When people do something extraordinarily well, it's self-evident. It could be art. It could be a circus, whatever it is, where people are doing incredible things. It's self-evident. You know that it's beautiful. You know that it's very difficult, but it looks easy.

If people see North American hockey and they see violence and brutality and it's not so interesting, that sends a message too about your culture.

Sports is like literature. People watch it and if it's beautiful and it's non-violent, whatever messages that you see, people can read into it and say, "Wow! You know what? Whatever they're doing over there, it's extraordinary, and maybe that culture is superior to ours in certain ways."

I don't want to get into being too hockey centered, but I just felt like the late 70's and 80's into the 90's was the right time period to tell the story.

If you're a skilled player, you want to use your skill, not just hit the puck.

My parents are from the former Soviet Union, from Ukraine, and I grew up wanting to be a professional hockey player.

I speak a little bit of Russian.