INTRODUCTION
Our goal is to produce a feature documentary centered on the USA Hockey Pond Hockey National Championships in Eagle River, Wisconsin. The film will chronicle the transformation of a frozen lake into dozens of rinks, the migration of players from across the country, and the town that comes together to host one of the sport’s most unique events.
To achieve this, we are seeking an Executive Producer partner to help finance the project and to secure a formal partnership with USA Hockey. Because USA Hockey organizes and hosts the tournament, they are a natural collaborator and stand to benefit directly from the increased visibility, cultural impact, and promotional opportunities the film will create.
This partnership would also provide crucial support for marketing and distribution, ensuring the film reaches hockey fans nationwide while also introducing the grassroots spirit of the sport to broader audiences.
THE GREAT
MIGRATION
A FEATURE DOCUMENTARY
In the frozen north of Wisconsin, USA Hockey engineers a fleeting kingdom of ice where rinks multiply across a quiet pond in Eagle River. Each winter thousands of players, from weekend warriors to lifelong competitors, migrate to this stage to battle for glory, pride, and the chance to play the game in its purest form.
Synopsis
Each January, Eagle River, Wisconsin undergoes a transformation. What begins as a frozen, silent pond becomes a sprawling network of hand-built hockey rinks, constructed and managed by the tireless USA Hockey team. With equal parts precision, grit, and absurdity, they orchestrate one of the largest pond hockey tournaments in the world.
The film chronicles this annual ritual: the backbreaking build, the cold mornings, and the careful maintenance that keeps dozens of rinks playable in unpredictable conditions. Parallel to this story is the arrival of competitors from every corner of the country, bonded by their shared passion for hockey and their willingness to brave frostbite, blizzards, and long days on the ice for a chance to compete in the game’s purest form.
At the heart of it all lies Eagle River itself. The town embraces this yearly invasion, supplying volunteers, spectators, and local businesses that keep the tournament alive. With its wry, observational tone and an undercurrent of reverence for community, the documentary captures both the comedy and the quiet beauty of a frozen festival that is equal parts sport, spectacle, and survival.
STYLE + TONE
The Great Migration will adopt a dry, deadpan narration style reminiscent of Overtime and classic National Geographic specials, where the seriousness of the voiceover contrasts with the often chaotic, humorous, and deeply human realities unfolding on screen. This tonal juxtaposition will amplify the quirks and eccentricities of pond hockey culture, while still honoring the athleticism, camaraderie, and determination of those involved.
Visually, the documentary will balance cinematic wide shots of the frozen expanse with intimate verité momentsamong players, builders, and townspeople. Sweeping aerials of the rinks forming like crystalline patterns on the ice will sit alongside close-ups of chapped faces, steaming breath, and gear held together with duct tape.
The pacing will allow the absurd and the poetic to coexist: awkward scrambles for the puck narrated as if they were life-or-death migrations, while quiet moments—snow drifting across an empty rink at dawn—remind the audience of the fleeting magic of the pond.
Documentary Arc Outline
Act I: The Build
Opening Visuals: A silent frozen pond in Eagle River, blanketed in snow, untouched and still. The narrator’s steady tone sets the stage: “Here, in the northern reaches of Wisconsin, an ancient ritual begins…”
Awe blended with light-hearted absurdity. The pond becomes both battlefield and cathedral.
USA Hockey Team: Introduce the organizers and their monumental task of transforming raw ice into a sprawling labyrinth of playable rinks.
Snow is cleared, rinks are mapped, and lines are carefully painted by hand.
Moments of levity emerge as equipment sputters, shovels bend under the weight of ice, and heaters struggle against the cold.
Act II: The Arrival
The Migration: Teams from across the country arrive in Eagle River. Some come for the thrill of competition, others for the joy of tradition, and many for the simple camaraderie of playing hockey outdoors.
We meet a wide range of personalities: lifelong friends, first-timers, and veterans who have been part of this gathering for decades.
Preparation is part of the ritual — packing cars, taping sticks, and hauling coolers onto the ice.
The Town: Eagle River embraces the influx. Bars buzz with activity, hotels brim with guests, volunteers shuttle equipment, and families open their doors to visitors. Ceremonies, local pride, and a mix of cultures turn this small town into a winter carnival.
Act III: The Tournament
On the Ice: Multiple games unfold at once, the sound of sticks and skates echoing into the woods.
Officials do their best to keep play flowing across dozens of simultaneous matches, each with its own rhythm.
Blizzards, sudden thaws, and biting winds all test the resilience of organizers and players alike.
Human Drama: Emotional victories and tough defeats play out on rinks destined to melt back into stillness within days.
Long-standing rivalries resurface, while new friendships form between teams who may never meet again outside this weekend.
Act IV: The Aftermath
Final Games: Crowds gather at the showcase rink, energy at its peak, yet always grounded in respect and camaraderie.
As champions lift trophies and others retreat to local taverns to share stories, the camera lingers on volunteers packing up nets as snow drifts begin to cover the rinks once more.
Return to Stillness: The pond falls quiet, awaiting the next migration.
Final Thought: “And so the ritual ends, as it has for years, only to begin again when the ice returns.”