“In The Crease” is a documentary just released from Stickmen Pictures that chronicles the journey of the California Wave, a AAA Bantam travel hockey team that made it to the USA Hockey nationals. It touches on many hockey and life issues, including divorce, sacrifice and high parental expectations.

The film is the first to take an authentic, inside look at a youth
sport and what it means to kids and their families by charting the
.

roller-coaster ride of a real life teenage hockey team and its pursuit
of a national championship. In an unusual twist for hockey, the diverse team – the California Wave - hails from Southern California, an unlikely new hotbed for the sport. “IN THE CREASE” features special appearances by fifteen of the National Hockey League’s biggest stars sharing childhood stories and playing experiences never heard before  anywhere.

The NHL stars that are featured include Brendan Shanahan, Mathieu Schneider, Joe Thornton, Scott Gomez, Jeremy Roenick, Mike Comrie, Craig Conroy, Scott
Niedermayer, Brian Rolston, Martin Havlat, Derian Hatcher, Mike Knuble,
R.J. Umberger, Glen Murray and retired great Al MacInnis.

  “In the Crease” is produced and co-directed by Gannon and Sarner, both
longtime studio executives at Twentieth Century Fox and MGM
respectively. The filmmakers followed players, coaches and families of
the California Wave Bantam AAA travel hockey team (14& Under) from
March 2005 to April 2006, culling the film from over 180 hours of
footage.

In addition to chronicling the fate of the Wave at two
national championships, the film also explores the players’ dramatic
personal stories dealing with injuries, family break-up, and high
parental expectations.

The Wave team is based out of Lakewood, California and draws players from all across Southern California and as far as Seattle, Washington. 

Stickmen Pictures is a Los Angeles based film and television
production and distribution company, founded by Gannon and Sarner in
2005. “In the Crease” is the company’s debut film. Prior to starting
Stickmen, Gannon co-produced the Oscar nominated “Girl with a Pearl
Earring” starring Scarlett Johansson and was a production executive at
Fox Searchlight Pictures where he worked on hit independent films like
“Antwone Fisher,” “Quills” and “Slums of Beverly Hills.” Sarner was a
marketing executive at United Artists, where he managed the campaign
for the Oscar nominated “Hotel Rwanda” and critically acclaimed “Coffee
and Cigarettes.”

For more information on the movie, including how to order, or to view the trailer, visit www.inthecreasemovie.com.  or call Jennifer Perkins at 212-789-2107.