The tough, physical Bostonian is one of just 29 players in NHL history … At the same time, he wanted to give it "a big-budget look and not make it look like a small little Canadian movie."Canadians Sladen Peltier and Ajuawak Kapashesit, along with American actor Forrest Goodluck, portray protagonist Saul Indian Horse at three different stages of his life.Saul teaches himself to play hockey and moves up in the ranks of the sport, but after a string of racist attacks against him, he gives up and has to confront his painful past."It's not common you get roles like this that are very truthful and aren't exploitive in any way," said Kapashesit, noting his grandfather and other family members went through residential schools.Campanelli said the goal was to stick to the book's roots and its Indigenous origins and "not Hollywoodize it.""I think a film like this will actually help a lot of people understand, because it doesn't really pull a lot of punches but it is still very cinematic," said Kapashesit, who is of Ojibway and Cree heritage and was born in Moose Factory, Ont."He didn't believe it," Campanelli, who grew up in Montreal and lives in California, recalled in an interview at last September's Toronto International Film Festival.Dennis Foon wrote the script for the film, which was shot in chilly winter temperatures and on rough terrain in Sudbury, Ont., and Peterborough, Ont."He was like, 'What? In one particularly painful scene, a grown-up Saul is pelted with toy “Indian” figurines on the ice.Here’s the official poster for the film.Forced to confront painful memories and revelations, Saul draws on the spirit of his ancestors and the understanding of his friends to gain the compassion he so sorely needs in order to begin healing.Get a roundup of the most important and intriguing national stories delivered to your inbox every weekday. Leboutilier teaches Saul how to play hockey, and gives him endless encouragement and love. Without Leboutilier, Saul leads readers to believe, Saul would never have developed his skills as a hockey player, and would have continued living at St. Jerome’s in utter misery. Saul teaches himself to play hockey and moves up in the ranks of the sport, but after a string of racist attacks against him, he gives up and has to confront his painful past. Indian Horse is a survivors’ tale that showcases the indomitable spirit of North America’s First Nations people in the face of aggressive assimilation policies and racism. Jeremy Roenick is the absolute embodiment of an American hockey player. Ice Hockey. Please help us encourage Native hockey players to attend college through our scholarship program. His talent leads him away from the misery of the school to a Northern Ontario native league, and eventually the pros.