Hockey’s Impact on Pop Culture

Hockey is one of the top-ranked games played worldwide. Followed by millions of fans, hockey themes have been portrayed in numerous films and TV shows. Apart from hockey admirers, many Hollywood scriptwriters and directors developed a passion for hockey and created many hockey movies. Check out the list of hockey references in movies and TV shows.

How I Met Your Mother (TV show)

If you’re looking for the best example of hockey references in movies and TV, “How I Met Your Mother” stands out as a renowned American sitcom that portrays the same. Robin Scherbatsky, played by Cobie Smoulders was a big fan of the Vancouver Canucks, a professional ice hockey team. Throughout the show, numerous references were made to the hockey team. For instance, in one episode, Robin goes on a date with Brad to a Canucks-Rangers hockey game. Additionally, she often wears a Canucks jersey.

Goon (Movie)

Directed by Michael Dowse and written by Jay Baruchel and Evan Goldberg, this is a sports comedy movie released in 2011. This movie revolves around Doug Glatt (Seann William Scott)

a dim-witted bouncer unexpectedly ends up as an enforcer in a hockey team. He trains the underperforming team and makes them pro hockey players. Soon, he became popular among his teams and hockey fans. The sequel Goon: Last of the Enforcers, was released on March 17, 2017. 

The Simpsons (TV shows)

It is an American animated television series. “Lisa on Ice,” the eighth episode of the sixth season shows the discovery of Lisa’s skill for ice hockey as a result of Bart’s mocking. The episode continues as they both end up in rivalry and face each other as opponents in the next match. This episode was scripted by Simpsons writer Mark Sully to express his passion for sports.

Tooth Fairy (Movie)

It’s a fantasy comedy film written by Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel, Randi Mayem Singer, Joshua Sternin and Jennifer Ventimiglia and directed by Micheal Lembeck. Derek Thompson played by Dwayne Johnson is a minor league ice hockey player. He was famous for knocking out people’s teeth and was nicknamed “Toothfairy.” 

Zero Chill (TV series)

Zero Chill is a British teen drama written by Aden Usden and directed by Angelo Abela. The protagonist of the story Kayla MacBently, is a talented skater forced to leave everything behind as her twin brother Mac was offered a place on a reputable hockey team. There she goes through many struggles to adapt to the new atmosphere. This series was aired on 15 March 2021 but unfortunately cancelled after one season.