An Intriguing Look at Hockey and Hockey Culture Through the Lens of Slap Shot

I have never played a sport professionally, but I have played baseball alongside former collegiate players and former professional players. I have even played in a baseball game alongside a professional baseball player prior to him reporting to his professional baseball team for the upcoming minor league season. And in what is obviously a transparent humblebrag, I can say that an umpire once asked me where I had played my college ball and I can attest that he seemed genuinely surprised to learn that I had never played college baseball. I once even played in a baseball game watched by a former professional baseball player that I myself had watched play for the AAA Richmond Braves baseball team.

Being an amateur athlete gives you an insider’s glimpse inside the culture of a sport and you can often read and hear accounts from inside a sport at the highest levels that helps you to better understand the culture of that sport at the highest levels, even if you have never lived the life of a professional athlete. Specifically, I have read a number of articles and books and heard accounts about the lives of athletes in professional sports, particularly baseball and ice hockey. I have also coached some collegiate athletes and professional athletes. So I have some concept of what it means to be a professional athlete and to live that lifestyle.

I recently posted about the movie, Slap Shot, and I came across this interesting video about the movie and professional hockey. I decided to share it. It is certainly not the definitive look at hockey culture, but it is pretty good. If you are interested, be sure to click on the link below. Perhaps someday I will post the titles of some of my favorite “insider” books on professional baseball and ice hockey. In the meantime, enjoy.

“SLAP SHOT (1977): WHAT THE FILM GETS RIGHT ABOUT HOCKEY”