Documenting the next EA Sports legend

Coined “The Michigan,” the once a controversial move pioneered by UMichgan college player Mike Legg, has gained infamy and fame throughout the hockey world.

Following Legg documentary-style, director Trevor Gourley captured the exact moment when Legg was told that his image, and his signature move, would be put into a video game. The expression on Legg’s face is exceptionally genuine and moving, especially for typically tough-guy hockey players. The whole film is very touching, giving a personal look at a player who became legendary for a college-game deke.*  

“I remember watching the move as a kid,” recalls Gourley. “It predated YouTube and I remember being in the computer lab and waiting 20 minutes to download a blurry six-second QuickTime file. It was the hockey equivalent of footage of the Loch Ness Monster.” The Man Behind the Michigan was produced by Partners Film with a direct-from-client brief.

*Deke, for all you non-hockey fans, is short for ‘decoy’. In the game, a deke occurs when you fake out an opponent to move past them with the puck.