Michael Bublé and Drew Scott have built careers in very different corners of entertainment. One became an internationally recognized recording artist, while the other spent nearly two decades producing television and building a brand around real estate. Now, the two Vancouver natives are bringing those worlds together through hockey. The longtime friends are part of the ownership group behind the Vancouver Giants, with their experience captured in Hometown Giants, a Prime Video series that pulls back the curtain on life inside a major junior hockey organization. For Bublé and Scott, however, the story isn’t simply about owning a hockey team. It’s about returning home and investing in their community.
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A friendship comes home
Despite their different careers, Bublé believes the paths he and Scott took have more in common than people might assume. “I think it was very similar in how ambitious we were, in how willing to work hard to grow, to change, to reinvent ourselves,” Bublé told Gent’s Post. Their friendship also predates much of their success. “We grew up in Vancouver,” Scott said. “We went off and did our things and grew these careers, but we’ve always sort of been tied, and we were always looking for something to do together.” The Vancouver Giants ultimately provided that opportunity, allowing the pair to contribute to the community where they grew up.
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Hockey doesn’t follow a script
Owning a hockey team also comes with something neither man can completely control: the outcome. Scott is accustomed to real estate, where strategic decisions can create opportunities even as markets change. Hockey is different. Injuries, a bad bounce or one shot can alter an entire season. That unpredictability became central to Hometown Giants.
“Less than 5% of these kids are going to make it to the NHL, yet that’s what they’re all here for,” Scott said. “The good, the bad, and the ugly, we’re showcasing it, and Mike and I are just stewards of that story.” That distinction matters because these aren’t simply hockey players chasing professional contracts. They’re young people simultaneously navigating pressure, insecurity and the uncertainty of what comes next. It’s also why Scott believes the show can connect with viewers who don’t necessarily care about hockey. “You’re parents of kids who are at a similar stage to these kids,” he explained.
The drama was already there
Scott’s experience as a television producer could have made it tempting to manufacture bigger moments for the cameras. Instead, he says the opposite approach was essential. “I don’t need to create entertainment,” he said. The season delivered enough drama on its own. Injuries piled up, games were lost and players disappeared from the lineup. While the ownership group watched things unravel, the production team recognized they were capturing a compelling story. “We can’t write this,” Scott recalled.
For Scott, that’s what separates the series from reality programming that attempts to manufacture conflict. “If you truly let things happen the way they happen and you know how to tell a story, how to showcase a story—we’re not trying to create a story—it will be something that people connect to.”
Building people instead of just players
For Bublé, the bigger purpose of the Vancouver Giants predates both the series and his partnership with Scott. When he first became involved with the organization, Bublé’s fellow owners included hockey legends Gordie Howe and Pat Quinn. He remembers asking majority owner Ron Toigo how they were going to win another Memorial Cup. Toigo’s response reframed what success meant.
“He said, ‘Honestly, we’re going to create great individuals who go and make society better,’” Bublé recalled. It’s an idea that remains at the centre of how Bublé views ownership today. Winning matters, but so does building a culture based on consistency, ethics and how people are treated when cameras aren’t rolling.
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He points to former Giants defenceman Bowen Byram as an example. When Byram was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche, Bublé remembers the young player publicly thanking Toigo for making sure things were good for both him and his family. For two men accustomed to success being measured in ratings, sales, audiences and accomplishments, the Vancouver Giants have provided a different scoreboard.
Hometown Giants may document the pursuit of championships and professional hockey dreams, but Bublé and Scott are betting that the more interesting story is what happens to these young men along the way. Hometown Giants is available for streaming on Prime Video.
