Movie Blog: Top 10 Greatest Hockey Movies Ever
Previously, I've counted down the best baseball movies, the best football movies, and the best basketball movies of all time. Heck, I've even covered the best movies featuring archery. Why did it take me this long to get to the best movies about hockey?
Well, to be brutally honest, there just aren't anywhere near as many of them, just like it's kind of difficult to find hockey die-hards outside of the more polar areas of the U.S. Whereas the list of great baseball movies left me with handfuls of snubbed contenders, I had to struggle -- as you will see below -- with the definition of a "hockey movie" to fill this list out.
That being said, it's a fast sport with the potential for lots of dynamic tracking shots. And the emphasis is almost (almost) always on the needs of the team at the expense of the individual, which usually makes for great ensemble work.
Minnesota being the state of hockey, you'll note that more than a few of the contenders are centered around North Star territory. And, yes, those movies were given greater consideration in the rankings. Sorry 'bout it.
Here are the best, fastest, funniest or most heart-rending hockey movies ever made. Did I say "heart-rending"? Forget I said that. This is hockey, after all.
- Happy Gilmore (1996)
Cry foul all you want, but even though Billy Madison, er, Happy Gilmore spends the entire movie playing golf, he retains the pugnacious heart of the hockey player he is. He even customizes his putter to improve his game. Plus, Bob Barker. We're going to bend the rules if only to include Bob Barker on this list.
- Mystery, Alaska (1999)
Irony was out as the world approached Y2K. Football had Remember the Titans and Varsity Blues. And hockey had this one. Critics hated it, and audiences stayed away, but there are a few things to recommend about this sleeper, in which an entire town bands together when they are challenged to face off against the New York Rangers. Nope, the movie doesn't make a lick of sense, but hey, at least it's got Hank Azaria and Michael McKean.
- Youngblood (1986)
I've seen more than a few IMDB reviewers complain that 1980s-era Rob Lowe is far too pretty to read as a hockey player, and that Patrick Swayze's a little too Dirty Dancing to be a team captain. But you need to remember this was also the era when Swayze was legit hard in stuff like Roadhouse, and Rob Lowe's own dark side obviously came out to play in subsequent years. The movie itself? Well, let's just call this my one "so bad it's good" pick and move on.
- Goon (2011)
For anyone who, like me, regarded Seann William Scott's Stifler as the secret weapon of the American Pie series, or for anyone who thought it was about time for some good old fashion Slap Shot-style bad behavior to come back to the genre of hockey films, Goon was a godsend. And a welcome signpost of changing times. The reason Scott's belligerent Doug Glatt gets noticed is because he picks a fight to defend his gay brother. Back in Slap Shot's days, gay slurs were par for the course. Goon's a welcome update to the template.
- The Cutting Edge (1992)
Strange, it's almost like I can hear the collective outcry about this "chick flick" crashing the gates. Well, what can I say. Hockey players pick fights their way; I pick fights my way.
- Pond Hockey (2008)
The least-recognizable title on a list that doesn't exactly have them in short supply, Pond Hockey was selected among the best of the fest at the 2008 Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film Festival. A documentary about the ins and outs of a sport that many in this state hold dear, it follows multiple storylines leading up to the first ever U.S. Pond Hockey Championships, which, as you're now well aware, have become the biggest sporting event the world has ever known.
- Cowards Bend the Knee (2003)
Did I say Pond Hockey was the least well-known film on this list? Check that. While I'm sure quite a few Minnesotans have actually found their way to Pond Hockey, the usual tally of viewers for any of Canadian genius Guy Maddin's films probably struggles to get into the five digits. And if you want to know why he's such an acquired taste, just gaze upon the plot description on the film's Wikipedia entry.
- Slap Shot (1977)
Truly, it needs no introduction. The quintessential, macho, raucous hockey film to end all hockey films. And what you might not remember is that the happy ending involves Paul Newman accepting a job to coach the "Minnesota Nighthawks."
- The Mighty Ducks (1992)
If you're a child of the '80s or '90s who was living in Minnesota at the time, The Mighty Ducks holds an almost mythical place in your coming of age. Odds are you either were an extra on the set of the film (which at the time had the working title of Bombay) or knew someone who was an extra on the set. It's Disney-Buena Vista formula through and through, though in the early '90s, that was a mark of quality (see also: Sister Act and Cool Runnings). Efficient, cute, and unpretentious entertainment.
- Miracle (2004)
If there's a hockey movie to compare with The Natural or Rudy, Miracle is unquestionably it. Starring Kurt Russell as legendary Minnesota coach Herb Brooks, and presented without a trace of irony or a sense of trend-spotting, Miracle is a love letter to sports fans.