Time for the Faceoff

What's on my mind today? I found out the Moorhead Spuds (yes, we were potatoes) boys hockey team will be playing in the Minnesota State High School hockey championship game. This is neat for a couple reasons: I am from Moorhead and have always loved their hockey games, I've been going to them since I was a kid. And the other reason is well known but not talked about amongst the Moorhead hockey community so I won't speak of it here. Instead I'll talk about hockey movies, my three personal favorites anyway: 'Slap Shot', 'The Mighty Ducks', and 'Miracle'.

I'll start with 'Slap Shot'. What a classic, and stars Paul Newman as the player/coach of the Charleston Chiefs, a team on the verge of collapse. One of the biggest things this movie has going for it is the characters on the team, every guy is insane yet relatable to people you know. And then there's the Hanson brothers, a spectacled trio of brothers who are nothing short of goons, these characters alone are worth seeing. This movie is hilarious and the hockey sequences are done very well. Definitely a must see for any hockey fan.

Next up, 'The Mighty Ducks'. First off, this movie came out when I was about nine, so it was pretty mindblowing. Second, it takes place in Minneapolis, also great because I'm obviously from Minnesota. The plot's been seen in every kid's sports movie ever, and as far as action 'The Mighty Ducks' isn't exactly adrenaline pumping, but it's still a great movie for kids and especially kids who play hockey. In Minnesota hockey is bred into 75% of the male species, similar to Texas and their football, so that means that 75% of Minnesotans probably own it...get it for your kids.

To have seen "The Miracle on Ice" live would have been unbelievable, it was to those who did see it and even more so for the guys who played in it. I really can't say enough good things about the movie 'Miracle'. When I was 19 I actually auditioned for the movie, they had been casting in Boston and Minnesota since that is where the majority of the players were from. 'Miracle' stars Kurt Russell as Herb Brooks (spot on performance!), the coach of the 1980 USA Olympic Men's Hockey Team. His goal is simple: Beat the team that has dominated world hockey for over 20 years including the past 4 Olympic games, the Russians. The US team is comprised of college age men who don't really get along. Each player is represented well, and the acting is superb, especially for those who had never done it before. The hockey sequences here are second to none. The sound, by far the most addictive part of watching a game, is captured perfectly. Every shot, every skate, every hit...all put together from game footage and seamlessly put together for the action packed games. The final game against Russia alone is nearly 30 minutes long. SEE THIS MOVIE!

Notable hockey movies (not necessarily games about hockey): 'Youngblood', 'Happy Gilmore', 'D2: The Mighty Ducks Are Back', and 'Mystery, Alaska'.

So that's it, the buzzer has sounded, game's over. In fact here comes the Zamboni right now to wipe the ice clean. Later folks!

The Movie Doc