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Why Canadians are calling out Netflix for 'tone deaf' new hockey show

Natalia Buia
Natalia Buia
|
Aug 12 2026, 5:34 pm
Why Canadians are calling out Netflix for 'tone deaf' new hockey show
Netflix

Hot on the heels of Heated Rivalry and Off Campus, Netflix is jumping on the teen hockey drama bandwagon with The Sticks, but the series is already facing backlash from some Canadians before it has even premiered.

Created by Nick Naved and executive produced by Shawn Levy of Stranger Things fame, The Sticks stars Golden Globe-nominated actress Michelle Monaghan (The White Lotus, Your Friends & Neighbors) alongside a young cast that includes Canadian Emilie Bierre, Shai Chase, as well as Josh Macqueen and Costa D’Angelo.

Production on the eight-part series is currently underway and, like many Netflix productions, is being filmed in and around Vancouver, B.C. The series is expected to debut sometime in 2027.

The official synopsis for The Sticks reads: After tragedy shatters a small Minnesota hockey town, a grieving wife steps behind the bench of the team her husband built, guiding a found family of wounded young athletes through a season of loss, love, and rivalry.

Sound familiar?

On April 6, 2018, a bus carrying members of the Saskatchewan Junior Hockey League team enroute to was struck by a semi-truck while en route to a game in the town of Nipawin. Sixteen people were killed, and 13 others were seriously injured, sending shockwaves through Canada’s hockey community and sparking nation-wide outpour of grief and support.

Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the driver of the truck, was sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to 16 counts of dangerous driving causing death. He was granted parole in 2023 and later ordered to be deported to India, though, as CBC reports in April 2026, a court temporarily halted his removal and Sidhu remains in Canada for now.

It doesn’t take much for the average Canuck to see the parallels between The Sticks and what happened in Saskatchewan. Nearly a decade later, the Humboldt Broncos tragedy remains fresh in the minds of many Canadians, especially those who grew up with hockey at the centre of their lives.

The Sticks Netflix

Netflix

When a filming update was posted on X on Aug. 10, Canadians were quick to raise eyebrows and accuse Netflix of turning a deeply personal tragedy into glorified entertainment.

People are calling the upcoming series “downright disgusting” and question why Netflix should profit from this tragedy.

Others claim this is cause for cancelling subscriptions.

One user on X didn’t need a paragraph to make their point. Just two words:

“A thoughtful and respectful documentary would make more sense,” one individual writes on Facebook in response to the series coming out.

“All of Canada mourned the Broncos. We all put out our sticks from coast to coast. This is so tone deaf of them,” reads another Facebook comment.

One user on X points out that families of the Humboldt Broncos victims had asked Netflix not to move forward with the series, but the streamer proceeded with production anyway.

Back in Jan. 2026, Michelle Straschnitzki, whose son Ryan was left paralyzed after the crash, told The Canadian Press, “This is not their story to tell,” and added, “They’re just out to make some money and make it their story, which is garbage.”

Straschnitzki reveals the Humboldt families weren’t consulted about the Netflix series, nor were they told that it was going to happen.

A representative for Netflix provided a statement to media, emphasizing that the series is a work of fiction and is not inspired by any real-life event.

When The Sticks finally drops in 2027, Netflix may find some Canadian viewers aren’t so quick to pass the puck.

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