Slap Shot turned 45 yesterday. Some thoughts on this iconic cult film and a few personal experiences.

Happy birthday Slap Shot!

They brought their f**king toys!

The iconic piece of sports film history celebrated the 45th anniversary of its release yesterday, February 25, 1977. It came out to mostly negative reviews because of the violence and the way it was glorified. I don’t know…..looked good to me.

Despite those reviews and let’s be honest as soon as critics pile on that’s a sign that we should all see the movie, Slap Shot grossed 28 million dollars on a 6 million dollar budget. Pretty good by 1977 standards. It remains today a cult classic with dozens of repeatable lines, unforgettable characters led by the iconic Paul Newman, and realistic scenes given all the extras not only could skate but they were players including of course the legendary Hanson Brothers.

Dave Hanson along with Jeff and Steve Carlson formed the bespectacled trio. Director George Roy Hill and Co. used Dave’s surname for the three on screen brothers when the middle Carlson brother, Jack AKA the Big Bopper was called up for the WHA playoffs and Dave was suggested as his replacement. The line was born. Their introduction in the movie, that first shift on the ice is one of if not thee greatest few minutes in sports movie history.

I worked a couple of gigs with the ‘Hanson’ Brothers and I’ve interviewed all of them on various radio shows I’ve hosted. I have to share this story.

In 1993 I was hired to work the sports card and collectable show in that massive convention room by the airport in Toronto. I was told the booth I’d be working in would be right beside the Hanson brother booth so given that, would I like to meet them the night before because at different times I’d be on the microphone doing trivia and they of course would be doing their sthick. I said sure, absolutely!

I had travelled to Toronto with my then girlfriend, later my wife, Liz Heney. She in turn asked if one of her friends could come to dinner with us. Let’s call her Leslie. Liz was beautiful, Leslie was a smoke show. We entered this restaurant where we were a group of about 10-12 people, we all ordered a drink and we waited for the Hanson’s. No sign.

Close to a half hour after our appointed meeting time I heard a disturbance at the door. We were in a separate room, away from the main crowd and there was quite a racket by the entrance. As it got louder I turned as the three men burst into our enclave, all wearing glasses, dressed very casually, very loud and big! They’re big guys.

So they roll in and make their way around the table making introductions, they come to me and I’m introduced as the guy who will be working beside them – ‘Hey, it’s the stats guy! (smack on the back) ‘Hey stats guy, ready for tomorrow kid, we’re gonna light it up buddy, what’s our stats, you know our stats?’ Laughter all around then I introduced them to Liz and Leslie……..and away they went.

What followed was two hours of mostly ribald conversation with Liz and Leslie and when you could distract them for a second they’d talk about the movie. They drank 28 beers, ordered the biggest steaks, they talked nonstop for two hours regularly dropping into movie form with one of their trademark lines lol….It was an absolute classic first encounter. I loved it.

The next day at the gig the full measure of the trio could be seen. I was at my booth for close to six hours. They were at theirs for about three and they signed everything that was put in front of them, they posed for 100s of pictures and they were absolutely amazing with the children. It was a great start of a friendship that continued for several years.

As many of you know Jeff has had serious health issues which he seems to be doing okay with currently and Steve has most recently received numerous chemo and radiation treatments for cancer. There’s only one truly undefeated fighter in this world and its father time. So if you’re inclined at all on this the day after the release of that iconic film perhaps offer a prayer for the boys fighting a whole other battle than what they did on the ice.

And speaking of battles and fights that brings us to Goldie Goldthorpe. Imagine having such a reputation that the woman who wrote the screen play, Nancy Dowd, sister of Ned Dowd who played Ogie Oglethorpe in the movie, thought enough of you to attend a sports celebrity dinner in Toronto (2009) where Goldie was part of the assembled guests of honour, only to have Nancy say – and allow us to include- what she thought of Goldie at that time. Simply put – it is the stuff of pure legend. (her words that she wrote and spoke can be seen at the end of the video in the thread below)

Goldie got screwed out of playing the role that was created for him. He never got a dime from that film despite them using his name (Goldthorpe-Oglethorpe) his likeness, (the afro) and of course the introduction by Jim Carr, the movies play by play man;

‘Oh this young man has had a very trying rookie season, with the litigation, the notoriety, his subsequent deportation to Canada and that country’s refusal to accept him, well, I guess that’s more than most 21-year olds can handle.’

All true. A story unearthed by Nancy about Goldie in his junior days and one we have in great detail in the book where a fight on a plane in Green Bay, Wisconsin as people were boarding went down the aisle, down the stairs, on to the tarmac, forcing air traffic to be diverted as airport security were forced to call in police reinforcements to contain this wild junior aged player from Thunder Bay and once he was detained, and arrested and jailed his entire team was allowed to leave and fly home while Goldie sat in a jail without a single other person with him and because Canada, his home country initially refused to accept his return to native soil.

Anyway, I digress. Goldie may not have made that movie but the film on his life I continue to write will be a combination of John Wick-Jack Reacher-Rambo and it will be so epic, so surreal, so amazing it will be befitting of a guy who did not make even the cutting room floor in Slap Shot yet the character named in his image is mentioned 21 times in the film.

Happy birthday Slap Shot! May you live on in infamy, in glorious tributes and anytime fans get together and say, ‘fucking machine took my quarter!’

Postscript 1- A shout out today to Yvon Barrette who played goaltender Denis Lemieux. As Goldie and I toured for the book every couple of weeks he’d phone Yvon and get him to recite the lines on speaker phone and every single time he complied with as much enthusiasm as in the movie. Incredible. Shortly before Christmas I got to meet the man in Laval thanks to Kerry Goulet. What a treat. He is full of life, energy and was a true joy to talk to.

Post script 2- Speaking of Kerry Goulet, the legendary Gouche, He is organizing several Slap Shot reunions for later this year. Tentative locations right now are Toronto, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg and I believe Whistler. As more information is made available I will post it.

pics- the Hansons

-Reggie Dunlop (Paul Newman-words on the blackboard are prophetic)

-Yvon Barette ( Denis Lemieux) with our book. Yvon and Goldie are great friends.

-Me and Yvon in Laval