Every section exposes more black hockey history while coming back continuously to present-day matters in the league. This unconventional structure allows lots of unexpected twists you don’t often see in the documentary format. It also puts a huge spotlight on how such a well-documented section of sports history hasn’t seen the light of day until now. Davis shows that black Canadians have always been an instrumental part of hockey, the heartbeat of Canada.
As a lifelong Canadaphile, I jump at the chance to watch hockey. Each game feels like an abstract documentary about life in the Great White North. I grew up on the Gulf of Maine with Nova Scotia right across the way. That the Maritimes, which can feel very isolated and bleak at times, had such a major role in hockey was jaw-dropping. Even with all that, there were a lot of excruciating matters that Black Ice forced me to face. It is hard for me to acknowledge the country I love has an institutional racism problem.
“…one of the most surprising and profound sports documentaries ever made…”
Canada’s government presented the country as a multicultural nation decades ago, back when in the States, multiculturalism was only brought out to sell soda. That Canada’s racism is less homicidal than the U.S. brand allows one to underestimate its existence and destructiveness. It is an uncomfortable subject and a conversation that is very hard to start. That is why it is such a masterstroke to frame the discussion of race in Canada through the prism of hockey.
One can dodge and weave racism with perspective arguments, but no one can avoid cold hard hockey facts. The public comments of the owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1950s over whether he would ever draft a player will hit you like a puck to the face. If we need to make it all about hockey to discuss racism in Canada, so be it. If it needs to be seen through the lens of sportsmanship, so be it. Black Ice is the kind of film where you are in a different world once finishing it.
"…will hit you like a puck to the face."
