This never gained a cinema release in the UK, despite the presence of (then) rising star Russell Crowe and that’s partly because it’s less a Crowe movie than an ensemble piece – packed with the some of the best character actors in the business whose chemistry suggests they were having as good a time off-screen as on, but whose box office power wasn’t enough to open the film.
It also has to be said that “ice hockey” isn’t quite as big in these cold- but-generally-unfrozen shores as it is in say, Canada. And it’s no surprise to see some of that country’s bigger stars and hockey fans– like Mike Myers – cameoing here.
For them this is probably the ultimate sports movie. For the lesser or non-fans, this is essentially The Mighty Ducks for adults – and there’s no shame in that.