November Ice

*SPOILER ALERT* If you don't want to know the story of the film, don't read what's below. Bobby "Viz" Vizniowski, a gentle-natured giant, born to play ice hockey with dreams of one day escaping the grips of his small town, Foam Lake Saskatchewan, Canada and his abusive, alcoholic father and enabling mother. After a bravery dare gone bad, Bobby's older brother falls through winter ice, not yet solid enough for play and drowns. After being warned by their father Albert to never ever play on November Ice, Bobby finds himself on the receiving end of his fathers unyielding forms of punishment for years to come. Fed up with the physical and verbal abuse, Bobby begins to view hockey as his ticket out of town. Bobby continues to build his reputation as a potential future star, throughout his youth hockey programs. Over the years he uses Albert's ongoing abuse to fuel his on-ice work ethic. Bobby finally realizes his dream and is selected by a professional hockey team in the sixth round draft by the Los Angeles Lasers. Albeit a loosing franchise and a team that has low expectations of him as his marginal contract suggests, Bobby breaks out with a banner year outperforming his own dreams and receives bonuses exceeding a million dollars. With a career on track and marrying his first new love Allison Johnson, Bobby recklessly begins to purchase jewelry and a house for Allison along with cars, artwork and toys for himself. After an iffy second year and an abysmal third, Bobby becomes the target of his team owners and coaches for him to play the role of the teams Enforcer. Bobby trapped financially, unwillingly accepts his new role and quickly becomes one of the most feared men in the league. With each passing game, he becomes less of a hockey player and more of a brawler. He often plays injured as a result and becomes addicted to pain killers and sleep medication. His deteriorating state becomes visible to the team's equipment manager, and former enforcer himself, Shawn Baker, who offers Bobby advice on his position on the team. Bobby hides his addiction and security playing for The Lasers from his family. Bobby continues to brawl on the ice, edging his team closer to a championship. His life quickly begins to spiral downward after suffering an injury to his fighting hand, the coaches and owners quickly call up a rookie from the minor leagues as his replacement. The pressure to perform becomes insurmountable. He continues playing injured and manages to get his team to the championships. After a career ending injury in game six for the Stanley Cup that the Lasers win, Bobby has an epiphany that this is all wrong, and wrong to injure another player that has spent their life developing their skills only to be taken away in a moments time. This leads to Bobby contemplating suicide.