Filmmaker Kevin Smith will be returning to Brantford’s Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament this year. In 2009, his primary goal was to meet Walter, one of his idols, and play net in the tournament which raises money for the Brantford Sports Facilities Infrastructure Legacy Fund. This year, he has his sights set on two new goals. My aim is to not vomit, because I did after the second game last year, and to break the Guinness record for street hockey teams in a tournament, as thanks to Wally, he said on the phone from his home in Los Angeles, California. According to the Guinness World Records website, the current record for street hockey teams in a tournament is 192, set in Ladysmith on Vancouver Island in 2007. I said I’d be back and we’re coming back in a big way, he said. It’s possible. We figured last year we had a lot of teams and we only really promoted it a month before. Smith is known for films such as Clerks, Mallrats, Dogma and the upcoming film Cop Out, a detective film starring Bruce Willis and Tracy Morgan.
The director, writer, producer, actor and cult phenomenon attended the tournament for the first time last year, after he stumbled across a poster for it online while doing a Google search of Walter. He then called Pat Shewchuk of Brantford Parks and Recreation and said he would like to play in the tournament and sponsor three teams of his fans to play as well. His attendance in the tournament was a huge success, not only did the number of teams competing nearly triple, to 94 in 2009, but he sold out a show at the Sanderson Centre and donated the $10,000 proceeds to the sports infrastructure fund.
While his intention was always to throw some weight behind the tournament, he also managed to fulfill a dream of meeting one of his idols. I had such a blast last year, he said. That was one of the top 10 moments of my life. I still look at those pictures and smile. I’m used to working in front of an audience under circumstances I can control, but I’ve never done anything remotely athletic in front a crowd. Smith said the thrill of last year’s experience had provided more than enough incentive to commit to it again. People always ask me what my motivation behind it is. I need nothing more than the motivation to play street hockey in Wayne Gretzky’s home town in front of his father, he said. The filmmaker has already started to promote the event on his website and through social networking tool Twitter, but said a big announcement as to the finer details of the tournament would be made during a press conference with Walter at Wayne Gretzky’s Restaurant in Toronto on Feb. 3.
Shewchuk, of Brantford Parks and Recreation, said Smith’s participation will provide an opportunity to make the street hockey tournament a huge part of the Brantford sports calendar. Our vision is to make it a signature event, she said. I think with Kevin’s continued involvement, he wants to make it the biggest around. Shewchuk said Smith’s enthusiastic approach to the tournament allowed it to expand in a way that wouldn’t be possible without him.
When you have someone of his stature promoting it, it has the potential to be one of the biggest the city has seen, she said. With someone of his notoriety promoting this isn’t an opportunity that comes to everybody. However, Smith isn’t the only one who deserves credit, Shewchuk said. The reason Smith attended and promoted the tournament last year was because he is a big fan of the Gretzky family, especially Walter. (Smith) really admires Walter and that is the reason he attended, Shewchuk said. I don’t think the city realizes how lucky we are to have him and everything he does for us.
Last year, in an interview with Brant News, Smith said of Walter: He’s the cream of the crop – I look up to him as a human being – there’s always room for a guy like that in your world.
PS …. We Broke the Record … Over 200 teams registered for the 2010 Walter Gretzky Street Hockey Tournament.
