alongside men half his age, Ed and the over-30 team went to the championships two years in a row.

His parents, both in their 90s went to the games to support their son from the stands.

“How crazy is that?” asked Aylward, still amazed by Ed’s story

Aylward travelled to Haliburton to shoot the Canadian Pond Hockey championships – what he called “Canadiana at its finest.”

He went to the Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament in Branford, speaking with Walter Gretzky numerous times.

Not about his famous son, but about kids growing up in hockey and all that encompasses.

It was these kinds of events, from the players playing to the volunteers helping, that Aylward said showcases the passion and drive for hockey he is

trying to capture.

“Hockey is a sport that I think honestly breaks a lot of barriers. There are some things that still need to change, clearly,” said Aylward. “But … men, women, it doesn’t matter where you’re from – everyone’s out there having a blast in ridiculous temperatures.”

Aylward has done 90 percent of the shooting himself over the last four years, and will also do all the editing and post-production work. His friends help whenever they are available – “I gladly take it when I can” he said – but the entire process can be a lot said Aylward.

He has hours of film and plenty of stories, but knows a lot will end up on the editing room floor.

He works full time, runs his own production company called Cinematic North, and is paying for The Hockey Film out of pocket.

Aylward admits it can be hard to stay motivated, but picking up a camera, going out and shooting helps clear his mind.

And the enthusiasm from others has pushed him to make the film the best it can be.

“I’ve had so many generous people, some absolutely fantastic people that have been on board, donated their time and have donated their ice … that’s the motivator right there,” said Aylward. “If people weren’t interested than I have no film.

“I’ve been lucky enough that a lot of people have been embracing it.”

Aylward has a few months left of shooting and has already begun the process of post-production. He will head down to Orlando in the next few months to interview his childhood hero, former Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Allan Bester.

But the interview will focus on his childhood playing hockey, and growing up in Hamilton, continuing to stay true to the amateur spirit of the documentary.

A “prelude to (Bester’s) professional career” Aylward called it.

The target is to have The Hockey Film finished by the time the 2019 NHL season opens, and submit it to festivals, with the primary goal the Toronto International Film Festival.

He hopes that once the film is complete, the Niagara community will be proud.

“It’s going to show a bit of what we have here in Niagara. It’s going to showcase people who have left Niagara and … continued our culture in another country, and all these cool things.”