NHL reality series battles Maple Leafs GM’s publicity phobia
Ross Greenburg likes to use a classic line from NFL Films guru Steve Sabol when describing the difficulty in creating a sports-based reality TV show.
“You’re building a plane in mid-flight.”
This time, the prolific producer behind “HBO 24/7: Road To The NHL Winter Classic” and the revamped “Epix Presents Road to the NHL Outdoor Classics” (or “All Access: The NHL Outdoor Winter Classics,” as it will appear on Rogers in Canada) is attempting an even trickier task: Building two planes in mid-flight, although they have similar destinations.
In four hour-long episodes, debuting on Dec. 16 at 10 p.m. ET on Epix and several streaming platforms, the show will chronicle the journeys for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs en route to their New Year’s Day outdoor game in Toronto; as well as the Chicago Blackhawks and St. Louis Blues, who will play in the 2017 Winter Classic in St. Louis.
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“We never had two outdoor games that we ended with. We have to maintain some logic in this series, in the sense that we have to make sure it’s not a scrambled mess,” he said.
“In case of injury, in case a storyline breaks, we want to be there just to continue those storylines. But the focus, because it’s four teams and we have an hour, we want to focus on one game per team. So we’ll bring our bells and whistles out for that.”
Three of the teams have been previously featured in “Road To The Winter Classic” programs; the fourth, the Blues, was a team Greenburg worked with on other NHL television projects.
He said proof of concept helps. The Blackhawks, for example, were notoriously challenging from an access standpoint when they were featured on Epix before their Winter Classic against the Washington Capitals. Now, they’re embracing the coverage – literally.
“Yeah, we’ve gained their trust. Our producers were getting bear-hugs from [Joel Quenneville] when they got there for the master shoot,” he said. “That doesn’t mean some guys aren’t like, ‘oh god, they’re back,’ but that’s OK. We’ll stay out of their way.”
Trust is a huge part of the equation here. The teams have to trust the producers won’t interfere with daily routines too much. Players have to trust that they won’t be shown in a bad light, just an honest one.
Which is why sometimes it’s better to have players that haven’t yet built walls around themselves and the media. To that end, one thing that Greenburg is excited about: The Toronto Maple Leafs’ rookie sensations.
“It’s usually easier to work with the younger players. Remember those scenes we’ve had with them in their apartments, nothing in there but the clothes on their backs, looking for things to do, acting like 20 year olds? Some of the most refreshing stuff comes from youngsters,” he said. “But the most impressive thing about this crop is that they’re all leaders at like 20, 21 years old? Remember when Sidney Crosby came in and immediately took that position?”
So Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner will all get a spotlight on the show. Yes, despite the fact that Lou Lamoriello, notoriously one of the most exposure-phobic executives in hockey when it comes to marketing his players, is their boss.
Greenburg said he and some NHL officials met with Lamoriello, Mike Babcock and Brendan Shanahan before the production started. They talked through expectations for the players and for access. “They couldn’t have been more gracious. I think they’re looking forward to it,” said Greenburg. “Mike’s one of those pure professionals. The way he handles the team, handles the press, handles the situation.”
And Lamoriello?
“We cracked Lou when he was with the Devils and we did NHL Revealed. Myself and [former NHL COO] John Collins had a discussion with Lou in New Jersey. He told us all of his reservations. We did quite a bit with Marty Brodeur, and Lou didn’t raise an eyebrow,” said Greenburg.
“I think he’s ready and willing to accept this. Not totally, but he understands that we have a job to do and that we’re professionals. We’ll stay out of their way.”
Greenburg’s been at this a long time, having started the “Hard Knocks” series with HBO before leaving for his own production company. While there’s a familiarity with the sturdy template for his NHL shows, the degrees of their success are determined by factors that are unfortunately out of his control: Narratives playing out as they film, like the Washington Capitals’ losing streak in the first season of “HBO 24/7: Road To The NHL Winter Classic; and the candor of the players, like the career-defining oddity that was Ilya Bryzgalov in the Flyers’ season.
Hopefully these four teams provide the access and the fodder, and Greenburg’s talented staff does the rest.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at puckdaddyblog@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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