When a streaming giant attempts to turn a real-life nightmare into a polished underdog story, the line between inspiration and exploitation becomes dangerously thin. Netflix’s upcoming drama promises a cinematic rising from the ashes arc, but for the families of the Humboldt Broncos, the plot feels like a painful intrusion into their private grief.

The parallels between the show and the real-world event are impossible for the victims' families to ignore.

According to CBC News, the upcoming series follows a hockey community in South Dorothy, Minnesota, reeling from a devastating bus crash that kills players and their coach. Scott Thomas, whose son Evan died in the Humboldt Broncos crash, views the production as a fictionalized version of his own lived reality.

"They are trying to make some triumph out of tragedy, I will never be able to find triumph in this tragedy," Thomas said in the interview, as mentioned by CBC News. He expressed that while he is not naive to the industry, seeing his daily mourning turned into a commercial script is deeply unsettling.

Thomas mentioned that a documentary focusing on the facts and the ongoing battles of the survivors can be considered right. However, creating a fictional world with an inaccurate ending does nothing to help the cause of those still suffering.

“If it were a documentary and told the real facts of what happened that day and where everybody is now and the battles, we're all still fighting, that's one thing,” Thomas said in the interview, as mentioned by CBC News. He believes that if the show was inspired by the Broncos, the creators should have consulted the families first.

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While the families seek a factual tribute to their loss, the creators have pivoted toward a narrative focused on resilience and community healing.

According to Tudum, Netflix describes the unnamed series as a story of hope set in South Dorothy, Minnesota, where a widow takes over coaching duties to rebuild a broken team. The streaming giant positions the show as an underdog tale where shared grief becomes a superpower that eventually unites a fractured community.

“When a bus crash claims the lives of several players and Sully himself, the town looks to Harper Sullivan, Coach Sully’s widow, to coach a new team of battered and broken young men”, Tudum says.

Michelle Monaghan stars as Harper Sullivan, the widow of a legendary coach who is tasked with leading a broken team back to the ice. The eight-episode series is produced by Shawn Levy’s 21 Laps, the company responsible for major hits like Stranger Things. The show aims to explore how a community uses shared grief as a superpower to reclaim their way of life, making the series part of Netflix's 2026 lineup.

While the show is set in Minnesota, the premise of a phoenix rising story stands in stark contrast to the perspectives of those in Saskatchewan. The creators are focusing on a hopeful, underdog narrative about a town coming together to heal. This creative direction continues to raise questions about the ethics of using sensitive historical events as a foundation for fictional entertainment.

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What are your views on Netflix's upcoming series based on the tragedy happened in real-life? Let us know in the comments below.