TRENT ALUMNUS’ PASSION FOR THE TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS AT HEART OF NEW FILM

Dale Morrisey’s Being Leafs Nation: A Film In Three Periods premieres in autumn 2022 on PBS affiliates

January 21, 2022

 Trent alumnus Dale Morrisey ’92 has combined his love of history with his passion for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the result being an extensive three-part documentary that focuses a fresh lens on the colourful history of the storied National Hockey League franchise.

Being Leafs Nation: A Film In Three Periods will debut in the fall of 2022 on PBS affiliates.

With some 60 to 70 hours of interview footage compiled, Morrisey and his colleagues at Wandering Journalist Productions (WJP) in Bath, Ontario decided to present their work in three 55-minute episodes – titled The Birth of Leafs Nation, The Glory Years and The Circus Comes to Town – “to tell the story better.” He describes the film as “a love letter” to fans of the team.

“In a lot of ways, the Leafs are like the Brooklyn Dodgers… they find new and creative ways each year to break the hearts of their fans,” says Morrisey.

“But there’s something about being a Leafs fan. There’s a tradition that has been passed down. There’s room for everybody in the suffering world of being a Leafs fan.”

Morrisey notes that while documentaries and books about the Toronto Maple Leafs abound, Being Leafs Nation is different from a couple of ways, one being that it’s an “unofficial” history and is not connected in any way to Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment or any other corporate entity.

“Also, there’s a lot more of the fans’ perspective. We tell the story using fans’ reminiscences from different eras and we mix that with comments from players. And as much as we relied on archival material, we decided early on to make use of artifacts and memorabilia to help tell the story.”

Morrisey is quick to credit much of his success – Being Leafs Nation is WJP’s fourth hockey-related film – to his time at Trent University where he earned a degree in Political Science and History. He specifically mentions the late Dr. John Syrett as a major influence on his “love of storytelling” as well as the “opportunities to take ideas and run with them.”

“He (Dr. Syrett) taught me that you have to be able to tell a good story when you’re talking about history,” says Morrisey.

“I try to make sure my films are accessible; that I’m democratizing history so all people can watch it. You don’t have to be a hockey fan or a sports fan to watch my films. A casual fan can watch and learn something.”

While he’s excited for his film to premiere, Morrisey admits to “some nerves,” adding “We want to get it right.”

“I hope those who see it realize the dark periods for the team weren’t as dark as they’ve been made out to be. The high points weren’t as high either. I’m hoping they come away with an appreciation for the complexity of what the history of the team is.”