The Tournament

 The Tournament
Sam Vint
2020 | 22 min 04 s
Original English version

Over the course of a weekend tournament, youth sledge hockey teams from the U.S. and Canada battle for supremacy. Designed for players who have a physical challenge, the fundamentals of the sport — passing, shooting, trash talking your opponents – remain the same. Director Sam Vint captures the end-to-end action as the Manitoba Sledgehammers do it all.

The great Canadian tradition of hockey comes with its own sacraments and rituals, whether that’s trash talking your opponents, digging deep and giving 110 percent or partying hard with pizza and pop after the game. The Manitoba Sledgehammers do it all.

Over the course of a weekend tournament, youth sledge hockey teams from the U.S. and Canada meet in Blaine, Minnesota to battle for supremacy. An adaptation of ice hockey, sledge hockey is designed for players who have a physical challenge. But that’s about the only difference. All the fundamentals of the sport — passing, shooting, checking, teamwork – are the same.

Director Sam Vint captures the end-to-end action, as well as quieter moments with parents, coaches and fellow players, providing a glimpse into this little-seen world. On this weekend, people with challenges outnumber the able-bodied, and the kids finally get their chance to just be athletes.

At the rink or in the hotel, the Sledgehammers dominate, loud, proud and having fun, led by Isaac Vint, an eight-year-old power forward with a motor mouth and unstoppable energy. It’s a team effort with Isaac, Evan, Alyssa, Natalia, Cooper, Elijah, Logan, Tucker, and of course, Paul the Wall pulling together, mucking and grinding in the corners, and supporting each other with humour and grit.

In the final game, the Sledgehammers face their greatest test yet. Will they bring home the victory, suffer the agony of defeat or collapse into their minivan tired from the greatest weekend of their lives? Isaac sums up his team’s approach with: “Let’s show America, what we got.”

“3, 2, 1…Sledgehammers!”

For more information and some clips visit https://mediaspace.nfb.ca/epk/the-tournament/