Slap Shot (movie)

Slap Shot is a 1977 Hollywood film starring Paul Newman and Michael Ontkean and directed by George Roy Hill. The film is based on a book written by Nancy Dowd, based in part on her brother Ned Dowd's experiences playing minor league hockey in the United States in the Seventies, during which time violence -- especially in the low minors -- was the selling point of the game.

Miscellany

The movie has had an enduring impact on hockey culture. Key lines of script are frequently quoted, some of its terms entering the hockey lexicon outright. Its enduring popularity can be seen in the fact that replica Chiefs jerseys from the movie remain popular sellers, and that the "Hanson Brothers" (hockey players Steve Carlson, Jeff Carlson and Dave Hanson) have made permanent careers out of touring as their personas from the movie.

Related Topics:
Steve Carlson - Jeff Carlson - Dave Hanson

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The movie was filmed in (and loosely based around) Johnstown and utilized several players from the then-active North American Hockey League Johnstown Jets (the team for which Dowd himself played) as extras. Many scenes were filmed in the Cambria County War Memorial Arena, the Jets' home ice, and in other Johnstown locales.

Related Topics:
Johnstown - North American Hockey League - Johnstown Jets - Cambria County War Memorial Arena

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In another tribute to the movie's popularity, the ECHL Johnstown Chiefs are named after the Chiefs in the movie, and play at the War Memorial Arena.

Related Topics:
ECHL - Johnstown Chiefs

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A much-derided direct-to-video sequel, Slap Shot 2: Breaking the Ice, was filmed in 2002.

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