If you’ve been to a Vancouver Canucks game over the past few seasons, you’ve likely seen one of the innovative and captivating pre-game videos.
The team builds anticipation and kickstarts the building’s energy with an exciting hype video before every contest. The only thing you won’t see these world-class hockey players doing much of in these highlight tapes, especially those from more recent years, is actually playing hockey.
You likely won’t see Brock Boeser firing his patented wrist shot, Tyler Myers laying a devastating open-ice hit, or Thatcher Demko pulling out a huge glove save. Instead, the videos feature Canucks players saving the city, fighting off an invasion of artificial intelligence or pulling off a heist, sometimes inspired by popular movies.
The Canucks organization has been on the cutting edge of pre-game entertainment over the past few years. Mike Pohorly is the man behind the scenes making it all happen, from scripting the scenes to producing the video, he wears a variety of hats.
“The Vegas Knights were the ones at the forefront of storytelling for hockey openings and when I saw their show in 2018, I was inspired to try up the ante and make something that felt more like a mini-movie and not just a sports video,” explained Pohorly to Daily Hive in an exclusive interview.
The Canucks were early to hop on the trend thanks to strong support from ownership and other notable figures in the organization.
This style of pre-game opening has spread quickly, not just across the NHL but across the sports industry as a whole. More and more teams are using fun, captivating openings to entertain fans in a different way.
“I’ve been really enjoying seeing other teams doing more cinematic type videos, as it’s not easy to blend movies and sports and not be too cheesy – it’s a fine line, and I’ve definitely crossed it a few times, but the message underneath I’m more concerned about simply having fun and not taking ourselves so seriously,” continued Pohorly.
Part of the idea of keeping the openings light on hockey highlights is that fans are going to see great plays that night live during the game anyway. Why not let them get a glimpse at the stars in a different scenario?
But while the fans may like the idea of getting to see the players in a different light, how do the professional athletes feel about testing out their acting chops? It turns out, it hasn’t been too difficult to get them excited for the different video shoots.
“The players also appreciate our efforts and, without a doubt, they do feed off the energy that the crowd brings every night. [They] have really embraced them and have trusted me that I’m going to make them look as good as possible,” Pohorly explained.
“It’s something that they’re willing to jump in with and give it their best, and then can have fun critiquing each other’s acting skills when the videos come out.”
Simply Gold Productions
The Canucks’ pre-game entertainment videos have been acknowledged as some of the best in the industry. They have received multiple recognitions, including recently being named a finalist in the Best Show Open category at the Golden Matrix Awards.
Congratulations to the finalists of Best Show Open: @LAKings @TBLightning @ToledoWalleye @Canucks @GoldenKnights #GMA #IDEASTL #IDEASTLOUIS pic.twitter.com/Ia29Oofyk9
— IDEA Conference (@ideaontheweb) June 12, 2024
There are some unique challenges faced when making these videos. One of those is player trades, which demand quick editing turnarounds. In that case, the game entertainment editors are called upon to make some last-minute changes. Unfortunately, it can lead to some exciting scenes getting cut from the program.
“There’s always some pieces that have to end up on the cutting room floor because of that,” explains Pohorly when asked about adjusting to trades. “This past year, I did a really dynamic sequence with Tanner Pearson training that never got to be used due to the trade.”
Production for next season’s opener is already well underway. The entire team is putting in long hours to ensure the video is perfected for opening night.
Simply Gold Productions
“Each year the biggest battle with these isn’t the shoot itself, although that’s always a lot, but it’s really about that short post window and getting the edit, music, VFX, [and] sound design right in such a short timeframe,” explains Pohorly.
If this year’s video is anything like the ones from recent seasons, Canucks fans are in for a treat. Keep an eye out over the coming months for hints as to what might be in this year’s version.