The wait is nearly over to see a new ESPN 30 for 30 documentary about the 2011 Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup riot.
I’m Just Here for the Riot debuts on television tomorrow on ESPN in the United States and Wednesday, June 5, at 5 pm PT on TSN in Canada.
The film, which is directed by local filmmakers Kathleen Jayme and Asia Youngman, details the event of June 15, 2011. That’s the night the Canucks lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, and people lost their minds in Downtown Vancouver.
Stores were looted, property was damaged, and the city burned.
The film, which we first learned about over a year ago, was first revealed at the Vancouver International Film Festival in October. It highlights the mob mentality of the riot, as well as the less-talked-about mob mentality of online retribution.
The documentary features voices from seemingly everyone, including some of the rioters that went viral back in 2011.
“We wanted to make sure that we were talking to law enforcement, to people who were there that night, people who were there as bystanders, people who were filming things who didn’t riot, people who did riot,” Jayme told Daily Hive last October.
Local sports fans will recognize Jayme’s work from her films about the Vancouver Grizzlies, like Finding Big Country (2018) and The Grizzlie Truth (2022). Youngman, meanwhile, has directed This Ink Runs Deep (2019) and N’xaxaitkw (2022).
“This was a very traumatic experience, and we didn’t want to do any more damage, so we’re very grateful for those that did come forward,” Jayme added. “There are some people who still wish to remain anonymous, and both types of participation Asia and I think are super brave.”
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