Ice hockey in popular culture

Ice hockey, partially because of its popularity as a major professional sport, has been a source of inspiration for numerous films, television episodes and songs in North American popular culture.

Films

A number of notable Hollywood films have been made about hockey. Notable hockey films include "Slap Shot"; "The Mighty Ducks", successful enough to spawn two sequels and an NHL team named the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (now the Anaheim Ducks); and "Miracle". The first two are fictional comedies; the last is a drama based on the true story of the 1980 "Miracle on Ice" USA Olympic gold medal team.

Other hockey films include "Youngblood," "Hockey Night", ', "H-E Double Hockey Sticks", "Mystery, Alaska", ', "The Sweater" and the 1937 John Wayne film "Idol of the Crowds".

Many other films are less hockey-oriented but nonetheless prominently involve the sport. "Ice Angel" involves a male ice hockey player who dies and comes back to life in the body of a female figure skater. Both "Happy Gilmore" and "The Cutting Edge" center around failed hockey players using their talents for other sports (golf and figure skating, respectively), while "Wayne's World" contains a number of prominent references to the sport during the film. The Jean-Claude Van Damme starrer "Sudden Death" is set and shot entirely in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, the (supposed) stage for the seventh game of the NHL Stanley Cup finals.

In Quebec, the movie "Les Boys" is a cult classic for many hockey fans, enough to spawn three sequels. The fourth installment of "Les Boys" featured "Hockey Legends" such as Guy Lafleur, Pierre Bouchard, Martin Brodeur, Yvon Lambert and more.

Hockey has also been referenced many times in the series of movies known as the View Askew Movies, which were written and directed by Actor/Director/Writer/Hockey Fan, Kevin Smith. His first movie, Clerks, featured a street hockey game played on the roof of a store, however many of the players in the game wore ice hockey jerseys, including jerseys of the New Jersey Devils, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Soviet Union. Mallrats shows the character Brodie (Jason Lee) playing an ice hockey game on the Sega Genesis game console. Chasing Amy includes a scene in which Joey Lauren Adams and Ben Affleck attending a high school ice hockey game. Finally, Dogma did not feature ice hockey but included three street hockey playing teenagers as henchmen for a demon.

While "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" was never a hockey movie, Chevy Chase's lead character, Clark Griswold, was famous for wearing a light Chicago Blackhawks jersey with "Griswold" and the numbers "00" on it during certain scenes. It also plays a part in Disney Channel original movies "Go Figure " and "Genius", and romantic comedy "Just Friends".

The movie "Lucky Luch" is based on a real person, Joe Michelucci, an aspiring professional hockey player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Fact|date=May 2008 The movie shows his struggles through minor hockey and eventually makes the 1992 US national hockey team.

Television

American

Hockey also frequently shows up in American television, particularly in shows set in the colder regions of the US, such as the Northeast. One of the recurring characters on "Cheers" was Eddie LeBec, a French-Canadian Boston Bruins goalie who married regular character Carla Tortelli. LeBec later was cut from the team and joined a traveling ice show; the character was eventually killed off. One memorable episode of "Seinfeld", "The Face Painter", involves the antics of Elaine's face-painting boyfriend Puddy, a rabid New Jersey Devils fan, and Jerry's stubborn refusal to thank an acquaintance for New York Rangers playoff tickets after the game when he had already thanked him numerous times beforehand. In "NYPD Blue", the character of PA Donna Abandando, played by Gail O'Grady and a love interest of Detective Greg Medavoy in season 3, was a noted New York Rangers fan, having previously dated one of the players. Her Rangers pennant famously hung over her desk at the front of the squad room. Many episodes of Home Improvement included references to the Detroit Red Wings and in one episode, Tim and his neighbour Wilson are at a game when Wilson wins the door prize. Many "Friends" episodes also involve Joey, Chandler, and Ross attending New York Rangers games.

In an episode of "The Simpsons", "Lisa on Ice", Bart is the star of his peewee hockey team, the Mighty Pigs, coached by Chief Wiggum. Lisa is eventually forced to become a goaltender on an opposing team—the Kwik-E-Mart Gougers, coached by Apu—to avoid a failing grade in gym, and she blossoms from a nervous wreck to an intimidating star. Eventually, the two teams play each other. Towards the end of the game, Bart is awarded a penalty shot, but before he shoots, he thinks of all his memories with Lisa. Lisa does this as well, and the two embrace each other. The finishes with the two teams tying each other and furious fans destroying the hockey arena. In another episode, Bart answers his teacher's personal ad and uses the picture of hockey great Gordie Howe.

The "South Park" episode "Stanley's Cup" centers around ice hockey; also in the episode "It's Christmas in Canada", when the boys are in Canada, one of the members of the Canadian crowd is an ice hockey player, no doubt a reference to the popularity of the sport in Canada.Fact|date=May 2008

More recently, the FX show "Rescue Me", which stars Denis Leary, has featured hockey games as an integral part of several episodes; Hockey Hall of Famers and former Boston Bruins forwards Cam Neely and Phil Esposito have had cameos. Leary's character plays in the FDNY vs. NYPD hockey game.

At the end of one episode of "Who's the Boss?", Tony and Angela are at a hockey game. Angela asks Tony what the red circle on the ice is for, and Tony indicates that it is blood (humorously furthering the stereotype of hockey violence). In "Scrubs", Dr. Cox frequently wears a Detroit Red Wings jersey while not at the hospital; this is because of John C. McGinley's real-life friendship with Red Wings defenceman Chris Chelios.

Actor Richard Dean Anderson has incorporated his personal love of hockey into two of his lead characters: MacGyver, and "Stargate SG-1"'s Jack O'Neill.

United Kingdom

In the UK there was a Pingu episodes called Pingu Plays Ice Hockey Produced in 1989 and Features Pingu, Robby, Pongi, and various hockey players.

Canadian

Because of hockey's huge popularity in Canada, it is considered one of the most important elements of Canadian pop culture. It features often in homegrown television and movies, such as the CBC Television series ' and "Hockeyville", the Global TV reality show ', as well as scripted shows like CTV's "Power Play" (1998–2000) and Showcase's "Rent-a-Goalie" (2006–). CBC and its french language division, SRC, have made several entries into the He Shoots, He Scores/Lance et compte franchise. The original series was filmed in both french and English, while subsequent series and movies have just been in french. The CBC premiered the hockeydrama "MVP" in January 2008.

Comics

Charles Schulz's character Snoopy is well known for his love of ice hockey. Snoopy's Home Ice (Redwood Empire Ice Arena in Santa Rosa, California) continues to host the annual Snoopy's Senior World Hockey Tournament each year.

In one strip of Peanuts, Linus challenges Snoopy: "Prove to me that you're a real hockey player." Snoopy grins, revealing that several of his front teeth have been knocked out. Linus walks away, convinced.

Canadian comic book artist Jeff Lemire created the series Essex County, set in his hometown. The series frequently makes reference to ice hockey and features several characters who play the game.

Two major manga series have been published with ice hockey as their central focus: Go!! Southern Ice Hockey Club by Kōji Kumeta and Go Ahead by Daisuke Higuchi.

Music

Among the more famous hockey references in music is "The Hockey Song" by Canadian folk singer Stompin' Tom Connors. Warren Zevon is known for a hockey song called "Hit Somebody! (The Hockey Song)" from his 2002 album "My Ride's Here". The song's title is in reference to the commonplace fights that tend to break out between players during games and tells the tale of Buddy, a Canadian farmboy turned hockey goon. "The Hockey Theme", the long-time theme music of "Hockey Night in Canada" has been described as "Canada's second national anthem". [cite news | last=Jones | first=Tom | title=Country's heirloom reflects on Lightning | 04-12]

There are several less well-known songs which either directly or indirectly feature hockey references and hockey teams, such as "Zamboni" (a reference to the machine used to resurface the ice between periods and after games) by the Gear Daddies; "Helmethead" by Great Big Sea, which details the romantic exploits of an AHL player; and "Time to Go" by the Dropkick Murphys which references hockey directly, as well as the colours of Boston's NHL team, the Boston Bruins (black and gold). Lauren Towers seen in blue, red, and white is the worlds leading the world in top goals as well as assists.Fact|date=May 2008

Canadian band The Tragically Hip has a number of songs that with hockey references, including "Fifty Mission Cap", about former Toronto Maple Leaf Bill Barilko, "Fireworks", and "Lonely End of the Rink". Their song "Wheat Kings" is not about hockey, but the Wheat Kings is the name of a hockey team in Brandon, Manitoba. In addition, "Heaven Is a Better Place Today" is a tribute to the late hockey player Dan Snyder.

Also, the American rock group Five for Fighting, whose name is a hockey penalty reference chosen by singer John Ondrasik, who is an ice hockey fan. Also, L.A. hardcore band Donnybrook takes its name form a slang term referring to a fight between players during a hockey game.

The name of the Boston hardcore band Slapshot is an ice hockey reference, and they have taken this concept further with the album titles "Sudden Death Overtime" and "Greatest Hits, Slashes and Crosschecks".

Jerry Only of legendary New Jersey punk band The Misfits is a huge fan of the New York Rangers. His Misfits have recorded the song "I Wanna Be a New York Ranger".Fact|date=May 2008

References

* Citation
last = USA Hockey
first =
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = USA Hockey To Continue Relationship With Snoopy’s Senior World Hockey Tournament
date =
year =
url = http://edit.usahockey.com/usa_hockey/adult_players/main/usa_hockey/040401_snoopy/
accessdate = 2007-09-27
* Citation
last =
first =
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = A to Z Encyclopaedia of Ice Hockey
date =
year =
url = http://www.azhockey.com/Sn.htm
accessdate = 2007-09-27
* Citation
last = Powers
first = DJ
author-link =
last2 =
first2 =
author2-link =
title = Hockey alums regroup on ice for Snoopy seniors tourney
date = 2007-07-25
year = 2007
url = http://www.du.edu/today/stories/2007/07/2007-07-25-hockey.html
accessdate = 2007-09-27

External links

* [http://slappleghorn.com/ Slapp Leghorn Hockey School]