Before he made it to Hollywood, before his name was etched on Lord Stanley’s Cup, before his New England Whalers won the Avco World Trophy in the WHA’s inaugural season, Howard Baldwin was just a kid on a frozen lake with lofty ambitions and huge skates to fill. Episode one tells the story of where that ambition came from - beginning with the Baldwin brothers upbringing in Bedford, NY, various summer jobs, a stint with the Marines, a brief college hockey career, and an even briefer amateur baseball career.

Howard crammed in all four years of his hockey undergraduate into one season with the Devils, then earned his MBA with the Flyers. But, by June, 1970, his gut was telling him it was time to move on. That everyone thought he had gone mad didn’t matter to Howard; plus, if he had stayed with the Flyers, he never would’ve read the article that changed everything.

A newspaper article leads Howard into taking a leap of faith. He links up with an old friend, John Coburn. Before they know it, they are chasing a dream. The two get their "marching orders," which are quite daunting. The first task at hand, convincing the owners of the World Hockey Association, they had what it took to create a team. A decision is made, elating Howard, but ratcheting-up the pressure. The clock is ticking for Howard and John to prove themselves. That's when fate suddenly steps in.