Clip from New Wayne Gretzky Documentary "King's Ransom"

I was looking at trailers for movies to go see at the upcoming Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on a a lazy Labour Day and I came across this interesting clip from the upcoming Wayne Gretzky documentary by Peter Berg.

Berg, who co-directed Friday Night Lights, the movie and then the show, produced this film as part of ESPN Film’s 30 for 30 project, which is a documentary series beginning Oct. 6.

Based on the clip and a few reviews, the film mainly focuses on the fateful night of Aug. 9, 1988 when the Edmonton Oilers traded Gretzky to the Los Angeles Kings. It is a very interesting inside look into the trade from the perspective by Gretzky himself.

The documentary explores the impact that this single trade had on the rest of America and the NHL.

From tiffreviews.com:

"

As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to sellout crowds and standing ovations, and a league often relegated to “little brother” status exploded from 21 teams to 30 in less than a decade.

"

Not only did the trade build hockey enthusiasm in Los Angeles, but it forced the rest of America to take notice at the growing sport.

The film plays at the AMC theater on Yonge and Dundas at 2:45 PM on Sept. 13. There is no doubt that hockey fans in Toronto, myself included, will be lining up to see this one-hour doc.

Without furhter adieu, here is the clip from my very own youtube account.