Syracuse, N.Y. -- Syracuse Crunch forward Cory Conacher has pushed the limits of his body in the biggest situations against the toughest foes and under the weighty glares of the most demanding of hockey coaches.

But few challenges were as draining as the one Conacher conquered on an off-day with the Crunch last season.

Conacher raced up and down the War Memorial ice, again and again and again to the point of exhaustion. The effort was necessary because Conacher was in a starring role the likes of which he had never experienced before. Director/producer Calvin Hudson Hwang was making a documentary about Conacher, and he thought pushing Conacher to exhaustion would help draw out his emotion and candor.

“That was unexpected, but he got a lot of good footage. It was a harder practice than (Syracuse coach) Ben Groulx would put us through. It was fun,” Conacher said.

Usually the end result of Conacher’s hard work is showcased in games.

In this case, it was immortalized on film.

The product of the pairing between Conacher and Hwang is a 28-minute film called “Miracle, Baby.” It will make its public debut Saturday at the 2019 Syracuse Film Festival.

The film chronicles how Conacher copes with Type I diabetes, an ailment he was diagnosed with at age 8. When not playing he often has an insulin pump attached to his hip to regulate his blood glucose levels.

It also gives an inside and very personal peek at Conacher’s family and his life as a new parent. He and his wife, Shannon, welcomed their first child, son Callum, last year. The movie was filmed in Syracuse, at the AHL all-star game at Springfield, Mass., and in his hometown near Toronto.

Conacher said he’s seen the documentary a couple of times.

"Calvin did an amazing job. He followed me around a lot last year, both during the season, back home during some of the breaks. I thought it’d be 24 hours long, but it is 30 minutes so it’s crazy how he got all that video and found a way to make it amazing in 30 minutes.

“Just to see the reaction from the people watching is pretty special as well. I tear up almost every time I watch it. It’s very emotional for me and my family, just some of the things that people say about myself and the family as well. It brings back great memories. I’m excited for the people in Syracuse to be able to see it as well.”

Hwang said he’s made several documentaries focusing on people with health challenges. He said he was drawn to Conacher’s story because he’s able to compete at a high level of pro hockey while managing a very serious ailment.

“When you analyze everything that’s made up Cory and he success, he is a unicorn,” Hwang said. “We were just so impressed that he makes such a good role model. Every time you knock him down, he gets back up and he plays even harder. Cory would never be defeated by this. He’s just amazing.”

Conacher more easily fits that description in his natural surroundings. He said he found acting tougher than playing hockey, especially when called upon to deliver dialogue.

“I’m not bad at doing interviews. But he wanted me to act something out and it took a couple shots. It’s definitely a little harder to be an actor, for me at least,” he said.

For Conacher, though, the effort was worth it. Conacher has long been at ease discussing his illness and trying to inspire others who are managing it. He said he tells children who have diabetes to not be scared and if they dream of playing hockey to go for it.

The theme of ‘Miracle, Baby’ fits perfectly into his overall message.

“I continue to try and do a lot of things in the summer, different hockey camps, different diabetic camps, to reach out to as many people as possible. I give a lot of people my email, if they ever have questions,” Conacher said. “Diabetes hits a lot of families. It’s not the easiest thing to live with but it’s something that you can control. If you can control it you can live a long, healthy life. If you don’t, then that’s when things can go sideways. It’s important for me to try and show families that you can do what you want when you grow up.”

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