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67% Critic Match
Kings Ransom
“August 9th, 1988. The day Canada froze over”
6.7 / 10• 2009• 53m•NR• English
Documentary
Storyline
On August 9, 1988, the NHL was forever changed with the single stroke of a pen. The Edmonton Oilers, fresh off their fourth Stanley Cup victory in five years, signed a deal that sent Wayne Gretzky, a Canadian national treasure and the greatest hockey player ever to play the game, to the Los Angeles Kings in a multi-player, multi-million dollar deal. As bewildered Oiler fans struggled to make sense of the unthinkable, fans in Los Angeles were rushing to purchase season tickets at a rate so fast it overwhelmed the Kings box office. Overnight, a franchise largely overlooked in its 21-year existence was suddenly playing to sellout crowds and standing ovations, and a league often relegated to “little brother” status exploded from 21 teams to 30 in less than a decade.
Cast & Crew
Wayne Gretzky
Himself
Lead
Janet Jones
Herself
Luc Robitaille
Himself
Glen Sather
Himself
Peter Berg
Himself
BM
Bruce McNall
Himself
What People Are Saying
4.0
“A staggering achievement of craft and ambition. Peter Berg's vision lands with breathtaking precision.”
3.0
“Every frame feels alive. Kings Ransom is the rare release that takes its audience seriously.”
