Mark Moran, one of the new owners brought in by Commissioner Heilmann is part publicity stunt, part an experiment in method acting research. Mark is an independent film actor/director from Hollywood California and his involvement in the league has raised concerns among the other league owners.
Brought in as part of the IHHL expansion for the 2013-2014 season, it soon became clear that Commissioner Heilmann had an ulterior motive for inviting Mark to become an owner. Commissioner Heilmann meant to use Mark to garner greater attention for the league by allowing Mark to treat his team, and the league by extension, as fodder for a new film. Mark saw the IHHL as a great opportunity to do some real life research for his upcoming film, The Flimsy Forward. The Flimsy Forward is the story of a banker who quits his high pressure, high paying job to teach a group of inner-city, under privileged youths the ins and outs of hockey. The banker, it is later learned, is a former college prodigy hockey payer who ended up quitting as the result of knee injury received in a playoff game.
Upon learning of this, the other league owners were outraged and that Mark appeared to be taking pages out of the leagues own history as it concerned Charlie Conway's coach Gordon Bombay. The story of Gordon Bombay, which was recently the subject the of an ESPN 30 for 30, that bears more than a passing resemblance to the Flimsy Forward storyline.
In the first few weeks of the season, Mark would often be found on the ice practicing with his team and discussing their motivations and feelings. After Mark ended up breaking his leg as part of a freak practice accident (Patrice Bergeron issued a strong "No Comment" when asked about the incident), Mark has since moved to a coaching role to get "In better touch with the feelings, angst, and motivation" that the title character, that Mark will be playing, is feeling.
Team Moran, while dwelling in the basement of the Dunlop Conference, continues to put a spirited fight. Whether that is because of or in spite of Mark's coaching is unclear. With the team's poor performance, lack luster attendance numbers, and a growing dissatisfaction of the other owners, Mark's hold on Team Moran may be fleeting.
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