The Godfather of Hockey - The Making of The Cannons Documentary

AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner
  • 5.0 (3)
  • DOCUMENTARY

The Godfather of Hockey details the making of “The Cannons,” a documentary film about a little-known hockey program in Washington, D.C., launched by US Hockey Hall of Famer Neal Henderson five decades ago. Co-hosts AJ Messier and Steve Hoffner discuss their filmmaking journey and speak with those documented in the film, alumni of the program, politicians and more about the significance and legacy of Coach Neal and his Fort Dupont Cannons. https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com

Episodes

  1. 2021-11-10

    Fort DuPont Alumnus Bryan King

    This week on the Godfather of hockey podcast we have Fort DuPont alumnus Bryan King. Bryan shares with us his ice hockey origin story, and the fine art of learning how to stop on those skinny little blades we call ice skates.   Bryan also tells us about how Fort DuPont became his make shift family when things weren't going so well at home, and how the Cannon brotherhood helped shape him into the man he is today.  Like many of our guests on the pod, Bryan didn't experience racism as a Fort DuPont Cannon but away from the protection of Coach Neal the world was not as open to a Black hockey player.   Now a coach with another DC program Gonazga, Bryan has taken his lessons from Coach Neal to make his own.  The Cannons website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    29 min

  2. 2021-11-03

    Capitol Hill veteran & Fort DuPont Coach Robert Primus

    This week on The Godfather of Hockey we have civil servant, father, husband, and coach at Fort DuPont, Robert Primus.   Coach Rob, a New Jersey native, graduated from Virginia’s Hampton University in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in marketing; he earned a certificate from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 2007.  He began government service in 1991 with the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg. From 2002 to 2018, he served as Chief of Staff to former Rep. Michael Capuano. Most recently he was sworn onto the federal Surface Transportation Board on January 6th, 2021.  If that date rings a bell, and it should, he was in the bellows of Capitol Hill getting sworn in by House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn and only a few short hours later he was being ushered out under high security as the Insurrection was in full swing a few floors above.  Coach Rob talks about the ups and downs of life on Capitol Hill.  The lessons he has learned from Coach Neal and how a kid who could only roller skate could so easily fit in on the ice at Fort DuPont.   Rob then discusses what it will take for ice hockey to truly fulfill the statement "Hockey is for everyone." The Cannons website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    30 min

  3. 2021-10-27

    Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Marine Corps & Coach at Fort DuPont, Ralph Featherstone

    This week of the GOH podcast we have Assistant Coach of the Fort Dupont Cannons Ralph Featherstone.  Feather, as his friends know him has been with the Fort DuPont Program since he was a young toddler who's mother was afraid he was too small to play such a physical sport.  Some thirty years later he has grown into the role of Assistant Coach of the Junior Cannons team of which his son, Little Ralph is a member of.   Ralph talks with us about the adversity he faced growing up as a kid in Washington DC during the 1980's.  How he came to love the game of hockey through the teachings of Coach Neal, so much so that he never gave up on his dream of playing for the Naval Academy one day, and not only did he play but was named Captain of his senior year.   Ralph also talks to us about his life as at Miramar and the heights he hopes to see the Fort DuPont Cannon program soar to in the next 10 years.    The Cannons website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/  Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner  Produced by: Michael Mayers  Script Copy by: John Grigg  Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    32 min

  4. 2021-10-20

    Lead singer of Dog Eat Dog, and Assistant Coach at Fort Dupont John Connor

    John Connor has lived a life that many dream of.  Taking his punk rock band with his childhood friends to the stage of the MTV awards, beating out the likes of Alanis Morissette, and Weezer.  He rubbed elbows with U2's Bono and he has toured the world more times than he can remember.   The one dream that had eluded him his whole life, winning the Stanley Cup kind of came true when he got to see it and touch it a few years back thanks to his participation with the Fort DuPont Cannons and Coach Neal Henderson.   Coach John joined us on the pod this week to talk about his life in the winter as a Coach at Fort Dupont, his life as a rockstar in the summer with Dog Eat Dog but most importantly what it is like to be around Coach Neal and his Cannons these past 20 years. Dog Eat Dog website: https://www.dogeatdogofficial.com The Cannons website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    25 min

  5. 2021-10-13

    NHL Executive Kim Davis

    Kim Davis has been a trailblazer and change agent, positively disrupting the financial industry and wide world of sports over her illustrious 30+ year career and we are honored to have this incredible woman on The Godfather of Hockey this week.   Not only was Kim named to the Hockey News’ 2019 & 2020 Top 100 Most Influential Leaders in the sport,  she also graced the pages of Savoy Magazine’s 2018 Top 100 Most Influential Blacks in Corporate America.   Kim shares with us her journey from the board rooms in corporate America to the board rooms of Canada's game, how she has orchestrate change on and off the ice in the game go hockey, and where she sees hockey going in the very near future. Kim Davis has been one of our biggest supporters since day One, and we are honored that she took the time out her busy day to sit down and talk hockey, politics, and The Cannons.  Website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    35 min

  6. 2021-10-06

    Filmmaker Rob Ford

    One of the hottest filmmakers on the scene right now joins The Godfather of Hockey to talk his lack of knowledge of hockey and his new found love of Nascar.  He also discussed his choice of a career in filmmaking over the President of the United States.    Rob has recently worked on Lebron James' doc-series Shut up and Dribble and he discusses what kind of stories he wants to tell going forward.  Rob also discusses how relevant our film, The Cannons is, and how it is exactly the kind of story he is proud to be associated with.  We could not have been more honored to have Rob as part of The Cannons production team.  Rob is very candid in this interview, and speaks from the heart and at times may use language not suitable for all ages.   Rob Fords IMDB Page: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1906877/ Website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    35 min

  7. 2021-09-29

    NHL Alumnus and Current ESPN Broadcaster, Kevin Weekes

    NHL Alumnus and Current ESPN Broadcaster, Kevin Weekes joins AJ & Steve to talk about his formative years growing up in Toronto and how it was at times being the only Black player on the ice.  We delve into details about his career from his early years in the OHL to his rise in the NHL and then his smooth transition into being hockey's first Black commentator on Hockey Night in Canada. Kevin openly talks about his race related issues on and off the ice throughout his playing career, and where he sees the game of hockey needing to improve in order to bring hockey to the many diverse communities that have been neglected for far too long. Lastly, we talk about his first encounter with Coach Neal and his Fort Dupont Cannons and how they have been a role model for the NHL to help grow the game of ice hockey in the inner cities of the United States.   Website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: @thecannonsdocumentary https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Hosted by: AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner Produced by: Michael Mayers Script Copy by: John Grigg Original Music by: BrYonge "Accurate"

    51 min

  8. TRAILER

    Trailer: The Godfather of Hockey - The Making of The Cannons Documentary

    Introducing The Godfather of Hockey podcast, a show hosted the two filmmakers, by AJ Messier & Steven Hoffner about the people and issues they came across while making their feature Documentary film called The Cannons.  A story about an ice-breaking minority based ice hockey program started by Hall of Fame Coach Neal Henderson in Washington, DC. Website: https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecannonsdocumentary/ Produced by:  Michael Mayers Music:  "Ovi" Written and performed by Pap Brady.  Produced by Kold

    2 min

Trailer

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

The Godfather of Hockey details the making of “The Cannons,” a documentary film about a little-known hockey program in Washington, D.C., launched by US Hockey Hall of Famer Neal Henderson five decades ago. Co-hosts AJ Messier and Steve Hoffner discuss their filmmaking journey and speak with those documented in the film, alumni of the program, politicians and more about the significance and legacy of Coach Neal and his Fort Dupont Cannons. https://www.thecannonsdocumentary.com

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