William Douglas has been writing The Color of Hockey blog since 2012. Douglas joined NHL.com in 2019 and writes about people of color in the sport. Today, he explores the making of an adaptation of the hockey cult classic film “Youngblood.”
HAMILTON, Ontario — Chris Nelson had the demeanor and tone befitting a demanding coach as he put young players through their paces at the Freelton Community Park ice rink recently.
“I want you to skate hard around the net, come down ice, and stop hard — I want to see spray, I want to see snow,” he ordered.
Nelson wasn’t preparing the players for game. The associate producer and hockey consultant was rehearsing the young extras for a scene for “Youngblood,” an adaptation of the 1986 hockey cult classic that starred Rob Lowe, Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves in his feature film debut.
The new version follows hockey prodigy Dean Youngblood, who joins the Hamilton Mustangs and discovers he must face off against toxic behavior on the ice and within himself as he strives to become a professional player.
The film by Aircraft Pictures and Dolphin Entertainment is more a reimagining of the original than a remake. Dean Youngblood, played by Lowe in the original, is portrayed by Ashton James, an actor who is Black. The cast also includes Blair Underwood, who gained fame in the NBC legal drama “L.A. Law,” who plays Youngblood’s father, Blaine; Olunike Adeliyi is Youngblood’s mother, Ruby; and Alexandra McDonald plays Jessie Chadwick.
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