NHL: Lord Stanley's Cup - Hockey's Ultimate Prize

Rating:
Summary: A tremendous history of hockey's ultimate prize
Review: Fans of hockey don't need to be reminded of how truly special Lord Stanley's Cup really is. For many, winning the Cup is a dream, and the road to realizing that dream is long and arduous. This documentary, hosted by Denis Leary, is a tribute to the history of the Stanley Cup, and the passion and dedication it takes to earn the right to hold the world's most famous trophy above your head.

Over the course of an hour, this film covers the roots of the Cup, the great hockey dynasties of the Habs and the Islanders, some of the best moments along the path to the Cup, some of the most heartbreaking defeats, as well as a chronicle of Cup history in the making.

Included on the disc are a slew of special features, the best being tense highlights from the '99 and 2000 Cup finals.

This is a must for any hockey fan.

Rating:
Summary: A tremendous history of hockey's ultimate prize
Review: Fans of hockey don't need to be reminded of how truly special Lord Stanley's Cup really is. For many, winning the Cup is a dream, and the road to realizing that dream is long and arduous. This documentary, hosted by Denis Leary, is a tribute to the history of the Stanley Cup, and the passion and dedication it takes to earn the right to hold the world's most famous trophy above your head.

Over the course of an hour, this film covers the roots of the Cup, the great hockey dynasties of the Habs and the Islanders, some of the best moments along the path to the Cup, some of the most heartbreaking defeats, as well as a chronicle of Cup history in the making.

Included on the disc are a slew of special features, the best being tense highlights from the '99 and 2000 Cup finals.

This is a must for any hockey fan.

Rating:
Summary: A Great DVD for the Collection for all Hockey fans
Review: If you are a hockey fan or even if you wonder why hockey fans are hockey fans, this is a pretty good DVD to add to your collection or to answer your questions. While most of the footage included is of recent vintage, there is enough film of "old time hockey" to keep the long time hockey fans interested. Denis Leary, who hosts the DVD, has the perfect personality to narrate this video, bringing the appropriate mixture of reverence and humor in leading the viewer from the history of the cup to its latest home in New Jersey. During the 50 minutes of the DVD, the producers present some of the greatest performers during the playoffs as well as the Dynasties that have held the cup more times than any other teams. In one of the more interesting segments presents what the cup means to NHL players, past and present, both who have been on Cup-winngin teams, and those who have fell short in this quest. Another very interesting segment, the Cup's Escorts from the Hockey Hall of Fame discuss what happens to the Cup after the final game.

All in all, this was a very good DVD, the bonus footage of games 6 of the 1999 and 2000 finals allow the viewer to relive (or to experience for the first time) these two games that really presented what hockey is all about. It also presents additional footage of some of the greatest players to play for this award.

I would, in a second, recommend this DVD to any hockey fan, either a casual fan or die hard. It's well produced and doesn't leave out too much. The only thing that could be improved is if it were longer.

Rating:
Summary: A Great DVD for the Collection for all Hockey fans
Review: If you are a hockey fan or even if you wonder why hockey fans are hockey fans, this is a pretty good DVD to add to your collection or to answer your questions. While most of the footage included is of recent vintage, there is enough film of "old time hockey" to keep the long time hockey fans interested. Denis Leary, who hosts the DVD, has the perfect personality to narrate this video, bringing the appropriate mixture of reverence and humor in leading the viewer from the history of the cup to its latest home in New Jersey. During the 50 minutes of the DVD, the producers present some of the greatest performers during the playoffs as well as the Dynasties that have held the cup more times than any other teams. In one of the more interesting segments presents what the cup means to NHL players, past and present, both who have been on Cup-winngin teams, and those who have fell short in this quest. Another very interesting segment, the Cup's Escorts from the Hockey Hall of Fame discuss what happens to the Cup after the final game.

All in all, this was a very good DVD, the bonus footage of games 6 of the 1999 and 2000 finals allow the viewer to relive (or to experience for the first time) these two games that really presented what hockey is all about. It also presents additional footage of some of the greatest players to play for this award.

I would, in a second, recommend this DVD to any hockey fan, either a casual fan or die hard. It's well produced and doesn't leave out too much. The only thing that could be improved is if it were longer.

Rating:
Summary: Kind of short
Review: Interesting info. but only runs about 50 minutes. Not worth the price of admission I'd say.

Rating:
Summary: Kind of short
Review: Interesting info. but only runs about 50 minutes. Not worth the price of admission I'd say.

Rating:
Summary: The Greatest Hockey Prize on earth - The greatest hockey DVD
Review: Lord Stanley's Cup has a lot of hockey information on it. This is the first sport DVD that has featured hockey, and I am very impressed. There is some great older footage and some wonderful behind the scenes look at what happens to the Cup during the off-season. There are wonderful shots of memorable players and I saw a behind the scenes look at hockey's ultimate prize. None other than Denis Leary hosts the 40 minute main feature!

The program is presented in 1.33:1 full frame. The program is in color, but there is an occasional footage that is black and white. The older footage shows its age, and there is a little graininess and picture scratches seen from this footage. The latter day footage is almost pristine, with the colors holding true for most of the program. The older color footage has faded slightly, but it is not a significant problem. It is nice to see the older footage and the new footage together in one program. Uniforms hold true to form in the colors, as there isn't any bleeding during the action. The New York Ranges are in their traditional blue shirts and there is a lot of the team from Hockeytown, USA. The audio of Lord Stanley's Cup is Dolby Digital 5.1 and sounds quite good. Denis Leary's narration and hosting is heard in the center speaker. You will hear numerous announcers during the program, and they are also heard in the center channel. Interviews are also heard in the center channel, with a little action in the front surrounds. The front surrounds contain most of the hockey action. The music is heard in the four surround channels when there isn't narration. The crowd noise is relegated to the rears, and isn't too aggressive, except on goals.

The biggest extra is this DVD has a French track, presumably for the Quebeçois. Jean Page narrates the track. French subtitles automatically turn on for this feature, and appear when people are speaking in English. Page speaks only when Leary is talking, for the most part. Included on the DVD is some bonus footage. This is in the extras section and is divided into three parts. There are two features about Game 6's on the DVD. The first is from 1999 and the second is from 2000. Both games were the concluding game in their respective series and each lasts about the same length. This final selection is a four minute piece about Money Players. There is a Players feature accessible from the main menu. It features twelve of hockey's greatest players of all time. Also included is a very thorough bio on Denis Leary. There is a section on the history of Lord Stanley's Cup. The submenu features a menu with three options and motion previews. The features are static, though. Stanley Cup Winners is self descriptive, and it goes back to 1892-1893, before the formation of the National Hockey League in 1917. The Conn Smythe Trophy Winners is similar to the first feature, with winners of the award dating back to its inception in 1965. Some of the more recent great hockey names have won this trophy, numerous times. Hall of Fame Players consists of the people who are in the Hockey Hall of Fame. The list is quite long and informative. The players are listed alphabetically and it lists their year of induction.

Whether you are old school or new school, you will like Lord Stanley's Cup. If the nicknames Toe, Mess, or Tik mean something to you, they you will want this DVD. There are numerous interviews with many If your favorite player is Wayne Gretzky (The Great One), Lanny McDonald (The Mustachioed One) or Maurice (The Rocket) Richard, you will enjoy this DVD. Denis Leary tells it like it is, and he proves his credibility. Not many people would wear a Bruins jersey in the Canadien's locker room. If you like hockey, (and I know some of you do!) you are going to love this DVD. Not only is there the hour long program hosted by Denis Leary, but there is enough extra material for you to play with for a while, too. If you don't know what a Slap Shot is, and are Clueless to hockey and thought it was a Mystery, Alaska, you should check out this DVD and see how the game was played, is played and will be played in the future. If you don't buy this disc, Gordie Howe could come knocking at your door.