Andrew Baxter

The Russian Five: My Honest Review. This is way more than just a hockey movie. It is the perfect blend of two of my favorite things: hockey and documentary films. However, it doesn’t stop there- not even close. It includes elements of visionary leadership- both on the ice and off, making unpopular choices, losing after historic seasons (more on that later) and the euphoria of winning (hopefully even more on that later.) There are also lessons in humanity and the understanding that common citizens of two different nations may not understand or agree about why their respective governments operate as adversaries. Take yourself back to the post-Cold War political climate. The ebb of Russians being our enemy was in progress, but we still loved to see them lose. Though the “Miracle on Ice” was over 10 years old at the time, the memory was short in Detroit, which was arguably the epicenter of “made in the USA”. The vision to draft Russian players into the world’s premier hockey league- the bloodline of Canada, and mostly fueled by major cities in the US of A, was beyond a gamble. The story highlights the assembly of premier Russian players, who at the time had to defect to play in the NHL. It spells out their less-than-smooth assimilation into US culture, and into the North American style of hockey. Having then-Coach Scotty Bowman, then-GM Jim Devellano, author Keith Gave, and super-agent to the Russians Dan Milstein in the house for this screening only added to the energy. With that kind of royalty in the room, I was a Red Wings fan for 82 minutes, and I never dreamed I would say that. As a @tblightning Lightning fan, this was the purgation of emotions I needed. Having been conflicted by being so proud of their accomplishments this season, and their early exit let down, I didn’t know whether to celebrate or sulk. This movie answered that question very clearly. There were so many parallels between the Red Wings team that flirted with the Stanley Cup and today’s Lightning, it became eerie at one point. To include a disappointing playoff departure after an 82 win season. As a Lightning fan, I needed to see this. It gave me hope and reminded me that the hardest trophy in professional sports comes after hard work, disappointments, heartbreak, and most of all, patience. I can only hope that someone in the @tblightning organization assembles the 23 +/- key players in a room and presses the play button for them to soak in the hope and inspiration from this movie teaches its viewers. You don’t have to be a fan of hockey to understand or find the intrigue in this story. If you are a fan, you will love it. It’s well shot, wisely edited, and tells a great story beyond a 200 foot sheet of ice. It also provides the proper foundation of how we got to the finesse style most of us have come to enjoy out of a hockey game. I won’t spoil the ending, but you will cry if you have any energy left. A show of emotion evoked by inspiration, but proper waterworks nonetheless. The only thing underrated about this movie in my opinion is Executive Producer Danny Milstein’s ( @dmilstein75 ) influence on the game of hockey in today’s context. See also: @nikitakucherov86 @sergach98 @andreivasilevskiy88 P.S. I cant get enough Steve Yzerman. A true leader on and off the ice.