Edmonton: There may be no NHL this year, but Calgary-based Alberta Filmworks has teamed up with Toronto’s Accent Entertainment to produce an MOW about a hockey legend. No, it’s not the story of Wayne Gretzky, but rather that of his father, Walter Gretzky.

The $3.5-million CBC MOW Waking Up Wally: The Walter Gretzky Story is based on the best-selling book, On Family, Hockey and Healing, written by Canada’s greatest hockey dad.

The movie tracks Walter Gretzky’s recovery from a brain aneurysm in 1991, which left him without any memory of his son’s hockey achievements, or the part he played in helping Wayne become a hockey legend. Production began in Edmonton Jan. 19 and is set to wrap by Feb. 11.

Tom McCamus (The Sweet Hereafter) plays Walter and Victoria Snow (Men With Brooms) is cast as his wife, Phyllis. Kris Holden-Ried (K-19: The Widowmaker) stars as Wayne and Tara Spencer-Nairn (Corner Gas) as his sister, Kim. Walter’s rehabilitation therapist is played by Matthew Edison (Interstate 60).

Alberta’s Dean Bennett (Tom Stone) directs from a script by Carol Hay, who produces with Carolynne Bell (Deeply) and Jordy Randall (Tom Stone). Executive producers are Susan Cavan (Twitch City) and Tom Cox (North of 60). Glen Gretzky and Claire Freeland are associate producers.

The MOW is produced with funds from the Canadian Television Fund, the CanWest Western Independent Production Fund, the Alberta Foundation for the Arts and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.