The documentary VALIANT, directed by Cruz Angeles ("Don't Let Me Drown"), reveals the powerful story of the Vegas Golden Knights, the National Hockey League's new expansion team, and their remarkable run to the 2018 Stanley Cup Final while unifying a city rocked to its core by the worst mass shooting in U.S. history.
As a tale about tragedy and humanity, VALIANT interweaves a horrific event that shattered the city of Las Vegas, and how their local NHL hockey team united to show compassion and strengthen their spirits. The film will make its streaming debut on Amazon Prime April 1, 2020.
VALIANT features franchise owner Bill Foley; General Manager, George McPhee; Golden Knights players: Marc-André Fleury, William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Deryk Engelland, Ryan Reaves; and entertainers Wayne Newton and Lil Jon; along with powerful interviews with Las Vegas residents, law officers and first responders to the tragedy.
The documentary begins with the creation of the Vegas Golden Knights by billionaire businessman Bill Foley. The subsequent expansion draft (and NHL Draft) landed the team a star player in three-time Stanley Cup champion goalie and future Hall of Famer Marc-André Fleury from the Pittsburgh Penguins, as well as winger James Neal from the Nashville Predators. After a couple of preseason home games that introduced the Vegas Golden Knights' razzle-dazzle, Vegas-styled pregame show and theatrics, the city of Las Vegas was shattered on the evening of October 1, 2017 by an unspeakable tragedy: a man with a near-automatic rifle in the Mandalay Bay Hotel opened fire at a field below where thousands of music fans were attending the Route 91 Harvest Festival. The ensuring massacre killed 58 people and wounded nearly 500 others.
The Vegas Golden Knights had to confront this horrific event and help heal their home city. They went on to win their first home game, beginning a streak that earned them the auspicious title of the first team in NHL history to start an inaugural season winning eight of their first nine games. It was the first of many records the Vegas Golden Knights would break as the team. Defying expectations, the Vegas Golden Knights finished their season with 51 wins, becoming the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four major sports leagues and the first NHL team since the 1926-27 New York Rangers to win their division in their inaugural season. The team ultimately made it to the Stanley Cup Finals.
While the film highlights one of the greatest Cinderella stories in the history of professional sports, more importantly it demonstrates the respect and love between a team and its city. VALIANT showcases the true power of sports and serves as an inspiration for other communities facing tragedies of their own.
VALIANT is produced by Sterling Productions in association with Osmosis Films and NHL Original Productions. The director is Cruz Angeles and his credits include Sundance Film Festival Don't Let Me Drown, and the ESPN 30-for-30 Fernando Nation. VALIANT was shot by Axel Bauman, produced by James Lawler and Virgil Price, edited by Malcolm Hearn, and scored by composer Michael Levey. NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer is also an executive producer.
VALIANT is dedicated to the victims of the shooting of October 1, 2017, their families, their friends, and the heroic First Responders.
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