Top 10 Hockey Movies

When you think of Canadian stereotypes, hockey and politeness are 2 things that come to mind. In this family-friendly flick, a Canadian Pee-Wee hockey team wants to make up for a bad experience that an American team previously endured while in set to compete in a tournament taking place in the “true north strong and free.” The “Friendship 2004 Hockey Tournament” is organized and the Brockton Boxers are successfully convinced to return to Canada to play. Of course, things don’t go as smoothly as the Fredericton Canadiens planned; but that’s exactly what makes this story of friendship and hockey worth watching.

The sequel to the 1992 sports comedy brings back some familiar Ducks as well as some new ones. Following a devastating injury in the minor leagues, Gordon Bombay begins coaching Team USA for the Junior Goodwill Games. Despite talented players, the hockey team starts to slip when the coach loses track of his priorities - but thanks to several well-intentioned interveners, Bombay remembers why he loved the game and helps bring the Ducks to victory. Inspiring and critically successful, “D2” will have you waving your flags and quacking along.

The Montreal Canadiens have one of – if not the - greatest NHL legacy, and the championship banners hanging from the rafters are there to prove it. Possibly no player in the team’s history has left a mark quite like Maurice Richard, otherwise known as The Rocket. Coming out of blue collar Quebec, The Rocket helped establish the team as the best in the league. He dominated when helmets and massive paycheques were still distant thoughts. This is a look back at hockey in its purest form, and at a man who shaped it with speed and goals rather than hard hits and fights. Long live The Rocket!

Barreling out of hockey-crazed Quebec comes a movie about a small time team trying to make a decent buck. The comedy on offer is witty, hilarious, and instantly quotable, with the best moments coming off the ice in the players’ room. It’s a reminder of how much fun the sport of hockey is when you’re playing with a good group. An eclectic group, sure, but one we wouldn’t mind lining up with in the big game. And that’s precisely why “Les Boys” was followed by 3 sequels (so far!) and is the Canadian province’s most successful movie franchise to date.

Starting on the frozen pond and going on to play in the big leagues, the on-ice action in this flick is at times both reminiscent of past hockey players and authentic to current ones. But it’s young Dean Youngblood’s story that hits home the hardest here, as he goes from being a great scorer to someone who has to toughen up and learn to hit and fight. Hockey has many elements, and while no one is expected to be perfect at all of them, to be a pro you have to know a bit of everything, including the grimier bits. Hockey really is a tough sport, but we love every minute of it.

Many towns dream of having a hockey team, and the frozen streams of Alaska would certainly be a great home for any professional puck-toting club. While they may have the players and a rink, it’s when the town has to prove themselves against the NHL’s New York Rangers that they have to step up their game. The on-ice action is superb, as is the team practicing for the game. This comedy-drama is a great underdog story, and seeing the Rangers take to the ice on the big screen is pretty cool, too.

Co-written by hockey fan Jay Baruchel and starring Seann William Scott, this sports comedy-drama showcases some incredible on-ice action. Rising through the ranks in the world of hockey because you’re good at fighting certainly isn’t a new topic in hockey talk, but here it’s done in such an over thetop and violent way that it makes you wonder why fighting has become so important to such a graceful sport. However, in this Canadian-American production, a bloody tooth flying out of a guy’s mouth to classical music is an example of the gory side of hockey and also a love letter to the sport and the enforcers that are a part of it. Is it any wonder that a sequel’s currently in the works?

The first hockey movie for many of today’s would-be NHLers, this tale of a lawyer forced to lead a ragtag group of youngsters to hockey success is the best family-friendly rendition of the sport. From practice sessions involving tying the goalie to the post to the big game when the team finally gels together, this sports comedy is a great look into the development of a hockey team and what it takes for them to succeed.

A look back on the U.S.A.’s greatest hockey moment, in which they beat the unstoppable Soviet team and go on to win gold at the 1980 Winter Olympics, is a testament to the history of the sport and what it means to millions of people. While the docudrama’s on-ice action is excellent, and Kurt Russell’s pre-game speech sends us out with skates flying, it’s the grand story of one team overcoming the odds that proves hockey is much more than just hitting a puck around.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Breakaway” (2011)

“Net Worth” (1995)

“MVP: Most Valuable Primate” (2000)

“Keep Your Head Up, Kid: The Don Cherry Story” (2010)

This classic hockey movie has stood the test of time with its witty comedy and brutal on-ice action. The fighting Hansons are still the greatest fictional hockey characters to ever grace the screen with their hard hits, and the comedy’s play on hockey stereotypes, from the French-Canadian to the enforcer, remains hilarious today. Sure, the NHL’s renewed focus on eliminating violence isn’t in keeping with the flick’s message that brutality is necessary for a team to succeed, but “Slap Shot” remains a great look back on the sport’s violent past with some beautiful hockey plays. It’s still the best movie about hockey players to watch with fellow players and fans alike, which is why it gets the number one spot.

Do you agree with our list? What’s your favorite hockey movie? For more hard-hitting Top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.