Halifax highlanders

The film glorifies fighting in hockey and shows how players like Doug Glatt make a living as hockey players.

Goon cast

Though this film is classified as a comedy, Dowse brings up a very real and relevant point in the world of hockey, and that is that many hockey players find their success in fighting and violence. Former Boston Bruin Shawn Thornton was not brought to the team for his goal-scoring prowess; rather, he was brought to the team to play the role of a goon.

The film begins with the sight of a tooth free-falling in slow motion to the ice. Doug Glatt, played by Seann William Scott, is a bouncer at a local bar who comes from a prestigious family of doctors. Unlike his brother, Ira, who is getting through medical school, Doug has not found his calling in life. He is more physically gifted rather than gifted with knowledge like his brother and father.

However, he knows that his future is not at the bar, dealing with belligerent drunkards and underage drinkers. He is offered a tryout by the coach of a minor-league hockey team after the coach witnesses Doug win a fight against an opposing player in the stands at a recent game. Doug makes the team and fights his way through the league and eventually is promoted to the farm league of the pros.

He is brought to the Halifax Highlanders to protect star forward Xavier Laflamme who has been struggling with his confidence after experiencing a massive concussion. Doug forms a bond with Laflamme and at the end of the film, he fights Ross Rhea, the man who delivered the hit that concussed Laflamme so badly. Rhea, played by Live Schreiber, is a well-known fighter in the pro-league who has been demoted to the minors.

Doug smith freshfields

Rhea and Glatt each exchange punishing blows, but Doug ends up knocking Rhea out cold. He is carried to the locker room after breaking his ankle during the fight, and as he is tended to by his love interest throught the movie Eva, played by Allison Pill, his teammate Laflamme scores a natural hat trick and the Highlanders win the game.

What we see throughout this film, based on a true story, is that violence can, and is, used by hockey players as a method to build a successful career out of. In this case, Doug Glatt is a successful hockey player, but how much playing does he really do?