Reviewing Prime Video’s ‘Faceoff: Inside the NHL’ season 2: Special moments, missed chances

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The second season of “Faceoff: Inside the NHL” drops today on Amazon Prime Video, with six all-access episodes released en masse. Given the enthusiastic response by fans and critics to Season 1, upping the ante was always going to be a heavy lift.

As was the case with another NHL-sponsored docuseries that captivated audiences, “Road to the NHL Winter Classic,” the follow-up edition of “Faceoff: Inside the NHL” often attempts to replicate what worked in Season 1. But as any NHL coach will say, no two seasons are alike, and where this one struggles most is in re-creating last year’s fresh feel.

It’s not for a lack of star power. The season opens with a heavy focus on the breakout performance of brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament that was viewed by millions in North America. Sidney Crosby, perhaps second only to Wayne Gretzky as history’s most famous hockey player, is co-featured in Episode 3, while Episode 6 covers a fierce Stanley Cup Final rematch between Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers and Matthew Tkachuk’s Florida Panthers. But despite what is supposedly unfiltered access, there is an overproduced vibe — hinting at better footage being left out, or not captured altogether.

Regardless, the result is that viewers can be left wanting more. Each episode forces a narrative that falls short of feeling organic. The voiceover narration can be confusing. The on-screen comments from talking-head national broadcasters can come across as scripted.

This is not to suggest “Faceoff: Inside the NHL” isn’t worth watching, though. As always, you should be the judge. Here is how our staff assessed each episode.

Episode 1

Overview

Many people know Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk as the little brother of Stanley Cup champion Matthew Tkachuk with the Florida Panthers. In this season’s first episode, they showcase Brady’s childhood growing up with Matthew and their father, Keith, and introduce the dynamic that hovers over the younger Tkachuk: he hasn’t made it to the playoffs.

The episode features a few moments from the Senators’ playoff chase. But it plays a back seat to the Tkachuk brothers representing the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and their rising popularity in the sports world beyond hockey.

Memorable moments

The childhood look back: The Tkachuk home video portion was a highlight, showcasing Brady and Matthew’s battles as youths. Matthew got the one-up more often than not, but Brady wasn’t afraid to go toe to toe. It immediately established the big brother/little brother dynamic.

The fight: Clearly, the 4 Nations Face-Off is the highlight of the episode. Hearing the brothers talk about how big the first Canada-USA matchup will be at the tournament sets the table for the fights to come. Even in a tournament that ended with an overtime winner by Team Canada, you could argue its most memorable moment was the Tkachuk brothers fighting before dapping each other up in the press box. And to set it to “Renegade” by Styx? Easily the best moment of the episode.

Missed opportunities

Missing context: Despite the 4 Nations portion being the best part, there’s some much-needed context missing. There’s no mention of Donald Trump and his comments about annexing Canada. Yes, it shouldn’t take much for bitter rivals such as Canada and the United States to scrap with hockey supremacy on the line. But Trump’s comments fueled the rivalry further, even though the show explained it away as just patriotic passion.

What about the injuries? Yes, Tkachuk only missed 10 games last year. But the hip injury he suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off was a storyline as he helped his team make the playoffs. Tkachuk also suffered an upper-body injury ahead of the postseason, yet still found a way to play at a high level. Tkachuk’s episode would’ve been enhanced with any kind of mention of how the forward managed through the pain with such high expectations for the season. — Julian McKenzie

Episode 2

Overview

The tragic deaths of Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in August 2024, a day before their sister’s wedding, are omnipresent in this episode. How Johnny’s widow, Meredith, relies on her connections to her late husband’s teammates, especially best friend Sean Monahan, while the Columbus Blue Jackets navigate an emotional season, offers proof to what hockey people regularly say: The team becomes your family.

Memorable moments

The children celebrate Christmas: At the time of his death, Johnny Gaudreau was the father to a young daughter and son, and his wife was expecting their third child. About halfway through the episode, Meredith Gaudreau takes her children to the house that Zach Werenski shares with his fiancée in suburban Columbus. The children open gifts and play as other Blue Jackets players stop by. It’s equally heartwarming and heartbreaking.

Monahan’s trials: Monahan was Johnny Gaudreau’s linemate with the Calgary Flames. His signing with the Blue Jackets offered hope. Only a couple of months later, Monahan was balancing mourning his best friend, being a rock for Meredith and the Gaudreau kids, and navigating the adjustment to a new city and organization. And then he injures his wrist halfway through the season. It’s a lot. His emergence as a co-star to Meredith Gaudreau deftly ties together the struggle of dealing with tragedy.

Missed opportunities

Calgary return omitted: Clearly, the director chose to focus on the Blue Jackets, as they were Johnny Gaudreau’s team at the time of his death. Certainly, Columbus’ season provided a dramatic arc for storytelling. However, to omit the Blue Jackets’ game in Calgary, where the light of Gaudreau’s NHL star first beamed, was disappointing. Given what the audience can read about the response to Johnny’s family for that game, not showing it to viewers was a whiff.

Absence of Johnny Gaudreau’s parents: As the episode plays out, viewers might expect to hear from Johnny Gaudreau’s parents and sister, and would be forgiven for expecting at least a minute or two devoted to the late Matthew Gaudreau. That never happens, and it leaves a void. — Rob Rossi

Episode 3

Overview

This episode leans into Stanley Cup winners and contemporaries Sidney Crosby and Anze Kopitar facing the end of their careers and also brings in Quinton Byfield as a possible successor to Kopitar, his Los Angeles teammate. It raises the possibility that Crosby might leave the Pittsburgh Penguins — something he’s never stated. And Crosby reunites with Marc-Andre Fleury when the Penguins visit the Minnesota Wild.

Memorable moments

Crosby taking stock: Crosby himself strikes a realistic tone when it comes to the Penguins’ future. Staying in Pittsburgh seems important to him. The franchise matters, whether it’s the legacy he has created or the relationships he has forged. He also notes that he has been around so long that he’s playing with the sons of former NHLers — and that he notices his shifts getting shorter over time as he watches himself in past games.

Kopitar’s personality: The Kings’ captain does have one. When attending the Skate For LA Strong charity game that recognized the first responders after the destructive Southern California wildfires, Kopitar said of the team he’s rooting for: “I’m accepting bribes. Whoever wants me on their side, that’s fine.” Kopitar shares how he got a “really bad” response from Steve Carell, the actor and former hockey player, when asking about his game. Kings superfan Will Ferrell also describes how he got Kopitar to laugh by dressing as his character Buddy from “Elf” with a cigarette dangling from his mouth.

Missed opportunities

It felt too curated: There were several shots of Crosby talking at a podium or after a game, but more could have been drawn out of the access at his home in Halifax. The episode could have dug more into Crosby’s intense preparation and competitive nature. We already understand what playing on a big stage like the 4 Nations meant for him. Crosby and Penguins diehards will probably love this, but we didn’t learn much more than we already know.

And it felt disjointed: Trying to wedge in three storylines didn’t create a natural flow. Maybe that was intended, but the sections on Byfield felt more like passing mentions. There was an opportunity to explore his mixed-race upbringing and his potential as a young Black star in hockey, which is important to him but is never addressed. In terms of Kopitar, shots of him and his family in Slovenia, the church where he and his wife, Ines, were married were nice. But his journey from a land that has only seven hockey rinks in the entire country is hardly mentioned. — Eric Stephens

Episode 4

Overview

This episode’s description alone offered a first chuckle even before watching: “Brendan Shanahan’s master ‘Shanaplan,’ years in the making, is finally coming to fruition thanks to his star forward, William Nylander.”

Well, I guess that serves as a tease for the non-hockey fans out there.

This episode focuses heavily on Shanahan and Nylander’s personal stories through the lens of the Leafs’ decade-long struggle to find playoff success. Not a bad subject to choose, all things considered.

Memorable moments

Going behind the Leafs curtain: Amazon manages to get some nice reflective moments from Shanahan and Nylander, including both talking about their relationship with their fathers.

Both also highlight the fact that this feels like the last chance for this configuration of the team after 11 years of the “Shanaplan.”

“It just shows we both believe in the same thing,” Nylander says at one point about Shanahan’s continued belief in him and the group.

I liked the personal moments spent with Shanahan touring Mimico, the Toronto neighborhood he grew up in. And we get to see Nylander spend some quality time with his family, too.

Other highlights include Nylander furniture shopping, lamenting his mother wasn’t there to help, and, for some reason, flipping the bird at the cameras again and again.

Chronicling the meltdown: There’s a lot of game footage from the Leafs’ abbreviated playoff run, including in the dressing rooms with players mic’d up. The two moments that will likely resonate most from that are Mitch Marner’s dramatic meltdown at his teammates after one of the losses to the Panthers, and Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk expertly playing the villain by rubbing salt in the wound late in Game 7.

Berube’s passion: Leafs coach Craig Berube isn’t one of the main characters in the episode, but you come away feeling like maybe he should have been, as he has many of the best lines and offers an “outsider’s view,” given this is his first time seeing the Leafs do their thing in the playoffs.

A sampling of Berube’s no-nonsense witticisms:

• “We’re f—ing soft.”
• “It’s all about right here (points to his head) — mental. … Get a f—ing attitude in here.”
• “Willy: Start moving. F— me.”

And his motivational speech with his team down (and playing terribly) at the second intermission of Game 7 against the Panthers: “Come on — seriously? We’re better than this.”

He was not wrong.

Missed opportunities

Poor casting: I like Pete Blackburn, but why was he in this episode as much as Shanahan and Nylander? A media personality who cheers for the rival Bruins, telling the Leafs’ story (at times inaccurately), isn’t going to land with fans. Why not more from the Leafs-adjacent voices they used — Bryan Hayes, Joe Bowen, Jackie Redmond and Paul Bissonnette — instead?

Too jumbled: Overall, it felt like Amazon tried to do too many different things in this episode. And when the playoff sections come around, Shanahan and Nylander’s storylines fade away. In fact, while we get Shanahan reflecting on the end of his time in Toronto, there’s nothing from Nylander about yet another postseason failure. A bit odd for someone who’s supposed to be the main character. — James Mirtle

Episode 5

Overview

This is a window into Seth Jarvis. The 23-year-old Carolina Hurricanes star has a live-wire personality. Jarvis cherishes connections and maintains them. He idolizes his older brother, Jayden, but the line, “Everyone says we really look identical now, which sucks because I called him ugly forever,” shows a self-deprecating nature. The episode also dives into Carolina’s acquisition of Mikko Rantanen and subsequent trade of the big right winger once they realize a few weeks of dating won’t turn into a marriage.

Memorable moments

A sweet diet: The show kicks off with Jarvis in his Raleigh condo, rummaging for something to eat. You have to imagine that he has a better diet in reality, but he shows his love of Nerds, laments not picking up milk to dig into a sugary cereal and then settles on heating up some chicken nuggets in an air fryer. “I hope these aren’t expired. I don’t think they should be. The better question is if I have Chick-fil-A sauce.”

Learning the fate of Rantanen: Jarvis monitors the trade deadline and anticipates that his team is going to move Rantanen after only a short stretch together. He golfs with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and they see Rantanen is bound for Dallas. Kotkaniemi: “Is this our fault? “Jarvis: “It might be my fault. If I scored last night on that pass he gave me, he might still be a Hurricane.”

Missed opportunities

Further exploration: When Jarvis touches on what goes on in his mind when he says, “I’m extremely hard on myself. I get in my own head” and, “There’s a lot of guys in this locker room that should probably be on this show instead of me,” it feels like there is fertile territory to dig further into why he doubts himself — or even uses that as fuel to prove he belongs.

The full impact of the Rantanen experience: Shoehorning what ended up as a massive storyline in Carolina’s season into a Jarvis-focused episode wasn’t easy, and the Rantanen drama probably deserved its own episode. Brief vignettes were good, including how Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky and the club tried to build a connection with a player who apparently didn’t want to be there and Rantanen saying he never wanted to be traded from Colorado. — Stephens

Episode 6

Overview

The final episode harkens back to how the 2024 Stanley Cup Final ended — in devastation for the Oilers and ecstasy for the Panthers — and then walks through both teams’ paths to the 2025 Cup Final, which ends similarly. It details Matthew Tkachuk’s gruesome injury and rehabilitation to be ready for the playoffs, and Brad Marchand’s trade to Florida at the deadline. Then, after showing plenty of on-ice trash talking between the Panthers and Oilers, the episode ends with Florida’s glorious celebrations for its back-to-back championships.

Memorable moments

Marchand reflecting on the trade: One of the better quotes from the episode was Marchand reacting honestly to being traded after 16 years in Boston, saying, “I thought I’d be a Bruin for life. That’s how I dreamt it up.”

Oilers keeping Zach Hyman involved: The show was clearly hoping for Hyman to be a big part of the Oilers’ playoff run after he proclaimed, “I know we’re going to be back” after last year’s loss in the Cup Final. That ended when he dislocated his wrist in the Western Conference final. It was a cool peek behind the curtain of how players keep their injured teammates involved when the Oilers passed a phone around the locker room with Hyman on FaceTime following their Game 5 victory to reach the Cup Final again.

Best use of profanity: We all remember Connor McDavid’s dressing room explosion from a year ago. This time, it was Oilers’ veteran Corey Perry, who screamed after the first period of Game 4 in the Cup Final, “Are we f—ing stupid, or just dumb? Keep your f—ing stick on the f—ing ice! Two f—ing power-play goals from high sticking. Do we know where we are right now?!”

The Oilers would come back from a three-goal deficit to win the game in overtime.

Missed opportunities

Where was Sam Bennett? The episode was titled “Rat Kings” and did a good job of demonstrating how the Panthers frustrated their playoff opponents, but with one glaring omission. Their Conn Smythe-winning forward, who was scoring big goals, falling on goaltenders and irritating the opposition to the nth degree, was completely left out of the footage. It would’ve been nice to see some of the on-ice banter between Bennett and the Leafs, Hurricanes or Oilers. — Jesse Granger

(Photos courtesy of Amazon MGM Studios)

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