Actor Noah Reid, who stars in Score: A Hockey Musical as teen phenom Farley Gordon, is lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates. Actor Noah Reid, who stars in Score: A Hockey Musical as teen phenom Farley Gordon, is lifted onto the shoulders of his teammates. (Ken Woroner/Mongrel Media)

The Toronto International Film Festival will celebrate one of Canada's favourite pastimes at its start this year, with organizers announcing that Score: A Hockey Musical has landed the prestigious opening night gig.

The hockey-themed film, unveiled Wednesday morning at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, is a coming-of-age story about a sheltered teen-turned-hockey phenom, portrayed by Noah Reid. It is written and directed by Michael McGowan, the filmmaker behind the dramas One Week and Saint Ralph.

"Score: A Hockey Musical captures key elements of Canadian identity — our passion for our national pastime, our unique musical style and our special brand of humour," TIFF director and CEO Piers Handling said in a statement.

"We wanted a film that was fun. We wanted a film that was a little bit lighter than we've had in the last couple of years," co-director Cameron Bailey told CBC News.

"We had Creation and we had Passchendaele. These are serious dramas. We just wanted to go a bit lighter."

The film's cast includes actress and singer Olivia Newton-John and singer-songwriter Marc Jordan, who portray the young hockey star's parents.

Score also features cameos from a long list of prominent Canadian figures, such as Nelly Furtado, Walter Gretzky, Theo Fleury, John McDermott, Evan Solomon and George Stroumboulopoulos.

The soundtrack is also populated by many Canadians, with McGowan penning the lyrics to 19 original songs and contributions by the Barenaked Ladies, Jordan, Amy Sky and Hawksley Workman, as well as Aussie actress Newton-John.

"I think because we're funded publicly, ...we've got to tell Canadian stories. I'm trying not to sort of hit people over the head with patriotism, but I really do want to get to the core of what it means to be Canadian," McGowan said shortly after the announcement.

The 35th annual Toronto International Film Festival runs Sept. 9-19.

With files from The Canadian Press