“Shattered Ice”: When the Final Whistle Echoes More Than a Game

How a high school hockey story becomes a lifeline for conversation on youth mental health.

When the puck drops and the crowd roars, there’s exhilaration and triumph—but for many young athletes, the real game happens off the ice, in silence. Shattered Ice, written and produced by Jake Miskin, confronts that silence head-on. Inspired by the tragic loss of five fellow students in his hometown, Miskin crafted a story set in the fictional Massachusetts town of Nehoiden: a tight-knit community, a high school hockey team, and the devastating aftermath of one teammate’s suicide.

“Sports were always the last place where you’re going to open up and be vulnerable,” Miskin shared in his MovieMaker Magazine interview. “I wanted to create a film that shows the cost of that silence.”

A Story Rooted in Real Life

The film follows hockey player Will Mankus (portrayed by Charlie Gillespie) as he navigates grief and guilt after losing his best friend and teammate, Danny. Instead of focusing on the “why,” Shattered Ice explores what comes next—how a community struggles to talk aboutmental health, masculinity, and healing.

For Miskin, who grew up playing sports, the project became deeply personal—a way to challenge the notion that strength means suppressing emotion.

Why This Film Matters to Reel Hope’s Mission

At Reel Hope, we believe in the power of storytelling to shift culture.
Shattered Ice embodies that mission by transforming a familiar arena—youth sports—into a lens for empathy, conversation, and change.

It speaks to:

• Young athletes, who often equate strength with silence.
  
  

• Parents and coaches, who can create safer spaces for vulnerability.
  
  

• Communities, learning how to rally around loss and build resilience together.

A Film Born From and For Community

Miskin and producer Benjamin Stephen brought Shattered Ice to life through grassroots support—local charities, small businesses, and neighbors who believed in the message. Set in the Boston suburb of Needham (fictionalized as Nehoiden), the story’s realism grounds its emotional impact.

Authenticity was essential: real locker rooms, real ice rinks, and a cast that brought both raw emotion and quiet strength to the screen.

Festival Circuit and Accolades

Since its debut, Shattered Ice has made an impressive run on the film festival circuit, resonating deeply with audiences and juries alike.

Film Festivals:

• 🎬 Sedona International Film Festival – Sedona, AZ (World Premiere)
  
  

• 🎞 Berkshire International Film Festival – Great Barrington, MA (East Coast Premiere)
  
  

• 🎥 Dances With Films: LA – Hollywood, CA (West Coast Premiere)
  
  

• 🎬 Woods Hole Film Festival – Woods Hole, MA
  
  

• 🎞 Mystic Film Festival – Mystic, CT

Awards:

• 🏆 Sedona International Film Festival | Most Impactful Film
  
  

• 🏆 Berkshire International Film Festival | Audience Award – Narrative Features
  
  

• 🏆 Woods Hole Film Festival | Audience Award – Feature Narrative
  
  

• 🏆 Woods Hole Film Festival | Best Performance – Ensemble
  
  

• 🏆 Mystic Film Festival | Best Male Performance – Narrative Feature
  
  🏆 Mystic Film Festival | Best New England Film
  
  

• 🏆 Mystic Film Festival | Audience Choice Award – Best Narrative Feature

  A Call to Conversation

  If you’ve ever been part of a team, felt the weight of expectation, or watched someone struggle behind a brave face—this story will stay with you.

  Because Shattered Ice isn’t just about hockey.
  It’s about grief, friendship, courage, and the moment after the final whistle—when the real journey toward healing begins.

  By amplifying films like Shattered Ice, Reel Hope celebrates storytellers who turn pain into purpose and art into empathy.

  Source: MovieMaker Magazine – “Shattered Ice: How a Young Filmmaker Found Purpose Through Grief”