Hockey Toon Tuesday: The Sweater (Le Chandail) by NFB

In tribute to the holiday season, I wanted to feature a hockey cartoon with a Christmas theme. Although I couldn't find one specifically related to this holiday, the cartoon I chose does involve a gift, winter and praying to God.

The Sweater is a 1980 animated short from the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) based on author Roch Carrier's 1979 book of his own childhood experience.

It tells the story of a young boy growing up in Quebec, who outgrows the jersey of his favourite hockey team, the Montreal Canadiens, which has the number of his favourite player on the back, Maurice Richard. Noticing this, his mother orders him a new sweater by mail. When the day comes that the sweater finally arrives, the boy is severely disappointed but the mother can't understand why and forces him to wear it anyway. His eventual humiliation by other boys and his coach at the rink adds to his misery.

You might have seen The Sweater on YouTube. However, this is directly from the NFB, so the clarity is superior to what you may have watched previously. Enjoy it again, won't you?



See an updated, live-action version of The Sweater.

Hockey Holidays to All!