Smudge the Blades (2026)
Directed by Cody Lightning
Written by Samuel Miller and Cody Lightning
For kids in TREATY 6 territory, hockey is life.
But when the TREATY 6 BLADES, a self-organized U18 team from the reserve, finally get a spot in the highest division of the Edmonton City League, they fall apart in their first game, leading to a violent brawl that leaves them kicked out and without a coach.
Desperate to keep the team together for their final year, their only option is the COUNTRY LEAGUE, a poorly-run collection of farm towns and rural reserves across northern Alberta. But they still need a coach, someone desperate enough to coach the team and drive the van, for just the money they have left…
Enter WILLIE ARCAND (Cody Lightning), a charming and mysterious degenerate who drives zamboni at the City League rink. He doesn’t care about much of anything, but after meeting CHANELLE (Jana Schmieding)— a Mom from Treaty 6— his life is changed forever. He’ll do anything for her… including coaching a hockey team.
At first, it’s a failed experiment. The Blades don’t respect Willie, and he doesn’t care. The Country League games are rugged— difficult crowds, corrupt refs, & absolutely brutal hockey. But somewhere between the frozen van rides and busted rinks, Willie and the Blades find a special medicine… By learning to protect each other on and off the ice, they discover a style of hockey that’s all their own, and glory that lasts much longer than any trophy…
Starring CODY LIGHTNING, JANA SCHMIEDING, ED HELMS, PAULINA ALEXIS, TREYCEN WUTTUNNEE, ISIAH KAKEPETUM, ELIJAH MOAR, RIVER RAYNE THOMAS, and more!