Famous Movies That Feature Ice Hockey

When the hockey season finishes it’s only natural that you miss your favorite sport. The good news is that you can easily get your ice hockey fix with this list of famous movies that feature ice hockey! You’ll be able to relive your favorite moments on the ice time and time again with these great movies, and there are more than enough to work your way through until the next season.

Let’s take a look at the best famous movies about ice hockey that you need to watch now!

Miracle (2004)

This particular movie tells the tale of an American team of college hockey players that go up against the bookies’ favorite Soviet Union team. It’s based on a true story set around the peak of the Cold War in the 1980 Olympics and is considered to be one of the most dramatic sports upsets in history.

It’s easy to get inspired by the tale of the team coach, Herb Brooks, too. He was the last player to be cut from the US team in 1960, which was the only American team to ever win a gold medal. However, he held on to his dream and achieved it 20 years later as the head coach.

Fun fact: My father, Alan Dater, filmed this game for a private company. Somewhere, there are a couple cans of original, never-before-seen footage. I may have to go on a treasure hunt at some point. My dad doesn’t know where the footage is now, because it was given back to the boss/owner of the company he did it for. That footage would fetch some big bucks.

Legends of Hockey (1996)

Looking for a more literal take on hockey with a movie? Then the Legends of Hockey documentary will hit the spot. This particular movie focuses on different aspects of the ice hockey sport throughout each decade up until the mid-90sf, and will give you a fantastic insight into the game itself.

This is definitely the best hockey movie for those who prefer more factual stuff to fictional characters.

Legend No. 17 (2013)

Looking for an ice hockey movie that you likely haven’t seen? Then you need to give Legend No. 17 a watch. This particular movie never got a North American release, but it collected a lot of prestigious Russian awards. It follows the story of Valeri Kharlamov, who is considered to be one of the best ever players throughout Soviet Union hockey history.

Kharlamov was on the smaller side for a professional ice hockey player. However, he more than made up for his small size by using his versatile skills, which earned him several awards and championship titles. He also helped his country to win Olympic gold twice.

Mystery, Alaska (1999)

This movie features a fictional hockey team, but is still worth a watch to get your sporty fix. The amateur hockey team of Mystery, a fictional town in Alaska, enjoys playing a Saturday game out on the ice. The team is made up of local citizens, who get excited at the possibility of playing the New York Rangers.

While this movie wasn’t exactly a box office hit, it is still worth a watch for some feel-good ice hockey vibes.

Slap Shot (1977)

You can’t go wrong with a classic sports comedy, and Slap Shot definitely delivers. This movie features a fictional minor league ice hockey team, who are led by coach Reggie Dunlop. When coach Dunlop discovers his team is about to disband at the end of the ice hockey season because of their poor performance and financial problems, he takes on the Hanson Brothers to encourage them to up their game.

The Hanson Brothers unleash chaos on the league with their more violent style and dirty tactics. Some of the jokes may not have aged well in terms of political correctness, but it’s a movie that’s still worth a watch for some hilarious hockey antics.

For us hockey writers, the most cherished scene is the one in which the newspaper beat writer on the team, Dickie Dunn, is told how great one of his stories is, by Dunlop at a bar.

“Just trying to capture the spirit of the thing,” Dunn says.

That’s a line often repeated in press boxes among puck scribes.

The Mighty Ducks (1992)

This is a franchise that introduced the younger generation to the wonderful sport of ice hockey. This particular movie follows a narcissistic lawyer who gets sentenced to community service when he gets in trouble with the law because of drunk driving. This turns out to be being made to coach a youth’s hockey team.

The Mighty Ducks was followed up with 2 movie sequels, as well as an animated series, and even an NHL expansion team that’s based out of Anaheim. This is a great movie to watch with your kids if you’re looking for a more positive Disney experience.

Indian Horse (2018)

Indian Horse is one of the more hard-hitting movies on this list and tackles a lot of tough issues that other ice hockey movies tend to avoid. However, this bold story took film festivals in Canada by storm, earning it many accolades.

This particular movie follows the tale of Saul, an indigenous Canadian who grows up in a racist, corrupt, and often abusive Canadian Indian residential school. We follow Saul through his young troubled life and see how Saul overcomes obstacles to become a fantastic hockey player.

Youngblood (1986)

Looking for an inspirational movie about hockey? Then you need to add Youngblood to your list of films to watch. Youngblood follows the tale of Dean Youngblood, a 17-year-old farm boy who yearns to play professional ice hockey. Youngblood gets the opportunity to try out for a Canadian hockey team, and he earns a spot thanks to his quick skating.

This is a heartwarming movie that follows Youngblood grow into his own under the tutelage of his team captain as well as his father, who at first disapproved of his dream, but then encourages it when he sees how talented his son is. 

Goon (2012)

Goon is a movie that focuses on the comedic tale of enforcer Doug Glatt. This well-meaning bar bouncer attends a minor league hockey game, and wins a fight with ease against an opposing team member who forces his way into the crowd.

Even though Glatt doesn’t have any experience on the ice, he gets asked to join the team as a result of his win in the fight to protect the young, troubled star of the hockey team. This will be one to watch with older teens rather than young kids because of the bathroom humor and occasionally upsetting violence.