Commentary: Two Different Approaches To The ‘Hockey Enforcer’ Story

It’s interesting how stories can take a character and a specific situation into an almost infinite panoply of plots stemming from that one idea. It’s also not restrictive to tone or even the jumping-off point for a story. Stories can become a comedy or a serious thriller regardless of sharing the same starting point. They also can start in the moment or years later, dealing with the aftermath of what the character had to go through. This phenomenon can be analyzed well when looking at two specific stories in different mediums: a comic by Jeff Lemire named Roughneck and a film starring Sean William Scott titled Goon.

Goon is about a well-meaning hockey player who is, essentially, an enforcer. This means he’s not meant to play well on offense or defense. He’s merely on the ice to protect other players from getting hit. He’s a thug on the ice, which is a contrast from who he is in real life as a humble and caring soul. Roughneck is also about an enforcer. The main character is a tough hockey player who built a reputation for himself for never backing down from a fight. But in one instance, his anger took control and he beat a player so badly that it ended his career. The story actually takes place years later when the main character is down on his luck and a washed up drunk with an anger problem.

The starting point for each of these stories revolves around a hockey enforcer. That’s a very specific job. It’s not just a hockey player, but a player who has a certain role. From there, each story decides to approach its characters from completely different angles. Goon is a comedy that deals heavily with sports. It also illustrates how a character in such a violent position can be different on the inside. Roughneck has a very different approach. It follows a character whose anger led to his own demise. Although sports plays a part of the story, it’s not a major component. Roughneck is primarily a drama that deals with how its main character redeems himself in spite of his violent tendencies and addiction. Both stories are widely different, but they approach their subject matter from a very similar starting point involving characterization.

Goon is now streaming on Peacock.