Episode 1, called "Best of Rivals," will feature Nylander and Pastrnak, who are friends, discussing the rivalry between the Maple Leafs and Bruins. The docuseries will conclude with a two-part episode showcasing Tkachuk and the Panthers' pursuit of the Stanley Cup against McDavid, Draisaitl and Hyman of the Oilers.
“It’s lots of fun watching other shows," Nylander said. "Growing up watching hockey documentaries they had following the NHL, I always wanted to see guys away from the rink, so I think that was one of my reasons I wanted to do it, because it’s fun to show that part of hockey."
Nylander added that he thinks the behind-the-scenes access will help bring new fans to the sport while serving as an inspiration for the next generation as well.
“For me, I was lucky to be close with my dad to the NHL and what that was like (Nylander's father, Michael, played in the NHL from 1992-2009), but there are a lot of kids who aren’t that close," he said. "So to see this, you can have a dream and what you can try for and what it can be like."
"FACEOFF: Inside the NHL" was executive produced by Martin and James Gay-Rees, who is also the co-founder of Box To Box Films; NHL senior executive vice president and chief content officer Steve Mayer and Ross Bernard for NHL Productions; and Daniel Amigone.
“The secret of these shows is to create a connection with the viewer where they can go, "Oh, he’s a hockey player or a golfer or a Formula 1 driver but he walks the dogs the same as I do or he takes his kids to the aquarium the same as I do,' and it’s amazing how that works,” Martin said. “I’ve got friends who’ve probably never watched a hockey game in their lives, but they’ll fall in love with these characters, I have no doubt.”
Initial discussions with players about potentially being involved in the docuseries began at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game in Toronto in February. Mayer said other players are now asking to be involved in future episodes after hearing from peers who were involved in the docuseries.
“This is not a show for hockey fans -- although they’re going to love it -- but it’s meant to be a show for sports fans who get an introduction to hockey through our players and some great storytelling," Mayer said. "There’s some really good stuff, things that even [the media] have never seen before.
“The players let us into their lives, and they were all in.”
"FACEOFF: Inside the NHL" is the continuation of an expanding relationship between Amazon and the NHL. Since 2021, the NHL has worked with Amazon Web Services (AWS) on their cloud based content delivery system to facilitate the delivery of new in-game analytics and video highlights to enhance fan experiences. This work includes the development of the NHL Edge IQ powered by AWS stats portfolio, which produces advanced analytics such as ice tilt, opportunity analysis, face-off probability, and shot and save analytics, to give fans a better understanding of the action on the ice.
"FACEOFF: Inside the NHL" marks the fourth original hockey program Amazon has produced with NHL Productions for Prime Video. In 2021, the docuseries "All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs" chronicled the iconic team's 2020-21 season. Last season, original hockey documentaries "Chosen One: Alexandre Daigle" and "Saving Sakic" premiered on Prime Video to critical and fan acclaim.
Also this season, "Prime Monday Night Hockey" will stream all national Monday night games in English throughout the 2024-25 regular season, and the "NHL Coast to Coast" whip around show is set to air every Thursday. Both will be available exclusively for Prime members in Canada.
“I’m really looking forward to the challenge,” said John Forslund, who will be the play-by-play announcer for "Prime Monday Night Hockey." “Can we take it to another place, can we be innovative, can we do all the things we’ve talked about? Now it’s time to throw it into motion and try to make it special for the markets that are involved.”
Mayer said "NHL Coast to Coast" will offer viewers a unique and innovative way to watch hockey.
“That sort of NFL RedZone whip around type feel,” Mayer said. “Some of the rules some of our networks have to abide by, we are going to probably loosen them a little. Integrating our Edge technology so there is going to be an overlay, and from a graphics standpoint it is going to be pretty cool to look at. And we are going to have fun. It’s going to be just guys and girls hanging out and talking hockey. We want it to be much more relaxed.”
