The Seattle Kraken NHL team has introduced a new player of the game award, modelled on the helmet worn by the character Sonny Hayes in the successful F1 movie.
The idea was formulated by Jerry Bruckheimer, producer of the movie and majority owner of the team, after a request from head coach Lane Lambert. Bruckheimer received permission from the rights holders of the movie and used Bell Racing to supply an authentic replica of the prop used during production.
The helmet was built to be oversized so any player can wear it, unlike real helmets which are moulded to the size of the specific driver. Just like the helmet in the movie, this one boasts the livery of the fictional APX GP team as well as Sonny's racing number seven and the playing card graphics.
“I just want to see the fans having a good time,” Bruckheimer said in a release on NHL.com. “To sit out here and soak it all in, that for me is what I most get out of this.”
He added: “When they made the helmet for Brad, the interior was molded to the exact shape of his head/ In racing, that’s how they do it. So, in this case, we had to get an extra special, extra-large helmet made so that it would fit the head of every player.
“So, it’s the exact helmet that we used in the movie. It’s just a larger size.”
Ron Francis, president of hockey operations at Kraken, applauded Bruckheimer's work on this project.
“Jerry came through again,” he said. "It's a really cool idea, I mean, they're really cool helmets."
Bruckheimer, commenting on the similarities between his team and the APX GP outfit, is hoping his 'underdog team' can see similar success.
“Look, in the movie it was an underdog driver, right?” he said. “And we have an underdog team. And he won."
Since its release, the F1 movie has grossed over $600million worldwide, making it an incredible success for Apple and those involved.
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