“My patience is running thin.”
Those words are spoken by general manager Kyle Dubas in the first trailer for the forthcoming Amazon Prime Video docuseries All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs — and they certainly echo the club’s loyal but frustrated fanbase.
While the Montreal Canadiens delivered an unforgettable spoiler alert in May, the program promises to be must-see TV for its behind-the-curtain peek at the Leafs’ fantastic regular season and swift post-season unravelling.
All five episodes will be available for your binge-watching pleasure/torture on Oct. 1 via Amazon Prime, streaming in more than 240 countries and territories.
Will Arnett, a lifelong Leafs fan and friend of Leafs president Brendan Shanahan, narrates.
Take a look:
“[Executive producer] Steve Mayer from the NHL approached us last year [2019-20] about it, and we declined to do it, and then came back again after the summer about wanting to do it,” said Dubas, who enjoyed the Manchester City and Philadelphia Eagles editions of All or Nothing.
“The way that we view it is it’s us being a good partner in the league to get Amazon involved. Then individually, as a team, I think the media and the fans, it’s a good opportunity to see the way that things actually operate behind the scenes here day to day, and a good look into what we’re really truly about, more than just the three hours that you see us at game time.”
Produced by Amazon Studios in association with NHL Original Productions and Cream Films, All or Nothing: Toronto Maple Leafs is the first Canadian Amazon Original series to launch.
When we interviewed Mayer about how the series came together, he was bubbling with excitement over the unprecedented access, which will take fans into meetings not only with the players but also between Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe.
“I saw one scene between the two of them that was really good. And when I say ‘really good,’ I mean making a scene like they’re actors. Just super compelling. Our fans are going to get a real inside look at the organization. And it’s first class from everything I’ve seen so far,” said Mayer, the NHL’s chief content officer and senior executive vice president.
“Our goal is to do such an amazing show that gets such an amazing response that the Leafs are the first of many of our teams that end up doing this series. We’re pretty psyched.”
The hope is that the Maple Leafs version of All or Nothing is such a success that other NHL clubs will hop aboard.
“We can’t put a dollar value on how important these shows are to the league,” Mayer said.
“We always feel like our players and our coaches are so likable, and these are the kinds of shows that really expose that. I don’t think it’s about money here as much as it is about growing the game through another cool vehicle.”
