For Hockey fans today, it may be hard to imagine how prominently hockey was at one time twisted into popular culture, but Disney discussing a $100-million deal with a star-less Russian team might help.
In the late ‘80s, early 1990s, Wayne Gretzky was going on Saturday Night Live, Nike was investing in hockey equipment (And even street hockey gear), the biggest musicians in the world were wearing hockey jerseys and The Mighty Ducks franchise was one of Disney’s most successful films. Around the same time, former Pittsburgh Penguins owner, Howard Baldwin, was exploring just about every way to capitalize on this wave of popularity.
One of his most interesting experiments was with the Russian Penguins – a team based in Moscow that was willing to do anything to get out of their money problems.
Red Penguins is a critically acclaimed documentary about the 1992-93 marketing experiment that went on with the CSKA hockey team, otherwise known as the Russian Penguins. The venture into an unknown hockey landscape started with bears as servers, strippers as cheerleaders and the potential for a $100 million Disney deal, but the group of odd-balls guiding the movie take it down a much darker path.
A much, much darker path.
Watching that trailer, it’s shocking that this story isn’t more widely known. And the entire feature goes into details that you won't believe unless you watch it yourself. Luckily for you, it is being released August 4, 2020 on digital and on-demand.
After watching it ourselves, we spoke with Gabe Polsky, the film’s director, and Steven Warshaw, the Russian Penguins’ marketing genius. They offered a little peek behind the curtain of what they call hockey’s true "dark comedy".
After watching, we have to agree. The juxtaposition of Russia nearly starting a civil war and Warshaw trying to get people to pay attention to a hockey team that had lost all of its stars in a country he’s never been to creates an entertaining unrest throughout the film. Luckily, Warshaw was pretty good at his job.
"Our merchandise outsold three NHL teams. We outsold Winnipeg and Quebec. The third might have been Edmonton, but I’m not 100% sure on the third".
It’s not that surprising when you look at the jersey, because this thing is a beauty.
But it wasn’t just the jersey. Warshaw’s antics will keep you entertained throughout the movie and they seemed to keep an arena full of people entertained as well.
Even though they started off with an almost empty arena, their North American approach attracted fans, but also some unwanted attention.
Mob ties, embezzlement and KGB agents add a consistent sense of danger throughout the film that Polsky also felt in-person, "I’m not usually a nervous person, but there was something different about the time I spent in Russia. I’m not usually very paranoid, but there were a couple of odd moments that you’ll see in the film that had me looking over my shoulder".
Warshaw’s experience in Russia was a little different, but Polsky’s creation seemed to offer a different lens, "I was so busy with the team at the time, that I don’t think I had time to know I was in danger. Watching the film from another perspective, it makes me wonder how I got away with all of that."
Unfortunately, that sense of danger was noticed at the time by some potential investors.
The story touches on some meetings that Warshaw had with former Disney CEO, Michael Eisner, and how he once mentioned that a deal between the Russian Penguins and Disney could be a "$100 million deal in the future". With the hype surrounding The Mighty Ducks, Disney was open to expanding their hockey stories, but concern with some of Warshaw’s Russian partners squashed the deal before it ever got started.
Even if it never happened, the film has some very interesting illustrations of the potential logo for this Russian version of The Mighty Ducks franchise. Who doesn’t love a good concept logo?
Disney weren’t the only investors scared off the dangerous presence in the team and while Warshaw no longer works in hockey, he marketing mind does still have some ideas for the NHL.
"They don’t market their stars. No one knows these guys…
Aside from that, I would invest in changing how the equipment looks. Most athletes in other sports today look way different than the players that played in the ‘60s and ‘70s, but in hockey it basically looks the same…
I’d get something that was closer to the shape of their bodies. Something that looks sleek, futuristic and makes players more identifiable."
We’d love to see the same. And while he was at it, Warshaw offered some ideas for us as well.
"I love the penalty box segment. You have to do that with some minor league team somewhere. It would be hilarious. The kids are cute, but guys in the minors would be so angry when they get in the box."
We love the idea. Maybe some day we’ll try it out in Russia.
