Veteran Edmonton Oilers fans are quite familiar with the stories of Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Grant Fuhr, and the stars who helped the Oilers win five Stanley Cups between 1984 and 1990. Known as the golden era of the Oilers, it’s a time that new fans have only heard stories about or witnessed through classic documentaries like The Boys Are Back (1989). However, Ryan Reynolds’ production house aims to change that by 2027.

Reynolds’ production house, Maximum Effort, is now backing the creation of a new docuseries focusing on the domination of the 80s Oilers. That time when Wayne Gretzky and Co. helped the Oilers become one of the greatest teams the league has ever seen. Titled ‘The Great Ones’, the five-part docuseries will give fans an exclusive perspective of that bygone era with brand new interviews.

The Canadian Press reported it will be “an unprecedented look at the lives and careers” of the five-time Stanley Cup winners, as per Maximum Effort. What’s more? The docuseries won’t just focus on Wayne Gretzky and the Oilers. The managers, broadcasters, and rivals who experienced the great ones script their legacy live will feature in the docuseries. However, Ryan Reynolds’ Maximum Effort won’t be the show’s sole producer.

The production studio will assist core G Productions, Fennessey Films, Super Channel, and OEG Sports & Entertainment to get the show on Super Channel by 2027. While the report didn’t mention if the docuseries will find its way to a North American audience through streaming, the Ryan Reynolds connection could hint at it happening at some point.

Meanwhile, Wayne Gretzky, Messier, or other Stanley Cup winners from that era haven’t commented yet. Thankfully, this isn’t Maximum Effort’s first rodeo producing a docuseries. The production studio has produced four seasons of ‘Welcome to Wrexham’, a docuseries on the Welsh soccer club that Ryan Reynolds co-owns. Another reassuring part is that Emmy winner Austin Andrews of ‘Julie and the Phantoms’ fame will direct the series. While the series is nearly two years away, one question looms large.

Can Wayne Gretzky’s former team break the curse this year?

It’s been over three decades since the Oilers experienced their glory days under the likes of Wayne Gretzky. The team has not won a single Stanley Cup since 1990, and while they came within touching distance last year, Oilers Nation had to be satisfied with the runner-up position. This year, despite looking shaky with some of their biggest stars sustaining injuries in the final stretch of the regular season, the Oilers have regrouped.

After a disastrous 0-2 start against the LA Kings, Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and the rest of the team have shown immense resilience. Although the fans feared the worst after their first two Round 1 matches against the Kings, the Oilers turned their playoffs around. Gretzky’s former NHL team knocked the LA Kings after four consecutive comeback wins.

Their comeback streak continued against the Vegas Golden Knights. While Vegas was one of the best teams during the regular season, the Oilers had the answers to the Pacific Division topper’s challenge. However, an old adversary has finally halted Edmonton’s momentum in the conference finals. The Dallas Stars, who lost last year’s conference finals against the Oilers, gave them a taste of their own medicine in Game 1.

While Edmonton entered the third period with a 3-1 lead, Dallas turned the game on its head, scoring a whopping five goals in the final period to snatch Game 1 from under the Oilers’ feet. Now the question is, will the Oilers recover in Game 2? Or will Stars’ Finnish Mafia prove too much for the Oilers to handle? How Wayne Gretzky’s former team performs for the rest of the tournament could very well determine if the upcoming documentary becomes a celebration of success or a nostalgic look back to better times.