Yesterday, NESN.com published an article highlighting which baseball players have had careers and lives interesting enough to make a movie about. Not to say that any of them would ever come to fruition, but the idea of someone buying the movie rights of Josh Hamilton's struggles or Ichiro's legend as a pioneer of the game is certainly interesting.
I thought I would take this idea and apply it to hockey: which players have stories that people would pay to see at the theatre? You'd be surprised how many fascinating players are out there, defying the odds like a real-life Rudy.
Spoiler: a lot of these guys are my favorite playes. Am I just writing about their stories because they're my favorites? No. They're my favorites because of their stories. See how that works?
For my next trick, I'll also take a shot at suggesting which actors might play them in a movie. This is where it gets tricky.
Without further ado...
Tim Thomas
Okay, he's a bit of a polarizing player, especially in Boston after he decided not to honor his contract, but what this guy has been through is pretty incredible. The blue-collared vet from Flint, Michigan was recruited to UMass Lowell, but he was informed that he would be behind phenom Dwayne Roloson on the depth chart. Instead, he chose to go to UVM and posted stellar numbers with teammate Marty St. Louis. He went undrafted and floated between the ECHL and leagues in Finland and Sweden, taking his family everywhere with him.
He finally got his chance to crack an NHL roster with the Boston Bruins, taking every chance he got to show the Bruins what he could do. After injuries to guys like Toivenen and Fernandez, he finally earned a starting spot and never looked back. He would go on to win he Vezina twice, be a 4 time all-star, carry his team to win the Stanley Cup, and be the oldest player to ever take home the Conn Smythe. By the way, in the Eastern Conference finals guess who his opposing goalie was that he outplayed? None other than Dwayne Roloson. You can't make this stuff up.
I love an underdog story and it gets even more intriguing when you factor his declination of the traditional visit to the White House, citing his political reasons for doing so. He then optioned out of his last year of his contract with the Bruins and went off the grid for a year, to return later with Florida. From after-thought to champion. From hero to villain. It practically writes itself.
Michael Cudlitz. Pretty good match if I say so myself.
Martin St. Louis
Keeping in line with the underdog theme, let's jump right to Martin St. Louis. If ever the phrase "it's not the size of the dog in the fight but the size of the fight in the dog" applied to someone, it's Marty. Listed at just 5'9", he's always been smaller than his peers and as a result was often overlooked. Playing along Thomas at UVM, he led the team to the school's first ever championship.
However, he was undrafted as well due to his small stature. After a stint in the IHL, the Calgary Flames signed him but he was later released. He then went to Tampa Bay where he broke out in a major way in 2003-2004, leading the league with 94 points. He had finally proven his doubters wrong, but he wasn't done yet. He led his team to a Stanley Cup victory in 2004, leading the playoffs in points and eventually winning the Hart MVP trophy. He eclipsed 100 points in 2007 and then led the league in scoring again in the lockout-shortened 2012-2013 season.
This story might have a bit of Shakespearean tragedy to it, though. He has twice been left off the Canadian Olympic team despite being perennially among the league's top scorers. He sits at 87th in the all-time points list, quite an impressive feat considering the circumstances. At 36 years old, he plays like he's 18 but you have to wonder how much he has left in the tank. Despite this, his decorated career should take him to the Hall of Fame, unless fate eludes him once again.
Kevin Connolly. Something would have to be done about the red hair, though.
Jaromir Jagr
There have been few more influential players in the history of the game than Jagr. His mullet was an icon in the '90s and his play was unbelievable. It takes a lot to make a name for yourself when guys like Gretsky and Lemieux are in the league, but Jagr carved his own way and now sits at #7 on the all-time points chart.
What makes his story so interesting, though, beyond his charismatic ways, is his childhood story. He grew up behind the Iron Curtain in communist Czechoslovakia and learned the game from his grandfather on a small sheet of ice near their home. He wears his famous number 68 in honor of the Prague Spring rebellion that occurred in 1968, which is also when his grandfather died in prison. This mix of talent and politics would make for quite the film.
Liev Schrieber. I'd be tempted to just have Jagr play himself, though.
Bobby Orr
America's sweetheart. The young boy from Ontario changed the game in such a short time. He is the essence of how athletes should conduct themselves on and off the ice (field). A gentleman, a kind soul, and a vicious competitor. He revitalized the Bruins franchise, carried the team to two championships including the iconic jump in the air after scoring the winning goal.
However, like the Beatles, he single-handely changed his industry within a decade then, like a flash in the pan, he was done. Injuries ended a career that should have just been getting started. I can see the tears in the audience already.
Matt Damon. Keep it in Boston.
Patrice Bergeron
This might be a bit of a homer pick, but I don't think so. Here's a guy who had all the talent in the world, made the Bruins team as an 18-year-old and has committed himself to his sport. However things took a turn for the worse when he took a devastating hit-from-behind in 2007. He suffered a severe concussion and many thought his career would be over. He battled back and then took another one in 2008 to make things worse.
It was certainly enough to end his career, but not for Patrice. He has never stopped working hard, battling back and is now playing the best hockey of his career. He has been a Selke finalist and helped his team win the Stanley Cup in 2011. One of the few players to have won and International Cup, Stanley Cup, and Olympic Gold Medal, he one of the most skilled and respected 2-way players in the league.
As far as toughness goes, he played Game 6 of the Cup last year with a separated shoulder, torn cartilage, broken nose, and punctured lung. What's most impressive though is his quiet demeanor and leadership. He is never flashy, but he rarely makes mistakes.
Ian Somerhalder. I guess this one is a bit of stretch. Open to suggestions here.
There are plenty of other fascinating storylines here. Phil Kessel's battle with cancer. Marian Hossa's roller coaster ride of Stanley Cup appearances. Josh Harding's bout with multiple sclerosis. Chara's uphill (or maybe downhill) rise to the top as a walking giant. Sean Avery's role as the bad guy. Lidstrom's life as "Mr. Perfect." And of course, Don Cherry himself. That movie needs no hype campaign.
These storylines are my favorite, however. Players suffering setbacks but fighting through adversity in a rise to the top. It's not always black and white, good and bad. Not every story has a happy ending. But the human element of the sport of hockey will always fascinate me and therein lies the rub.
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