Blood, Sweat & Beers - New TVO hockey documentary leaves it all out on the
ice

    
      -  World premiere on TVO Wednesday May 12, 2010 at 10 pm ET; encore
         viewing Sunday May 16 at 10:40 pm

      -  Blood, Sweat and Beers was written and directed by Eppo Eerkes
         and produced by Partners in Motion/Pounce in association with
         TVO.
    

TORONTO, May 7 /CNW/ - At the height of hockey hysteria in Canada with the National Hockey League playoffs in full swing, TVO presents an exciting new documentary that helps us understand the unique hold our game has on the Canadian psyche. Blood, Sweat & Beers, a new hour-long documentary makes its world broadcast premiere on TVO May 12 at 10 pm. The film tells the story of the Bentley Generals, a beloved amateur hockey team from a small town in Alberta and follows the team's passionate quest, both on and off the ice, to bring home the Allan Cup - the Holy Grail of amateur hockey.

In Bentley, the line between hockey and everyday life is a fine one, especially for the players who have day jobs and families but are still driven to do battle on the ice, compensated by little more than beer, pizza, a love of the game and an all-consuming dream: to win their first-ever national championship. Filmmaker Eppo Eerkes follows a group of these players, their new head coach - former NHL great Brian Sutter - and their families as they strive to win what's eluded them so many times before. For some, the sacrifices off the ice are harder to take than the grinding hits they face on the ice. In the end, the fate of an entire season, and a small town's dream, will come down to a single goal.

TVO, along with Partners in Motion and Pounce, have provided this heart-warming, taste-of-home film to Canadian Forces troops in Afghanistan for viewing.

About TVO

TVO is Ontario's public educational media organization and a trusted source of interactive educational content that informs, inspires and stimulates curiosity and thought. TVO's vision is to empower people to be engaged citizens of Ontario through educational media. For more information, visit tvo.org.

Where to find TVO

Cable channel 2 (channel may vary in some areas), Bell TV channel 265, Shaw Direct channel 353.

For further information: Media Contacts: Paul Ginis, [phone] ext. 2445, [email protected]; Lesley Horlick, [phone] ext. 2281, [email protected]